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Editorial: Tempest in a fishbowl At first glance, this whole goldfish thing might look silly: "Oh, look what those goofy Ashlanders are getting all worked up about now." Artist and adjunct Southern Oregon University professor Shawn Busse has an art exhibit at the Schneider Museum of Art with small pillars topped by fishbowls. Some of the fish in the fishbowls have died during the time of the exhibit - although that was not part of the artistic intent. A dead fish in your home gets flushed - or maybe eaten. A dead fish in a museum, on a publicly supported university campus - especially in Ashland - is more than just a dead fish. It's a philosophical conversation, a moral dilemma, an artistic debate, a political parley - an opportunity for our community to take stock of its values. Protester Barbara Rosen has been railing against the installation - it ended Saturday - and has gathered more than 120 signatures on a petition to ban the use of live animals in campus art exhibits. Her actions are, in her own words, unapologetic attempts to censure art and expression. We agree. At the same time, Rosen is not allowed to be inside the museum while protesting and holding a picket sign. She can't stand inside a public building and express herself. Of course, if museum officials really wanted to avoid controversy, they would have encouraged her to protest inside, where fewer people would notice: "We've had more students coming in because of the protests," one museum worker said, adding that some students hadn't even heard of the Schneider before the protests. In coffee shops, living rooms and in a lively letter-writing dialogue blossoming on Tidings editorial pages, residents debate the issue: The "feeder" fish used in the artwork are bred to be killed, so that makes it all right; forcing helpless animals to provide for any human need is absolutely and always morally wrong; the Tidings is derelict to run the story at all because of the trees murdered to make the paper you're reading. True, it's not a life-or-death issue. But it has provoked thought and discussion about life and death, the meaning of art and freedom of expression. The stories have been picked up by local media, as well as the Associated Press. Clearly, the topic taps fundamental issues for many. The Tidings is not - in this case - favoring a particular view on the issue. We simply applaud those willing to jump into the glass bowl, splash around, and wrestle with this slippery fish. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -