Throwing out the baby

Interesting lead articles in the Oct. 31 edition of the Westchester Eye — an edgy new weekly devoted to county news — about museums that de-accession parts of their collections in tough economic times and legislation by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky that would make it tougher for them to do this.

I agree with Michael Bostwinick, director of the Hudson River Museum, who is quoted in one of the articles and is passionate about museums holding on to their collections as part of the public trust. Indeed, it reminds me of a story often told of Winston Churchill. During the blitz, there were members of the British government who thought that the nation's treasures should be removed from London. Winnie would have none of it.

"It's what we're fighting for," he said.

Churchill understood that the stakes in World War II were nothing less than civilization itself. Our situation is less dire, of course. But the stakes are no less great.