VIDEO: Students defend terrorist art display on campus
An art exhibition at John Jay College that features artwork crafted by current and former Guantanamo Bay detainees has sparked national controversy, but most students don't seem to mind.
The Pentagon has expressed concerns about the sale of the art, saying it has questions regarding where the money is going.
An art display at John Jay College of Criminal Justice has generated a great deal of attention, not for the paintings themselves, but rather the men who painted them.
“Ode To The Sea,” a gallery currently being hosted on John Jay’s New York City campus, houses paintings completed by current and former detainees of Guantanamo Bay Prison.
[RELATED: Pentagon uneasy about college selling terrorists’ artwork]
Wanting to know what students on campus thought of their school using resources to promote the work of suspected terrorists, Campus Reform headed to John Jay to find out.
Throughout the afternoon, nearly every student interviewed made it clear: they want the art to stay.
“I don’t mind it. Art is art, so it doesn’t really matter if they’re terrorists or not,” said one student, while another added “We all come from different walks of life...they had their own motives.”
One self-identified faculty member, when asked why she supports selling the art of men suspected of playing a role in 9/11, said “I know it’s difficult to embrace art from anyone that might have harmed New York…but I think New Yorkers also need to let it (9/11) go.”
What did the rest of the students have to say? Watch the full video to find out!
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @cabot_phillips
