Letter: Corruption affects people of all races

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007 | 7:03 a.m.

I read Tony Cook's Jan. 21 article, "Race enters dialogue over UMC's Thomas." I was raised in Chicago and lived most of my adult life in Los Angeles. Now a resident of Las Vegas, I feel qualified to suggest that the issue of race as a key element in the recent medical school/hospital scandals (Cook County, Martin Luther King Jr. and now UMC) is real.

However, the issue is not one of racial stereotyping or bias, but the realization that the players in these scams have been schooled in the fine art of corruption by the white political machines that preceded them. Simply put, now that minorities have attained political clout and street savvy, they feel entitled to participate in the gravy train as well.

The sad fact is that there are many of all races who participate in public office truly for the communities' benefit. These people unfortunately are subsumed by the grafters and become mute when it comes to blowing the whistle.

So as long as our responsible officials and the public itself allow such shenanigans to continue without fear of retribution, don't be surprised that minorities and majorities both will continue to game the system for their own personal greed and need for power.

Sidney H. Goodman, Las Vegas