When People Are Losing Everything, Is Protecting Art Always Important?

The fires in Los Angeles have been brutal. Billions, if not trillions, will be needed. And the posh Getty Villa in posh Malibu, originally owned by and named for climate destruction activist, became a giant, vacuum-sealed symbol. It raises complex questions.
While its gardens were destroyed, its bought-and-sold antiquities was sealed and spared. Oh, and the people who worked there didn’t die, so, you know, there’s that. (This work © 2025 by Alan Harrison is licensed under CC BY-