Ernesto Zedillo

In his inauguration speech, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo said: “The highest priority of my government will be strengthening and fully exercising national sovereignty. We conceive sovereignty as the exclusive ability of Mexicans to make our decisions, to define and advance freely and autonomously to our destiny.”

What hypocrisy! In the weeks leading up to the November election and since the passage of Prop. 187, Californians were subjected to a barrage of anti-187 venom from south of the border, much of it from officials of the Mexican government.

No one can take issue with, nor criticize, President Zedillo’s assertion of Mexico’s sovereignty. We Americans are just as committed to and as concerned about the sovereignty of our country. That’s what Prop. 187 was all about.

ROBERT L. COMPTON

West Hills

Deputy Editor Frank del Olmo, in his commentary of Dec. 21, takes a very condescending swipe at the majority of voters who approved Prop. 187. He associates himself with a strange elitist group who know they are superior in their thinking compared to Joe Voter.

Del Olmo uses all the right words: “grass-roots immigration restrictionists”; “he blatantly used the anti-immigrant initiative to help revive his reelection campaign” (referring to Gov. Pete Wilson). The latter is plain old dirty pool. Wilson and the pro-Prop. 187 voters are not anti-immigrant. I voted yes on Prop. 187. My parents were legal Irish immigrants. I am anti-illegal immigration for an obvious reason. California cannot continue to support all of the illegal immigrants.

MARTIN GARRITY

Yucaipa

DOROTHY AHLE, Malden, Mass.