Americans, Not Just Latinos Held

* Is it Agustin Gurza’s intent to make the Mexican American community just another ethnic group? His April 6 column certainly seems to imply that.

Instead of his writing that the Serbs have captured three Americans, his thoughts were that they captured two of our own. What happened to Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Stone?

Unfortunately for Stone, his ethnic background is English, and Gurza has no feeling for that ethnic group.

The military is probably the most integrated organization in the United States. Whether your name is Andrew Ramirez, Steven Gonzales or Jones, they are all loyal Americans.

MAURICE AKER

Huntington Beach

* Enough already. Everything that involves Latinos evokes strains of past and current discrimination and woe to the poor Latinos.

I began reading this April 6 column with a feeling that for once, material about prisoners of war, two of whom are Latinos, might unravel. Perhaps a few words about their character and upbringing and how proud all Americans are of their sacrifices would surface.

Oh sure, a hint of that. Soon Gurza was on his soapbox. An over-representation of Latinos during Vietnam, an underrepresentation during peacetime, other predictable whining.

The stereotyping he refers to can best be seen in his own writing, which implies that all non-Latinos are prejudiced, except in certain circumstances.

Well, I feel for all our men in uniform, especially the three souls in the hands of a lunatic government. I will join with my friends in wishing for an end to the violence and a safe return for all our soldiers.

JERRY LOCKE

Los Alamitos