Heston Needs a History Lesson in Black and White

Charlton Heston, one of my favorite actors, shows once again that great actors are not necessarily great men (“An Old Warrior, Back in the Arena,” Calendar, Sept. 16).

My own grandparents were Jewish immigrants to this country, and I agree with Heston that they were discriminated against, along with the Irish and Italians. What Heston fails to understand is that the Jews, Irish and Italians immigrated here of their own free will, as opposed to the ancestors of African Americans, who were seized from their homes in Africa and brought here against their will.

Heston goes on to make a specious and repugnant comparison between the suffering of Jews and African Americans. “They’ve [Jews] endured centuries of discrimination much harsher than anything meted out to blacks. But they came in, learned the language and worked hard to educate their children. I’ve never understood why it’s different now.” The difference is that the African holocaust occurred in the United States. Millions died right here in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

If Heston did indeed march with Martin Luther King Jr., he certainly didn’t understand the issues or the message.

ALAN M. HARRIS, Los Angeles

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An egalitarian world view, as I’m sure Charlton Heston is aware, acknowledges political and social equality for all of the world’s inhabitants. Of course, great people should be acknowledged for obvious reasons, but ordinary citizens also make important contributions to society within their capacity. To state that some citizens are more “valuable” than others is nothing short of promoting an elitist society, which, unbeknown to so many people, already exists.

Also, being African American, I was offended by Heston’s comments when he discussed affirmative action. Blacks were introduced to this country under circumstances unlike that of any immigrants. We were stripped of our culture, dignity and humanity, and many of the ill effects from that crime against humanity are still being felt today. True, European immigrants faced vicious discrimination, but the obvious fact remained that they were white and we were black, which made and continues today to make all the difference in the world, which is why an effective affirmative action program is still needed in 1995.

DENNIS J. SAUDI, San Gabriel