Nassau County and Poet Laureate

Here is just one of the many articles on Nassau County's rejection of the unanimously nominated candidate for poet laureate because apparently some of his poetry criticized the war in Iraq which someone asked for. Or you can simply go to Google (Web or News) and type in Nassau County +poet laureate and you'll find lots of such articles.

Nassau County’s Shame

So, Nassau County was ready to nominate their first poet laureate—a six member committee voted unanimously for Maxwell Corydon Wheat Jr. But, then it was discovered that not all of his poems were sufficiently pro-war; in fact, some had criticized the war. So, in the end, the committee to nominate a poet laureate, voted 6 to 1 against his being appointed because they didn’t like his position on the war. Is Nassau County now going to investigate teachers, police officers, and doctors, for example, and only appoint those who are pro-war? Anyone now appointed poet laureate of Nassau County will have to know that it’s not the poetry that ultimately counts, it’s the poet’s politics. Shame on you Nassau County!