Benjamin Smith

Re “Man Sought in Shootings of Minorities Kills Self,” July 5:

My response to the actions of Benjamin Smith was visceral; my stomach tightened up and I felt nauseated. I felt anger and fear and disgust and sadness at the ability of people to still be so hateful and destructive, with so little sense of their own selves that they project all their hate and fear onto others. We all do this to some extent, most of us on small, everyday levels of making ourselves feel better by finding fault with someone else, or not understanding why someone makes us so angry. We all house pain within and all unconsciously project it out onto others. But we are responsible for our actions, and pain is no excuse for immoral, destructive and often evil behavior.

Smith’s behavior was evil. In the face of such hate from one young man, what can I do? I can speak out. I can respond. I can act by trying to relate to others in my life as free of this unconsciousness as I can. I can act by trying to be aware of what is in the dark corners of my soul. I can express my feelings to those I love and to those I wish to communicate with.

PATSY RAHN

Studio City

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Smith finally killed the one thing that was the most inferior in his subconscious; it wasn’t the minorities, it was himself.

RICHARD LEM

Los Angeles

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Matthew Hale [leader of the World Church of the Creator] says he preaches white supremacy (July 6). That white people are the most gifted on Earth. But he hates Jews, Christians and homosexuals, as well as people of color. Last time I looked, many Jews, Christians and homosexuals were white.

Whatever he believes in, please don’t categorize it as white supremacy, since only some whites are gifted and human. People who believe in his religion, like Benjamin Smith--if that is an example of human and gifted, please put me with the subhumans and ungifted.

WARREN FERGUSON

Orange