Blaming A Black Man

SUSAN SMITH CLAIMED A BLACK MAN jumped into her car and drove off with her children ((Cover Stories, Nov. 14)). What is wrong with Smith is what is wrong with America. It is O.K. to blame the black male for our problems. In my view, Smith committed two crimes: she murdered her children, yes, but with her false description of the "abductor," she also assaulted the character of every black male in America. It is this nation's shame that we accept such accusations without question. Shame on Susan Smith, but a greater shame on America!

Donald M. Aytch, President

National Association of Black County Officials

Shreveport, Louisiana

YOU ARE RIGHT TO POINT OUT AND CONdemn the reprehensible practice of blaming blacks for crimes. But it's naive to wonder why this happens. The black homicide rate is nine times the white. Those who falsely accuse are using plausibility to strengthen their claims.

Beverly C. Meyer

Walnut Creek, California

SHERIFF HOWARD WELLS OF UNION County, South Carolina, deserves high praise for his work on this case. In the South, where I was born and raised, a white woman's accusation against a black man was never questioned and usually resulted in the black man's being swept up by an angry mob. The actions of the law officers, led by Sheriff Wells, exemplify the best that law enforcement has to offer. These officers did not just do their jobs. They did not just solve the crime. They saved a community from regressing into a dreadful past.

James H. Hall

Hampton, Virginia