The following are letters sent to News Day.Com regarding the brutal murder of a young Latino at the hands of a group of white men in N.Y. Inspite of Obama’s election, we still have a ways to go in terms of tolerance.

Racial strife; on being American

What is wrong with our society when a person is killed and all a group – Hispanics Across America – can think of is filing a lawsuit against the parents of those charged? Even if those accused are guilty of this heinous crime, I am sure many parents can attest that even though we may teach our children right from wrong and instill good values, once they leave our home it is up to them to make the right choices.

These parents are suffering, and suing them is not going to bring Marcelo Lucero back or help relations in the community.

Noelle Martinez-Farley

Dan Janison’s thesis that speaking out against illegal immigration – or doing something about it – creates an environment of hate is more than ludicrous and is a transparent attempt to chill discussion and action on this important issue ["Levy's response walks a fine line," News, Nov. 13].

Fortunately, County Executive Steve Levy has the political courage and the personal integrity to do what is right even when others attempt to cow him into submission with their explicit or implicit claims of bias.

Those of us who live in Patchogue celebrate diversity and we cry alongside our Hispanic neighbors over the killing of Marcelo Lucero, but we want something other than pointing fingers.

Ronald F. LaValle

Patchogue

This brutal killing could have happened anywhere on Long Island, or anywhere in America where nonwhite immigrants reside. Only the ignorant should be surprised at such an attack. Ours is a violent culture and remains intolerant in many ways, despite the election of Barack Obama.

The vitriolic and inflammatory political rhetoric from Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Rep. Peter King, CNN commentator Lou Dobbs and too many others sets a tone for the conversations these impressionable young men overheard at home and on television.

We can keep our heads in the sand and pretend that we just don’t see, or we can do the hard work necessary to improve relations with all our neighbors while securing our borders in a way acceptable to an educated citizenry.

Robert W. Mays

First let me say that the killing of a man because he is of any color is disgusting. There are few words that can describe the horrible act of purposely hunting innocent people. There is no excuse for those who act like animals. They should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

People are calling for more tolerance. Tolerance isn’t the answer. When you tolerate something, you really don’t like it, you just put up with it. You do not have positive feelings toward it. The answer is respect, and that goes for all parties. I can’t stomach the fact that people do not respect being American.

Both sets of my grandparents were immigrants to this country. They were so proud the day they became American citizens. It meant that they made it. They worked hard in a country that offers so many opportunities that welcomed them to come in and give it their best. But people are not respecting that about America anymore.

There were no signs or cake box ingredients translated into Italian for my grandparents and great-grandparents. They learned to speak English out of respect for America and out of pride for themselves. That meant they were an American. Yet, all of my families’ traditions are Italian. They didn’t lose anything.

Respect is what is needed. We need to respect that we have differences, but don’t let that define us. We need to respect that we may have different religious beliefs, but not close ourselves off and drive out those in our communities who don’t believe as we do.

Freedom doesn’t mean that you come to live here, take what America has to offer and then disregard her ways. We need to start respecting America’s language, respecting those who want to seize the opportunities offered by America and respect that although we are a nation made up of immigrants from different places, where we can find similarities among us, will be our strength.

Cathy Powell

Hewlett

Unions, protect brothers

Workers everywhere need to unite to protect our Latino brothers and sisters from further outrages. The slogan of the union movement is “An injury to one is an injury to all.” We should honor the memory of our fallen comrade Marcelo Lucero by organizing workers as defense guards against further racist, anti-worker violence.

Richard Bucci

Brooklyn