Before spring break, a picture of a Cuban woman breastfeeding a small mammal called a hutia was displayed in the School of Communication to help promote this weekend's Environmental Film Festival. This photo of the woman and her pet was up for about two days before it was taken down because some people - mostly professors - were offended.
While it is understandable that some would be offended by this picture, we firmly believe that it should not have been taken down. The fact that some people are offended by a photograph does not justify censoring an artist's work.
This picture, like many others that show true-to-life events, is useful because it provokes thought and debate. This particular photograph demonstrates the close relationship that many people in other parts of the world have with their animals - it is not an uncommon practice for women in New Guinea to breastfeed pigs, for example. Sometimes this close relationship makes it easier for disease to spread between animals and humans. This is a phenomenon that we might not otherwise think about.
Also, the photograph is useful because of its proven ability to prompt debate, as it has at AU.
Overall, the picture did not harm anyone. While some say it is demeaning to Latinas, we disagree because it showed an event that really happened and was not staged. We see no justifiable reason to take down the photograph.
