Latino and Black Leadership

The Times is absolutely right in its editorial, when it calls for leadership to promote greater cooperation and understanding between this city’s ethnic population. However that leadership clearly is not coming from The Times’ editorial policy on story selection.

I ask the following questions of your editors:

1. Where was The Times in the weeks and months that preceded the riots? Why did no one know of the hardships in Pico-Union or South-Central?

2. Where was The Times in talking about the dangers of a divided city--the haves and the have-nots. Why is it The Times will feature countless articles on “follow-home” bandits but ignore a 10-block radius in my district where residents endured 32 homicides, 26 rapes, 1,016 robberies and 975 cases of aggravated assault last year?

3. Where was The Times in the weeks following the riots when we were laying the groundwork to rebuild our communities? I don’t recall seeing any coverage in The Times of our first ad hoc committee on recovery hearing at the 10th Street School, where nearly 500 of my constituents came together to tell a group of council members of their plight.

There are countless organizations and people--Latino, African-American or Asian-American--who are working to promote human relations and cooperation in the rebuilding process. Perhaps The Times can choose to focus on these persons and enhance their efforts and leadership instead of looking for splashy headlines and divisive angles. Perhaps in taking this perspective The Times can paint a more accurate picture of our communities and our needs.

MIKE HERNANDEZ, Los Angeles City Council