The state police superintendent in New Jersey was fired recently because he stated that minorities are responsible for most illegal drug activity. Let that be a warning to local law enforcement officials to never comment on the number of home invasion robberies committed by southeast Asians, or the percentage of Spanish surnames found in news accounts of traffic accidents. I'm retired from law enforcement, and nobody can fire me for stating the obvious.

Why are we so afraid of hurting someone's overly sensitive feelings that we've devised an elaborate plot to avoid accuracy and consistency? Why must those from south of the border be called Hispanics or Mexican-Americans, when there is no similar policy regarding those from across our border to the north? If a person from Canada is simply a Canadian, why isn't a person from Mexico simply a Mexican? Why must those of African descent be referred to Afro-Americans, when those of us whose ancestors came from Europe don't insist on being called Euro-Americans?

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