This Joke Wasn’t Funny

I was offended by Steven Bochco’s bad joke concerning psoriasis sufferers and race in Greg Braxton’s otherwise excellent article (“CBS Starts Prepping for ‘City of Angels,’ ” Nov. 19).

Psoriasis is not “ashy skin.” As you know, ashy skin is created by elements that dry out the skin in people with higher concentrations of melanin. Black people usually “cure” this problem with hand and body lotion.

There is no cure for psoriasis, a disease that is present in almost 10 million Americans. Severe manifestations of this condition are disabling. Psoriasis sufferers are the target of rude stares, required to undergo regular medical treatment and subject to discrimination from the general public.

Medical research has shown that psoriasis is an immune system disorder. For reasons not yet certain, the malfunction in the immune system causes skin cells to replicate too quickly, creating first an unsightly red area, followed by scaling skin that flakes off. Some psoriasis sufferers, like myself, end up with a form of rheumatoid arthritis. You should also know that it affects people of all races.

Further information concerning this disease can be obtained from the National Psoriasis Foundation. Their excellent Web site is located at https://www.psoriasis.org.

AARON BOOTH

Los Angeles