" I Was A Teenage HATER ! "

Headline page A7 ( Feb.27) : " Fla. students charged with publishing

    racist underground book ". A bunch of honor students - without honor but

    driven no doubt by Poe's " imp of the perverse " than malignant, truly

    murderous racism. I side with the ACLU here: the crude 20 page, handwritten

    booklet should be protected " free speech "- nasty as it is. There may

    be among the juvenile culprits one  capable of producing an American

    version of " Mein Kampf " - but we must for now let him be.

        The best anti-dote to racism is really knowing even a few of the

    despised group. A teen-age boy in agony with a metal splinter in his

    eye- a boy who is a budding racist- may have a different perspective

    after having that splinter removed by a compassionate and competent

    emergency room doctor- who just happens to be BLACK!

         Little episodes like that can make a difference. The media should

    focus more attention on the numerous black people who contribute a

    significant skill to the community - and have never been anything but

    decent and law abiding citizens all their life.

       In  Rhode Island  I have always been impressed with one Dennis Langley-

    a distinguished black man . He may recall my name from way back. To know

    this man is to be cured of malicious racism forever.