Ferguson Attack on Tom Hayden

Steven Edelman (Letters, Oct. 25) has used an ad published by The Times Westside section to launch a tirade against the ad’s authors, Assemblyman Gil Ferguson and Mickey Conroy. The fact that Edelman disputes nothing reported in the ad about Tom Hayden’s recent activities speaks for itself.

Assemblyman Hayden made racist statements about the Vietnamese-Americans who protested his planned appearance at their graduation ceremonies at San Jose City College. Hayden’s speech was canceled by the college trustees.

After Hayden was offered the opportunity to speak on the campus in a non-captive setting, Hayden publicly stated he would oblige. But against his own word, he proceeded to impose himself at the ceremony to spite the graduates. He not only made his “appearance,” but took the stage.

This incident, and the mass walkout of graduates that Hayden provoked, was reported in thousands of column inches in the press up north, but very little appeared in newspapers read by the Westside constituents of the Assembly district which Hayden purports to “ represent.”

The purpose of the ad was to bring this matter to the attention of those voters. This purpose, of course, was stated in the ad itself. But Edelman, apologist for Hayden, ignores both the purpose and the incident reported.

Edelman seeks instead to shift attention by making accusations against Ferguson and Conroy. He doesn’t attempt to “substantiate” them, because even he recognizes how empty his claims are.

BEVERLY EVANS

Newport Beach

Evans is administrative assistant to Assemblyman Ferguson.