TOO CORRECT

The state police superintendent in New Jersey was fired recently because he
stated that minorities are responsible for most illegal drug activity. Let
that be a warning to local law enforcement officials to never comment on
the number of home invasion robberies committed by southeast Asians, or the
percentage of Spanish surnames found in news accounts of traffic accidents.
I'm retired from law enforcement, and nobody can fire me for stating the
obvious.

Why are we so afraid of hurting someone's overly sensitive feelings that
we've devised an elaborate plot to avoid accuracy and consistency? Why must
those from south of the border be called Hispanics or Mexican-Americans,
when there is no similar policy regarding those from across our border to
the north? If a person from Canada is simply a Canadian, why isn't a person
from Mexico simply a Mexican? Why must those of African descent be referred
to Afro-Americans, when those of us whose ancestors came from Europe don't
insist on being called Euro-Americans?

Why are those once inaccurately referred to as Indians now called Native
Americans, which is equally inaccurate? Their ancestors were here centuries
before this continent and its neighbor to the south were named for some
Italian - excuse me, Latin-European - whose only connection to the new
world Columbus discovered was writing about it. Perhaps they should be
referred to as Pre-Columbians.

I think we have become so concerned with political correctness that we've
let that concern overrule common sense.

Gene Hallam
Auberry