Letters to Voices : The Roots of Prejudice

This is in response to Kristin Pitman (“Song Strikes Wrong Chord,” June 20) who bemoaned a song which she heard as a young girl. It contained some ethnic references which offended her.

You are saying we should tolerate each other’s differences but without mentioning them. To me, that’s as wrong as can be. Why? Because we always fear what we don’t know, and we always end up hating what we fear.

I maintain you cannot just say, “Go and love one another.” You have to explain why.

Is there a song that you think is a put-down? Fine. Then dig for the roots of each word, each slur. See what may have been the origin of the prejudices; things don’t just come out of thin air. Regardless of what you find, the act of throwing a spotlight on something demystifies and declaws it.

Chester R. Collins

North Hollywood