Racial divide

YOUR cover story about a couple of black “rappers” tiresomely blaming President Bush now for racism was a huge disservice to race relations in the United States [“Playback Time,” by Chris Lee, Sept. 23]. Keeping a multiracial nation working together is difficult enough and very few have ever succeeded at it. All of us should be working to increase harmony and understanding among all races. This does not do it.

For all of its difficult history, the United States offers people of all races more justice and opportunity than any other nation in the history of the world.

For a major newspaper to effectively issue a million advertising pieces for an unfounded ersatz anger piece by men who have unparalleled opportunities promotes decivilization. Yes, there was the sin of slavery in the U.S. perpetrated by a relative few for a short time compared to world history. But that sin has long since been atoned for by the deaths of 500,000 white men who went to war to expiate it.

Enough already.

LARRY STIRLING

San Diego