Let me start out with full disclosure: I am an actor/filmmaker -- an "artist," if you will (though my Scandinavian upbringing makes me cringe at such a self-description). I am a strong believer in public support of the arts.

That said, I must raise my objection to the constant raising of sports as the bogeyman in discussions of what should or should not be supported and funded in our society. Sports and art tap into the same place in the human psyche: the place where hope, ambition, inspiration and exultation meet for a transformative moment.

The thrill that Person A feels at watching Jared Allen blind-side Aaron Rodgers is no less or more valid than the thrill in the heart of Person B who watches Hamlet finally kill Claudius.

Yes, pro athletes make a lot of money, but so do movie stars. I am certainly not begrudging the artist musicians their money -- they should probably make more -- but make the argument about the value they provide rather than denigrating the passion and pleasure that sports also provide.


DAVID TUFFORD, PLYMOUTH