Apologies Asked, Rendered

This letter is in response to your news story about the comment made by the superintendent of the Las Virgenes School District during the meeting of the Optimist Club of Calabasas. The superintendent, Albert Marley, described Asians as “slant-eyed.” A Japanese-American attorney, Lyn K. Phillips, was present, and she sent a letter of protest to Marley. Marley accepted her criticism and her counsel but did not apologize.

Marley should have apologized even if he meant to insult no one, simply because the remark did insult someone. What is more disturbing is the Optimist Club’s washing its hands of the sentiments of Phillips’ letter of protest. But the worst by far is the comment by Laura Marcinik, who justified Marley’s choice of words by saying, “It was not meant as a racial slur. He was just trying to describe the situation.”

I suppose after this it will be all right to describe an integrated scene as a bunch of white people mingling with a bunch of coloreds. It might be argued that these two descriptions are too different to compare. But the point is, if we are not sensitive about describing or referring to people with respect, we are taking giant steps backwards to quickly erase the progress we have made in this country since the days of the civil rights movement.

SHUKLA SARKAR

Canoga Park

Editor’s Note: Marley publicly apologized last week for his comment. This letter and the one that follows predate that apology.