This is a response to Eric Langborgh's letter of Feb. 27 about racial economic inequalities. Eric, how nice of you to let us know that after much (undoubtedly open-minded) research and deep thought, you have discovered that African-American economic problems are their own fault and result from a "faulty mind set." Being a European American myself, I will not speak for African Americans, but I will speak my own mind and point out some things that may have escaped your notice.

1) You are incredibly arrogant for presuming to tell people what mind set they should have when you have never walked in their shoes and don't appear to have seriously listened to any African Americans who don't agree with your views.

2) You are also incredibly arrogant for speaking for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Contrary to what you say, they do not exclusively "highlight failure" in the African-American community. Your mistaken impression may come from their often unfavorable coverage in the media, which for some unfathomable reason has received the label "liberal media."

3) It is ridiculous to compare African Americans to recent immigrant groups. African Americans have been here since before the Mayflower. Was it their mind set that kept so many from economic success for the first 350 years, or is it just a coincidence that they have continued to share less of the wealth during the last 40 years of "equal opportunity," when racial hatred "has all but disappeared."

4) Oh yeah. It's their faulty mind set. But tell me, why is it only minorities that you feel have this mind set? In your heavily researched, well thought-out and unprejudiced opinion, why do you you feel whites don't assume this faulty mind set. After all, welfare, which you blame for minority attitudes, is an equal opportunity service.

5) While we're on the attitude of white attitudes, why are conservatives so concerned about affirmative action? You claim racism may still exist, but that it can't cause too much trouble. Couldn't the same be said for affirmative action? Even the most rigid quotas would only set aside a minority of positions for minorities. That leaves the most positions available to the majority. Might it be that "arrogance" against that concludes that "their" problems are in their mind set while "ours" are real? Might it be that racism which you say hardly exists which blames minorities for taking all the jobs when they suffer above-average unemployment?

6) Speaking of arrogance, I also notice you speak for Asian Americans. You should listen to them. Although their specific concerns are often different than those of blacks and Hispanics, they do experience racism.

7) We should thank you for informing us that inner-city school children face the same problems everyone else does. I think I'll let that one go.

8) It is particularly galling that you compare the issues faced by minorities in America to those of Penn State going into a football game. However, as long as you've opened this line of reasoning, may I point out some similarities you omitted? As in football, there are often a lot of people out there doing all they can to take you down, and as in football, even if you do nothing wrong, you may still lose.

9) After you've shared so many of your thoughts with us, I feel it is only fair to share one of mine with you. Racism does not require a "great white conspiracy designed to keep the black man down." All it takes is some individual acts of hatred, discrimination and violence, some impersonal institutional policies that maintain the status quo, and a majority of citizens who are "not prejudiced" but are willing to do nothing or blame minorities for their own problems.

As I said, I do not speak for African Americans and other racial minorities and would not have the audacity to suggest I alone know how to eliminate economic inequalities. But I do listen enough to know that racism is not just a thing of the past. I recognize that affirmative action and welfare are not perfect solutions, but they are responses to serious problems, not the problem themselves. If you have a better solution or are willing to cooperate to build one, fine. But keep your faulty mind sets to yourself.