
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 9, 1994                    TAG: 9406090007 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A14    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Short 
DATELINE: 940609                                 LENGTH:

STOP IMMIGRANT-BASHING

{LEAD} I am unapologetically African-American. I found the letter ``No jobs for Haitians'' (May 18) insensitive and misinformed. The letter writer made references to finding jobs for Haitians, the care of AIDS, combating drugs and all of the ``other things'' that will come with the influx.

Does this person realize most of the people who enter this country are willing to work just as hard as and at lower wages and longer hours than the average American? Not only does he act as if every Haitian entering this country has AIDS, but he seems to think there is no drug problem in this country now.

{REST} One of the reasons Congress and concerned Americans are beating up on President Clinton about the Haitian issue is as simple as black and white: As long as countries like Haiti and Rwanda are in total ethnic turmoil, these countries will not get the help they so desperately need. They do not have anything to offer this country in the way of resources.

Countries like Russia, Israel, Mexico and most European nations will continue to receive financial aid from this country because they have much more to offer, especially the Russian and European countries, in the way of professors, scientists, doctors and engineers.

This country surely cannot police the world; but the bottom line is that countries like Haiti and Rwanda are oppressed, and the issue at hand is a humanitarian one.

HERBERT SMITH

Virginia Beach, May 20, 1994

by CNB