Don’t Perceive Hispanics as Hateful

IN ESTHER Cepeda’s Nov. 25 Journal column “No Good Time For Vengeance” she suggests Hispanic voters soften their glee at securing Obama’s election, explaining that might increase the “misperception” that “all ethnic groups cackle diabolically” as older white Republicans die.

Life is a journey along Death Row, with many profound and deeply human twists and turns. Americans jeering the deaths of other Americans simply because of political disagreements are worse than foolish, they are pathetic. We all reach journey’s end soon enough.

I admire Ms. Cepeda. I admire America’s many hard-working, family-oriented Hispanics in general. If some of them vote to exact some kind of revenge, rather than for the good of us all, that’s their right as citizens. I’m happy for them to vote for any politician or political party they want. After all, they will be stuck with the result just like the rest of us.

We don’t always deserve each other’s good opinion. We all need to work harder at that, just to be better neighbors. Understandably, a lot of our Hispanic citizens enjoy the new respect their voting power commands. For that reason alone, I doubt any political party can safely take their vote for granted.

I’m sure most “older white Republicans” would join this independent in seconding Ms. Cepeda’s expression of faith. Portraying Hispanics as one of the ethnic groups so full of hate and hubris they jeer expectantly at the deaths of other Americans would be a “misperception.”

BERT KORTEGAARD

White Rock