Gloria Molina

Re “Molina’s Misstep,” editorial, April 15: Since when is speaking truth to power a misstep?

Everyone with an open mind who followed the issue of how many hospital beds the new Los Angeles County-USC hospital will need clearly realized that the white male members of the Board of Supervisors did everything in their power to subvert the will of Supervisor Gloria Molina, her constituents and their own Department of Health. They were intent on teaching her and other key Latino state and federal legislators a lesson: That just because they have some political power they cannot have their way.

Molina is now expected to swallow this bitter pill and stop being passionate about her beliefs and observations. Please remember that when Latinos feel strongly about something, they tend to get emotional. And it doesn’t mean they have lost their patience or their reasoning powers.

If you dislike the word “racism” so much, stop practicing it!

FRANK M. SIFUENTES

Long Beach

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Re “Molina Accuses Supervisors of Racism in Debate Over Hospital,” April 14: Does it strike anyone else that in the L.A. area with its multicultural population we have a leader on the Board of Supervisors who insists on fanning the flames of racial and ethnic hatred by name-calling, whenever she does not get her way?

Molina’s attack on her fellow board members over the rebuilding of County-USC Medical Center was outrageous. Our so-called leaders should be fostering the fact that we are all Americans, not individual warring factions. Molina’s insistence on balkanizing our county under the guise of representing her constituents is beneath contempt.

JOHN HAYES

Glendora