State Funds for Museum of Rock ‘n’ Roll

I read with anger the letter from reader David Latham (March 2). It seems Latham is angry that state Sen. Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco) has introduced SB 2283 seeking to appropriate $850,000 to establish a rock ‘n’ roll museum in California.

Latham asks: “Who the hell cares about a rock ‘n’ roll museum?”

Mr. Latham, I, for one, care about a museum to honor the most inventive, creative, original art form to arise on these shores in the past 40 years. As a matter of fact, I care--passionately--about rock ‘n’ roll and California’s contribution to it over the years. Latham may be too old to grasp the significance of rock ‘n’ roll, but to anyone born in the past 40 years, rock plays a central roll in all our lives. We listen, we feel, we heed the message, power and urgency of rock. Many of us can’t explain exactly why, but we know our lives would be an empty void without it.

Latham also goes on to say that “anybody who votes for this bill should be voted out of office.” To the contrary, those astute legislators who have the courage to vote for this proposal should be lauded and applauded for helping to further enrich the cultural fabric of California and its citizens.

Danny and the Juniors had it right in the mid-’50s when they sang, “Rock ‘n’ roll is here to stay.”

REGINALD E. AUSMUS III

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