The first time that I heard about it I couldn’t believe it. Why? If this country thinks that it is the most important nation in the world and we are so powerful than why, Lord, why? In the name of everything on the face of earth, why did the Florida Government cut education funds, and even worse, arts programs funds, why?

I don’t want to talk about numbers here. Numbers are cold, exact and most of the time correct. And while they support my argument, I’d rather talk about the human element.

I have a friend who is a junior in high school at Deerfield Beach. She wants to be an art major when she finishes high school. She started a silent protest when she found out about the new policy. Arts are getting cut right now, budgets are shrinking, and nobody seems to care. Or notice.

I’ve heard all the usual stories. Tourism is down, nobody pays taxes, the War on Terrorism. The State Budget deficit, the high cost of living. Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey hanging around in South Beach. I’ve heard it all. I still can’t believe it.

Why cut the arts? Why not science, for example (Insert high schooler cheer here)? Things like art and literature, poetry and music always fall behind, because they don’t generate lawyers and medics and engineers and other types of professions that sustain the society and the economy. And no, I’m not saying that too many people studying business or engineering is wrong. I’m just saying, as I have many times before, that people don’t understand the real value of arts beyond just the money aspect.

Art is possibly the most pure way that a human being can express him or herself. In a society that creates stress, pressure and responsibilities, dedicating time to the arts is something as valuable as playing games with your little kids.

There are people that live for and with art. I’m thinking about all those art teachers, teachers just like any other, who try to show the value behind a record or a painting. That art is for everyone.

I can’t simply imagine a society without an artistic expression. In this country, that is supposed to be the richest country in the world, and the capital of liberty and justice, I can’t imagine the government cutting funds on education. That means that they are spending less money on the kids who someday will take over in this country. I can’t imagine the same government not letting these kids have a chance to express or simply show that life has another face, different to the one that you see on TV. Art is a relief from the TV reality. I can’t imagine sad faced kids without an imagination of their own, and without an outlet of expression.

My best hope is for this to be an error. This thing must be stopped. You can’t play with art and life like this. I’m still hoping that this is a bad dream and I will wake up any given second. Or even better, I hope that I’ve been wrong this whole time.