Pollard

* Both Jonathan Pollard (Oct. 24) and I are Jews. But this is the only common thing between us. I was born in Russia and spent the first 45 years of my life there. My language and culture are Russian. Pollard was born in the United States, but his culture and ideology are Jewish.

Twenty-two years ago, I was forced to emigrate. I came to the U.S. to become an American--not a Russian-American or a Jewish-American; just an American. Pollard lived happily in the U.S., elected not to emigrate and betrayed his country for both ideology and money.

I cannot judge how grave his crime is. But he has to pay the price.

YURY GURVICH

Manhattan Beach