Editor, the News-Herald:

Among the many things that bother me is when white persons campaigning for high paid political offices all of a sudden show an interest in affairs that are primarily of the African American community.

Those persons turn up a civic league meetings, attend the Sickle Cell Association Banquet and even join the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) when they have never before even attended a meeting of any of those organizations. I have no problem with white persons belonging to any of the above-mentioned organizations, but I do have a problem with them attending just for the vote.

If further disturbed me when some of my African American brothers and sisters welcome those persons as they would the prodigal son of a long, lost cousin.

Too many African Americans suffered hardships and some even died to have the privilege of being able to vote and some of us sell that privilege so cheaply. This insults my intelligence, as my vote is not for sale.

Harvey Clark

Suffolk