‘Rising Sun’ Critics: Politicizing an Issue

While reading “Asian-Americans: Rising Furor Over ‘Rising Sun’ ” (July 28), I was amazed at the righteousness of the thin-skinned Asian-American interest groups. They wince at uncomfortable scenes not fitting their agenda and collect their evidence--all to politicize the issue by using their ideology as a backdrop.

I don’t need anyone to wince for me, much less think for me. So stop the patronizing. As a Korean-American student, I’m saddened and sickened to watch our community leaders joining the fray with other hyphenated American interest groups in making the mistake of adhering to ideological strictures.

UJIN JUN

Los Angeles

The best defense is a strong offense, and that is exactly what is going on with the film “Rising Sun.” It is being attacked for being racist and bashing Japanese business practices. In the movie, there are good and bad things about Anglos, African-Americans, African-Japanese and the Japanese. There are good and bad things about American and Japanese business and politics.

Japanese penetration of American communications and the long-term effect on our nation raise legitimate questions. The presumption that such questions automatically connote racism is an unacceptable limit on our freedom of speech.

Perhaps the answers to the questions will be that they pose no threat, either to our communications or our freedoms. But it is a bad sign that the exquisite sensitivities of the Japanese may already have had a chilling effect on our freedom.

JONATHAN DOBRER

Encino