GETTING THE POINT

Regarding art critic Christopher Knight’s “Serrano’s Critics Missed the Point” (Dec. 11), I was prepared to say that Knight missed the point, when lo, in the penultimate paragraph of this 1,500-word essay, there is a passing mention of controversy in Congress over funding of the “arts.”

And there lies the point! It is typical of the overreach of centralized governmental involvement over the decades in nearly everything conceivable that we have taxpayers funding “artists” through the NEA. Regardless of the merits or otherwise of Serrano’s “art,” which Knight somewhat halfheartedly defends, as a taxpayer I do not relish having my pockets picked for this illegitimate purpose.

And while we’re on the subject of Philistinism, who are the Philistines passing on the worthiness of these tax handouts?

THAYER SMITH

Downey