Considering Race in Hiring

* I read with amusement the commentary by Donna Britt--”Power of Words, Race Bring a Hollywood Ending” (Sept. 8).

At a time when many white males feel displaced in the job market by affirmative action (what a joke, since 95% of all decision-making positions are held by them!), they will vote in large numbers for Prop. 209, I’m sure.

Enter executive producer David Milch’s remarks that he tends to hire people whose background is similar to his due to manageability. Huh? Is it any wonder we have affirmative action?

There are thousands of people like screenwriter David Mills who are educated and qualified to work at any job. All that is needed is for the employer to judge their abilities--not their background.

CRESIA GREEN

Inglewood

* Re “Have Americans Forgotten Who They Are?” Commentary, Sept. 2: Deval Patrick is correct in stating we all have a stake in the struggle for civil rights, but he’s as wrong as wrong can be regarding the solution. Patrick supports racial preferences, which are immoral in principle and don’t work in practice.

We live at a historic moment, where we have a chance to create a society where one’s skin color matters as little as one’s hair color. This moment could easily slip away. If Bill Clinton wins--which seems fairly likely--we will have lost this moment and follow Patrick’s path, virtually guaranteeing racial polarization for the rest of our lives.

ALBERT MOSS

Los Angeles