Court Ruling on Redistricting
In high school civics we were taught that elective candidates should be chosen on the basis of their qualifications for the office irrespective of race, color or creed. Manipulating the process so that a Latino is assured a seat on the county Board of Supervisors belies this basic tenet of democratic government.
Just the concept of Latino representation implies that there are issues exclusively Latino to be addressed by the board. I can’t think of any.
Latinos are not clones. They have individual differences. And their color is not exclusively anything. They are classified as Caucasians.
Setting up a supervisorial district on the basis of ethnicity is not only a step backwards in the assimilation process, but sets a poor example for others attempting to adopt our democratic form of government.
DWIGHT BARKER
Santa Monica
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