Editor, the News-Herald:

Someone should take a horsewhip to me. Every time I get comfortable thinking the problems of the world are in good shape, someone crawls out to complain about their treatment because of their race.

I really need to go on a three-day retreat to Zuni or Disputanta to sort out and come to grips with my inner feelings when I read a letter such as the one in today’s (reprinted May 26) News-Herald about cemetery maintenance and how the &uot;white race&uot; gets all the pie.

This letter contains 12 sentences of which over half mention race. So now I have to feel guilty because the grass in a private cemetery is higher than it is in a public one. So buy, or ask the government to donate plots in the public cemetery.

Where does the letter writer get the fact &uot;that the city does not provide services to most of its citizens&uot; (I presume she means black citizens)? When was the last time she was denied fire, rescue or police services? Is she denied water, sewage disposal and trash disposal? Just what city services have been denied &uot;most citizens&uot;? Does the letter writer know that 85 percent of fire and police services are expended on the black citizens?

If the letter writer were as concerned about the beauty of the cemetery where her family members are buried as she is about her race hatred and her blame for all perceived problems on the color of her skin, she could rectify this matter through dealing with the cemetery owner – in court if necessary – or a little community volunteer work on the grounds.

I suspect, however, this is just a convenient opportunity to spread a little more race hatred.

Macon Sanford

Suffolk