Latinos and Voting Results

The June 7 Opinion section carried three articles and one editorial concerning the primary election, with the word “Latino” appearing 99 times. If everyone continues to focus to this degree on racial and ethnic labeling, I fear that we are rapidly reaching the day when no elected official will be simply an American serving other Americans without regard to race, creed or color.

If you have to use labels, my dictionary defines “Latino” as a native or resident of Latin America; would not Latino American better describe those born in the U.S. or who have emigrated and presumably are now American?

JAN BROWN

Van Nuys

* Election reform is essential if we wish to reduce the influence of money on campaigns and raise the dismal percentage of those who vote. Here are two suggestions to alleviate the travesty we call our election process: shorten the campaign period as they do in England; allow free TV and radio time for candidates.

PAUL BERG

Los Angeles

* Maybe money isn’t the mother’s milk of politics or maybe it’s curdled. Re “Big Spenders Can Be Big Losers” and “Davis’ 4th-to-1st Comeback ‘Proved the Pundits Wrong’ ” (June 5), maybe these two facts will have a couple of welcome effects. Maybe candidates will see the wisdom of starting their campaigns later, closer to election day, and we won’t have to suffer through months of campaign ads. And maybe candidates will figure out that they don’t have to spend as much money as they thought they did. Maybe.

SAUNDRA SHEFFER

San Dimas

* This month I turn 50. I have voted in every election since I reached voting age. That covers three states and 28 years. I have decided to give myself a birthday present. After watching each and every ballot issue in this state that I care about litigated to death, and/or ignored by many of the city, county and state employees hired with my tax money, I’ve decided not to vote any longer; at least until I move out of here. Majority rule is passe. Obeying the law isn’t “chic” in this place. There seems to be no reason anymore in California to make the time to read, decide and vote the issue. I don’t know who runs this state anymore.

ALAN GELMAN

North Hollywood