June 12, 2011 in City

Clark: Protest of Hindu idol artfully depicts idle minds

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I’m so glad that crazy prophet was wrong and the world didn’t end last month.

It would have been a damned shame to miss out on the sight of some of our own religious lunatics standing on a street corner in protest of a metal elephant.

That was the scene Friday in Coeur d’Alene.

Four adults and a couple of kids (hopefully, too young to know better) gathered at Sixth Street and Sherman Avenue. They politely held up signs warning the public about the unchristian evils of a nearby sculpture, a four-armed Hindu elephant god named Ganesha.

“No Idols,” read one sign.

“Idols Are Not Art,” read another.

“The Veneration of Idols is the Worship of Demons,” read still another.

This nutty protest coincided with the 5:30 p.m. dedication ceremony of ArtCurrents, Coeur d’Alene’s new public art program.

A small conspiratorial part of me keeps wondering if the ArtCurrents officials could have staged this tomfoolery as a sly way to promote their event.

I mean, come on. One of the so-called protesters wore a yellow polo shirt and blue plaid Bermuda shorts.

That’s not a protester – that’s a caddy.

Plus everybody knows that there’s no better draw for an art show than when the moralists start complaining that the art is naughty.

ArtCurrents features 15 pieces that are on display all over the Lake City. There’s a bass fiddle, a bull elk, blue heron …

Ganesha the elephant, however, is the only sculpture deemed unholy by sensitive members of the Kootenai County Constipation Party.

Did I write that?

What I meant was Constitution Party.

When I caught wind of this elephant uproar there was no doubt in my mind. I had to go to Coeur d’Alene and meet Lord Ganesha for myself.

The piece, created by Spokane’s Rick Davis, is an artistic rendering of the Hindu god of success and vanquisher of evils and obstacles.

It looks like Dumbo on acid.

Ganesha’s got a hatchet in one of his hands. He wears earrings, and the antennae curling out of his head reminded me of those springy “deely bobbers” they sell at the circus.

Oh, yeah. There’s also this strange rodent lurking under Ganesha’s chair.

I don’t know what the rat’s called so I nicknamed it “Hagadontha” in honor of a dude I once worked for.

True, I’m hardly an expert in Hindu deities. But from his flamboyant attire, I think Ganesha would make a terrific mascot for the Log Cabin Republicans.

This protest is so lame.

I grew up in the ’60s. Protests back then were over things like civil rights and the Vietnam War. You know, real issues.

And why pick on Ganesha?

About a block west of the elephant is a statue of this woman frolicking with a couple of otters.

I think the Constitution Party’s art critics oughta take a gander at that one. I don’t know what Otter Woman is up to, but it looks pretty unnatural if you catch my drift.

Upon closer inspection, however, these constipationalists may have a point. There is something definitely blasphemous about the pompous pachyderm Ganesha.

The $35,000 price tag.

Doug Clark is a columnist for The Spokesman-Review. He can be reached at (509) 459-5432 or by email at dougc@spokesman.com.

Nine comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  Orange on June 12 at 4:50 p.m.

  What does it mean when a Spokane d’Alene baby drools out of
  both sides of its mouth?

  The trailer is level.

• 

  oneanddone on June 12 at 7:01 p.m.

  “I grew up in the ’60s. Protests back then were over things like civil rights and the Vietnam War. You know, real issues.”

  Hey Clark, guess your family wrote you in Manitoba about all those “real issues”, ‘ey? Drink lots o’ that there Kokanee, yeah?

• 

  Providing_Buttonholes on June 12 at 7:11 p.m.

  Inbreeding should be outlawed.

• 

  zelda on June 12 at 10:35 p.m.

  You have to be a glutton for punishment to run a public arts program in North Idaho.

  Ganesha is very cool, though. Wish I had $35K so I could put it in my backyard. People objecting to the god of success and vanquisher of evils and obstacles doesn’t give me confidence that prosperity is just around the corner.

  Less benevolent gods are taking note.

• 

  MrBloggy on June 12 at 11:09 p.m.

  DougClarkesha is the one Hindu minor God, MrB would avoid - head of an ass with a stupid ballcap perched vacantly on top, four hands holding his four column ideas he repeats endlessly, a monkey on his lap playing a ukelele and singing sophomoric lyrics DougClarkesha has scrawled about whatever Spokane nothing event or career thug has captured his gnat-like attention. Now that idle is one MrB would join the protest against.

• 

  mkries2 on June 12 at 11:53 p.m.

  They’re just trying to scare away the retired Californians.

• 

  maddog on June 12 at 11:55 p.m.

  @oneanddone…Kokanee is relished here in Sacramento Ca where I had to relocate after being born, and lived 40 years in the Inland Empire, and yes they do give you a good buzz!

• 

  westonr on June 13 at 1:19 p.m.

  In the 60’s when you were protesting “more important things”, did you also protest caddy attire?

  Because we know that you guys and all your “free lovin” strongly protested the idea of children standing with their parents in their beliefs.

• 

  transformer2you on June 13 at 3:49 p.m.

  Great point Westonr ;-)

  As someone who knows all those involved in the conspiratorial plot to somehow overtake Coeur D Alene. Here are some of the facts, assuming that Doug cares about facts as most journalists these days don’t seem to for some reason.

  #1) The children made the signs themselves

  #2) Even the 7 year old boy was able to come up by himself with the slogan “Idol’s are not Art” [apparently some adults are not yet convinced - my commentary]

  #3) They are not “religious lunatics” by simply peaceably holding a sign sharing a message straight from the 10 commandments “No Idols”. [I guess the atheists are right, everyone who has religious convictions are lunatics]

  #4) The group was not out there to protest just any idol, or they would have to protest every Hindu household around, rather they were out there to protest the CITY GOVERNMENT forcing all non-Hindu Coeur D Alene Citizens to support a Hindu idol with the taxpayers purse. [No vote was taken on this extreme over bounds of the state into taking religious sides. Their vote was cast when they came out with the signs - my commentary]

  Here are just 4 facts the community should have in hand so they can have an informed decision before coming up with wacky conclusions based upon ad-hominem attacks.
  Let’s have a rational discussion about the facts of the matter, rather than poking fun at others expense. I’m sure that’s how you would have like to have been treated by the media when you were protesting in the 60’s.