Democrats and Jesse Jackson

This is in response to the article “Apathetic Generation Finds Hope in Jackson” (Part I, April 2).

There are many of us who have suffered miserably through the Reagan era that now see a chance to make some real progress. Perhaps I am being wildly optimistic, but this looks like the best chance of my lifetime.

We now have a relatively progressive, liberal regime in power in the Soviet Union. If only the American people could manage to elect a progressive, peace-minded regime in this country to match it! This would be an opportunity for negotiations of a scope never before seen in history, negotiations that could end war forever on this planet. It would be wonderful if the American people could say no to racism forever and elect Jackson President. But even a (Massachusetts Gov. Michael) Dukakis-Jackson Administration could do a great deal.

Of course people are enthusiastic about Jackson. He is the only candidate who is actually talking about coming to grips with basic problems. But are they being irrational in their enthusiasm? Is it irrational to say that we can and must really put an end to war? Is it irrational to say that on every social level from the international to the local there must be cooperation and not conflict? That war and racism should be consigned once and for all to the “ash heap of history”? In other words, is it irrational to think that human beings could be rational?

ANTHONY E. WICHER

Claremont