THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, April 4, 1995                 TAG: 9504040004
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A14  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   32 lines

WISHES HE HAD KNOWN ABOUT BEING HOOKED UP

Regarding ``The cost of slavery'' (letter March 10): While it is true that a greater number of Caucasians than blacks and members of other minority groups receive public assistance, the fact that there is a larger number of Caucasians than blacks or other minorities in this country just may have something to do with that.

As for the statement ``the majority of Caucasians know somebody important who hooks them up with a good job or gets them into a good college'': I wish I had known this so that I wouldn't have had to work two and three part-time jobs in addition to my full-time job for the past 20 years. Perhaps now that I am enlightened, I won't have to pay for a loan to send my children to college.

The statement that ``a majority of Caucasians'' are well-connected to ``somebody important'' who smoothes their way in the world is akin to saying that a majority of blacks live in public housing, are on welfare and are criminals. Of course, if one were to say such a thing, he would be labeled a racist.

HARRY TWIFORD

Virginia Beach, March 20, 1995 by CNB