McKinley-fest 

Editor:

One of the purposes of art is to stimulate discussion. In this regard, the McKinley statue is doing a great job. Before retiring him into history's dustbin, we should have an artistic talk back. People who want to respond in any form, visual arts, music, dance, theater, etc., to the McKinley statue could be given a venue on the plaza. We could make a festival of it and maybe raise some of the money to move and replace the statue, if this is what the community wants to do. And about that community — don't we have enough people on the national stage who want to spend a big chunk of their time telling other people they don't belong? I agree with Peter Fretwell ("Statue or Icon," March 15). We all belong.

Lynne Abels, Arcata