Art and poverty

Here's one outraged reader's reaction to the latest Slate philanthropy roundup:

How does one make a decision to give to an art museum when there are homeless in every community?

It's actually not so heartless a decision as jenb5336 imagines. The existence of tax-funded social services; sensitivity to the drive for higher meaning; an awareness of the importance of memory to human identity; even a nod to the substantial economic benefits accruing from nonprofit institutions--these are just a few of the factors that lead people toward making the choice.

I remember when a similar argument led the U.S. to spike moon exploration in the 1970s, and if I recall correctly, poverty didn't disappear. Yet the nation lost not only a potent symbol of unity and achievement, but it also dismantled an infrastructure that would have been really useful now that we realize that the moon's abundant supply of helium 3 could end our reliance on fossil fuel.