To the Editor:
Re “Accountability for Museums’ Plunder, at Final,” by Erin Thompson (Opinion visitor essay, Feb. 5):
Some would possibly cringe at Ms. Thompson’s suggestion that museums that return stolen artifacts may change them with replicas.
Frankly, my latest museum visits to big-name exhibits have left me extra irritated than awed by being within the presence of revered “originals.”
First, the digital queue tickets, then the snaking strains after which the crush — straining to see over the heads of different acolytes, a few of whom can not resist giving curatorial mini-lectures to their companions as they block your view totally. And all these iPhones snapping away, held excessive to seize each treasured second.
A lot of seeing hyped-up museum displays right this moment appears to be about telling folks you noticed them, not studying from them.
Except for doing the appropriate factor by returning plundered items to their unique house owners, Ms. Thompson’s options of how greatest to honor ritual artifacts, by inserting replicas in significant cultural and historic contexts, would possibly simply decrease the hype and remind us to see, in quieter and richer methods, what she defines as a museum’s purpose: “to teach us about different methods of being on this planet.”
Cathy Bernard
New York
To the Editor:
Erin Thompson’s essay might depart readers with the impression that the Rubin Museum of Artwork’s resolution to shut our galleries and transfer to a decentralized museum mannequin stems from points referring to repatriation. Her evaluation is fallacious.
The Rubin vehemently opposes the trafficking of stolen objects and has by no means knowingly acquired objects that have been illicitly obtained. We’ve taken decisive motion each time wrongdoing was discovered — and can proceed to take action. In actual fact, we employed a full-time employees member whose job is devoted to the continuing, proactive analysis of our assortment.
We’re not shying away from these points — we’re addressing them head on — and our new strategy means refocusing our sources on bringing artwork to folks the place they’re.
This international mannequin will allow us to advance the appreciation of Himalayan artwork by means of an formidable worldwide program of partnerships and collaborations designed to share our assortment in new methods, present direct help to modern artists and researchers, and broaden entry to instructional sources. We’re proud to share our work with a wider public than earlier than — one that’s native, nationwide and worldwide.
Jorrit Britschgi
New York
The author is the manager director of the Rubin Museum.
To the Editor:
On a latest journey to Japan, my spouse and I visited the Tokyo Nationwide Museum. Lots of the artifacts there have been high-quality reproductions. We noticed this show technique in lots of museums and historic websites in Japan.
We didn’t really feel cheated, as a result of these artifacts have been meant to convey a greater understanding of the tradition they represented. The artifacts have been accompanied by wonderful interpretive data that described their creation and context, in addition to graphics together with images of the unique items the reproductions represented.
Earlier than closing galleries and museums, our establishments would do effectively to undertake this different technique.
Paul Aldretti
Denver
Biden’s ‘Stellar Local weather Management’
To the Editor:
Re “Democrats Need Biden to Shine Brighter Gentle on His Local weather Achievements” (information article, Jan. 28):
President Biden has prioritized and delivered transformational local weather progress and jump-started our transition to a extra equitable and simply clear vitality future since Day 1 of his administration. From the most important funding our nation has ever made in local weather options by means of the Inflation Discount Act, to robust worldwide management on the world stage, to transitioning away from soiled and harmful fossil fuels, Mr. Biden has carried out extra on local weather than any president in historical past.
We’re assured that we’ll hear him make that case vigorously within the months forward and imagine that he’ll proceed to spotlight the numerous advantages of appearing on the local weather disaster, together with decreasing vitality prices and saving folks cash; creating well-paying, family-sustaining jobs; and defending the planet now and for future generations.
Elections are about selections, and the distinction within the upcoming presidential election couldn’t be extra stark, nor the selection extra clear. Whereas President Biden is a real local weather champion, Donald Trump was probably the most anti-environment president ever, and by far.
The League of Conservation Voters applauds Mr. Biden for his stellar local weather management to this point, is wanting ahead to extra local weather progress by means of govt motion in his first time period, and is all-in to assist re-elect him so he can end the job in a second time period.
Tiernan Sittenfeld
Washington
The author is senior vp, authorities affairs, for the League of Conservation Voters.
Giving Voters Selections Past the Two Main Events
To the Editor:
In “Operating for President Is Not a Pastime” (column, Feb. 1), Gail Collins writes that it’s “worrisome” that the presence of unbiased presidential candidates may “screw up the end result” of a Trump-Biden presidential contest.
Ms. Collins advises that if any independents need to use the presidential election to raise concepts they care about, they need to “depart this to the primaries.”
However America’s major-party primaries are low turnout affairs that don’t replicate the priorities of most American voters and sometimes forestall independents from collaborating totally. In 2024, the primaries are on monitor to provide among the most unpopular major-party presidential candidates because the introduction of recent polling, and each events have gone to excessive lengths to forestall actual competitors from rising.
The Democratic Get together has ensured that major rivals, like Consultant Dean Phillips, aren’t even allowed on many state major voting ballots. In the meantime the Republican Nationwide Committee was simply considering a decision to call Donald Trump the celebration’s presumptive nominee after the New Hampshire major earlier than finally backpedaling.
The continuing effort to disenfranchise teams or candidates difficult the entrenched powers in each events is rooted in contempt for voters — 64 p.c of whom need one other selection in 2024 past what the most important events appear poised to supply. No Labels has been working for 2 years to safe poll entry for 2024 to make sure that American voters have this selection.
Ms. Collins and different critics ought to spend much less time dismissing unbiased voices and extra time exploring why voters are so hungry to listen to them within the first place.
Ryan Clancy
Brooklyn
The author is chief strategist for No Labels.
Make SAT Tutoring Free
To the Editor:
Re “Why the Requirement for SAT or ACT Scores Returned to Dartmouth,” by David Leonhardt (The Morning, Feb. 6):
Mr. Leonhardt studies that the SAT is gaining a rebirth at varied schools. Analysis has proven over a long time that those that are tutored in preparation for the SAT will do considerably higher than those that aren’t tutored. This then interprets to the notion that SAT outcomes are clearly associated to household help and funds.
There’s a easy answer to cut back this discrepancy: SAT tutoring needs to be offered with out value after college hours by the college districts to college students who want to take part. This might reduce the difficulty of monetary benefits and assist degree the enjoying discipline.
Alfred Posamentier
River Vale, N.J.
The author is professor emeritus of arithmetic schooling and a former dean on the Metropolis Faculty of New York, CUNY.
