Tabloid Mentality

As a minority, I am writing to express my outrage for the large, free picture publicity The Times afforded Tom Metzger, an individual whose activities and adult life are directed toward open bigotry and racism (Feb. 18). One may not throw the stone himself, however, when he encourages others to do so, then he bears the same guilt.

My complaint is not with the article, but with the large, and certainly undeserved, free picture publicity. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison, The Times printed a smaller picture. But for the hate-monger Metzger, his picture leaps off the page at you.

Why was there not an equal size picture in The Times of attorney Morris Dees? He was mentioned in the article. And, since he is anti-Ku Klux Klan, anti-Aryan nation, and against radical hate groups of whatever nature, why did he not have equal free picture space?

Displaying Metzger’s picture as you did, knowing his stance on racial inequality, showed pure tabloid mentality. This surprised me coming from The Times. This thoughtless act on your part has made this man look like an innocent defendant. He is a racist and a disgrace to all Americans, natural born or naturalized, who know and love the American flag and what it is supposed to stand for. He is especially a disgrace to the men and women--white, black and all others--of this great nation who fought and died on battle fields to preserve U.S. freedoms, including the First Amendment, which ironically permits Metzger to spread the hate propaganda through the media.

In my opinion, The Times needs to print an apology to the bulk of their readers who, I am sure, do not carry the racist attitudes of Metzger and his followers. Please print it proportional to the size of the picture you printed of this diabolical man.

CHETAN P. TANNA

San Diego

Editor’s note: A story about Morris Dees ran in the Dec. 3 edition of the Los Angeles Times Magazine. A color picture of Dees was on the cover of the magazine for that issue.