Raspberry on U.S. Racism and Changing People’s Attitudes

In response to Raspberry’s column in which he quotes the opportunistic bootlicker Julius Lester as saying “anyone who defines himself as a victim has found a way to keep himself in a perpetual state of self-pity and anger. And that . . . is black America today.”

Only another bootlicker such as Raspberry would quote Lester. And only Raspberry would not question his credentials as a ‘60s revolutionary.

I recently had a personal experience with racism ‘90s-style. Yes, the incident left me angry. Self-pity, no! I am a construction worker, and the racist incident was caused by a major contractor doing work for the city of Los Angeles.

In brief, Raspberry and Lester are not dealing with the reality of racism in the ‘90s. The column by Walter Farrell (“A Revolt by the Underclass?” Commentary, May 11) represents more closely my attitude, and the attitudes of my friends. To quote the brother James Baldwin, “No more water, the fire next time!”

CHARLES D. McGREGOR

Los Angeles