A Controversial Sculpture

On Dec. 9, Christopher Knight asked for forgiveness for being dense (“Path of Disillusionment Leads to Roybal Site”). Please forgive him. He is not dense. He is an expert. He is unhappy that “bureaucrats” (he is not a bureaucrat?) removed a sculpture from a public building. He says that the sculpture was erected by the people. I find that hard to believe.

Knight says he served on a panel of professional peers who selected the artist for the work in question. The work was removed at the request of Rep. Edward R. Roybal (D-Calif.), whose name is on the building. Knight quotes Rep. Les AuCoin (D-Ore.) as asking, “Who in the hell elected Ed Roybal our Minister of Culture?”

May I ask who in hell elected Knight and his panel of professional peers to choose the artists whose work is to be subsidized by the people?

Many of us might prefer to purchase plastic pink flamingos for our lawns rather than be forced to finance what we are told is a masterpiece by a panel of self-styled professional peers of the artist.

When something that, in my opinion, is as offensive, crude, vulgar, obscene and in general as displeasing as those works are is removed, I am pleased. I am not pleased when I remember that I was taxed to finance that work.

ERVIN E. FRAUENHOFF

Los Angeles