William Bennett

Re “Bennett, Allies Open Fire on Daytime TV Talk Shows,” Oct. 27: Politicians spouting “values” are like Torquemada promoting brotherhood week. If Bill Bennett & Co. wish to reduce TV degradation and are concerned about role models, they should ban C-SPAN. Piling onto the entertainment industry is a political freebie revealing the selective virtues of the values gang. They know attacking “Hollywood” has no practical consequences--they will not change the pattern of campaign donations.

Bennett quotes Martin Luther King Jr. but doesn’t follow through on his strategy. The most effective approaches for change are boycotts, which would, however, disturb corporate constituencies.

DOVE MENKES

Fullerton

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* It’s about time somebody addresses the filth that bombards our daytime television channels and into the evening hours. Television hosts such as Ricki Lake, Sally Jessy Raphael, Maury Povich and others not only glorify immorality and indecency, but they actually encourage racism by exploiting various racial groups. Often, if not always, the only African Americans on these shows are individuals who lack morals and/or any kind of education. White Americans too are portrayed as white supremacists or uneducated imbeciles.

Mainstream black and white communities are no doubt embarrassed with their respective counterparts. What television hosts intend to accomplish is to highlight racial barriers. This is what sells. These hosts are making millions of dollars living up on some hill, while we must continually deal with their sensationalism. At some point, mainstream America needs to say “Enough.”

RODNEY GUYTON

Lawndale