1) 9-11, and the Klinghoffer controversy// 2) the Hong Kong response

1. 9-11, and the Klinghoffer controversy
After 9-11 happened 10 years ago, the Boston opera decided to cancel the performance of John Adam's The Death of Klinghoffer. This opera puts on stage the story of the murder of Jewish-American Leon Klinghoffer on a passenger liner by hijackers of the Palestine Liberation Front. The untimely schedule of Boston opera's Adams production left the administration with a tough question after 9-11: whether to play or not play the production, since some people thought the opera is pro-Palestinian. Finally, they withdrew the plan and annouced the cancellation ofthe performance.

UC Berkeley professor Richard Taruskin, legendary musicologist, wrote on New York Times that he thought the cancellation is a "case for control". Whereas, many readers and critics responded with negative voices. Among them, UCLA professor Robert Fink believes that various musical elements and the elimated scene from Adam's original score should suffice for an non-anti-semitist argument. The latter would supplement the arguments of various newspaper readers and letter-to-the-editor writers, e.g., "Boston Symphony missed the point on art and grieving".

I was silent when this matter is discussed in last year's Music and Politics seminar. The matter seems to touch such a sensitive and sentimental American blood that I failed to respond verbally, only to subdue in silence. I was happy, however, that musicologists stood up for debates. We shouldn't be people who go ever deeper into the ivory tower, but rather, we should engage as social individuals.

------
2) the Hong Kong response
I was listening to RTHK, one of the biggest radio broadcasting companies in Hong Kong. As they were discussing the 9-11 issue, I found many people who were so good to call up to the radio, missed the nuance of the event. Many of them pointed to Americans being arrogant and, and the Americans were unaware of the underlying causes of the tragedy.
I can agree that there are a large number of Americans being ultra-conservative. But the ramification of the nuance require in-depth study and no one should say that "USA deserves that".