www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/arts/protesters-guggenheim-sackler.html
Recently, the Guggenheim - a prestigious museum and arts endowment foundation - was found to have accepted funding from a wealthy family with ties to the notorious drug, OxyContin. Protesters picketed the museum in disgust, outraged that a drug which has claimed so many lives was now connected to an organization with so much clout and influence. Personally, I don't see this as being cause for outrage in and of itself. My issue is not so much that the profits from a drug like OxyContin were used to fund the arts, but that a drug which causes much pain and suffering has not been taken off the market, or at least reevaluated for general use. How do you feel about this issue? weight in here, and I look forward to hearing your opinions! (:
14 Comments
Caroline Mersch
2/23/2019 01:09:53 pm
I don't really support pills in general. Big pharma companies and their intensions have been heavy and negative towards the public I feel. The quote of the son of the companies' founder talking about "bury[ing] the competition" with their Oxy is disgusting. Some medication has turned into a money and power churning business. It's suppose to help people, and I think it just turns them into addicted consumers for the most part. Also supports the misuse of Oxy and other drugs to be a normal street drug and accepted as such. Where money comes from has a value and choosing to accept money shows where one's values lie and what one may feel is important in a big scheme of things. With museums, especially established ones as the Guggenheim, there will always be money to come- there's donors and people with power that want more and acknowledgment of themselves. I can't imagine how hard it is to find people with "pure" money that have a lot of it and willing to give it away with nothing to gain in return.
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Eden
2/23/2019 04:06:21 pm
Hey Caroline,
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Donna Pham
2/24/2019 10:29:27 pm
At first, I was like "okay, museum funded by drug company. So what?" But after reading the article, I really was shocked. I don't support drug companies or any companies that lied to clients about their product. I don't know how the Guggenheim Museum was founded or what kind of artwork it displays, but how Richard Sackler stated on "burying the competition," it really shows that the company only cares about money, and not their consumers, especially if it in regards with their health.
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eden
2/26/2019 03:38:54 pm
Hi Donna (:
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eden
2/26/2019 03:51:33 pm
(sorry, hit a button in mid-response)
Dania Beltran
2/25/2019 01:46:30 pm
I can see why something like this would be controversial. OxyCotin donating money to "support the arts education" can be seen as a complete PR move amiss their lawsuit. Kind of like a "Hey guys! We donated x amount of money to x museum and they were able to build a theater for the public as well as more gallery space! We're not so bad after all."
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eden
2/26/2019 03:59:13 pm
Oh, it is certainly a PR move, but it also comes across as a power play. Donating to an organization that draws in so many donations from wealthy elites means that they can use that influence in their favor, possibly affecting their legal situation.
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Marina Vilhena
3/3/2019 08:13:12 pm
Hey Eden,
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Cat
3/13/2019 02:11:06 pm
Hey Eden,
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Whats up Eden,
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Fabian Lopez
3/16/2019 02:18:24 pm
When it comes to drug manufacturers that produce notorious substances such as opioids, they will be condemned no matter what they do. At the end of the day it's just another donation from the 1%, as institutions like the Guggenheim are always rubbing shoulders with the bourgeoisie. People would be surprised who the majority of the corporations donate towards, but that's another rabbit hole in itself.
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MarkAnthony
4/4/2019 08:16:11 pm
Hey Eden
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4/7/2019 10:17:21 pm
Good article. I always support protests against the rich and heavily regulating industry. The two don't need to be mutually exclusive. While I do sympathize with the desire to rid institutions like the Guggenheim of dirty money, it's impossible under the current system. It's my belief that these institutions should be publicly funded through taxes on the rich. We need to look at the way our entire system is set up and question what billionaires are getting in return for these donations.
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Robyn
5/13/2019 04:14:50 pm
This is interesting, I think the issue of pharmaceuticals is a significant issue in the U.S. Accepting money reminds me of prohibition with communities acceting money from mobsters.
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