Al Martinez on Hatred

Before writing the column on “hate words,” Martinez should have taken another look at our East Coast ports of entry like New York, Philadelphia and Boston where ethnic and racial slurs have been an accepted part of casual conversation for over a century. He would have noted that this has not brought about the racial and ethnic harmony he envisions, but quite the antithesis.

On the other hand, in the Midwestern/Southern community in which I was raised, while ethnic and racial animosities might have been felt, it was not socially acceptable to openly express them and this was one of the reasons this area did not suffer the problems other areas had during the civil rights movement. It may be too late to reverse L.A.’s problems, but following in the path of those East Coast cities will only make things worse.

RICK MITCHELL

Los Angeles