When artists take to arms….
When artists rise up, it signals a profound crisis in the state of a democracy. By this litmus, Slovakia is in trouble. Artists, by their very nature, are creators, visionaries who wield brushes, pens, and words to shape the world with beauty, empathy, and truth. They are society’s conscience, reflecting and challenging our collective soul through their work. So when an artist takes to arms, abandoning their tools of peace for instruments of violence, it is a sign that something is deeply, irreparably wrong.
Consider yesterday’s event in Slovakia, where a 71-year-old poet and anti-violence campaigner shot the pro-Russian anti-democratic Prime Minister. While we don’t yet know everything about this septuagenarian assassin but this act, as shocking in its incongruity as its violence, underscores a harrowing truth: when the guardians of one’s moral and ethical compass are driven to such desperate measures, that democracy is in dire straits. The poet’s transformation from a voice of peace to an agent of violence is a clarion call, demanding urgent attention and introspection.
Historically, artists are the archenemies of autocrats. This is precisely because they are a bellwether at the forefront of societal change, not through force, but through the power of their expression. They have illuminated the darkest corners of our existence, holding a mirror to our injustices and failings. When their words and works are no longer enough to provoke change, it is a damning indictment of the systems that governs. It signifies that the avenues for peaceful protest and reform have been obstructed, leaving even the most peaceful with no recourse but to rebel against the tyranny that stifles their voice and the voices of their compatriots.
This act of violence by a man of words should haunt everyone. It should force Slovaks to ask: what kind of society as Slovakia become that an artist, whose life’s work seems to have been dedicated to peace and beauty, feels compelled to commit such an act? It reveals a democracy eroded by corruption, repression, and disenfranchisement that its most sensitive and perceptive members can no longer abide by its rules.
When artists rise up, when they abandon their mediums of creation for destruction, it is a desperate plea for the restoration of true democratic values. It is a reminder that democracy is not merely a system of governance but a living, breathing entity that thrives on freedom, justice, and the unbridled expression of its people. We must heed this warning and work tirelessly to rebuild a society where the pen is mightier than the sword, and the artist can once again be the voice of peace and progress.
