Overcoming Prejudices

My congratulations for two articles (Feb. 3): The first, “Isolation Painful for Partners of Gays in Service,” and second, the article on the Mary Magdalene Project--”Special Mission Helps Women Get Off the Streets.” Both indicate a concern for presenting factual information about controversial issues and will help overcome prejudice and stereotyping that cause great pain, fear and hatred. Ignorance and fear continue to divide people and cause so much inhuman behavior.

As a retired school principal and one who has worked more than four years as a chaplain in the Los Angeles County Jail Unit for Gays, I know firsthand the importance of working for justice and solutions to the problems of crime. Getting tough on crime is of negative value unless we address the causes of crime and our shared responsibility for the behaviors that cause it. This requires expanding our understanding of one another. We can no longer tolerate the ignorance and fear that leads to harm and insensitivity toward others--including our own children, neighbors and others who differ from us in some way.

Prejudice is born of ignorance and fear, giving root to so much anti-social and destructive behavior including racial prejudice, homophobia, sexism, nationalism and forms of religious bigotry. It is important to present fairly differing points of view and to regard seriously their sources.

DOUG ELLIOTT

Monterey Park