Relevance Questioned

Cliff Rothman’s otherwise informative story regarding the symposium featuring the five Directors Guild of America Award nominees (“A Chat With the Film Industry’s Big Five,” March 9) was marred by the totally unnecessary and irrelevant insertion of observations concerning race and gender.

Of what relevance is the fact that the nominees are all white males of roughly the same age unless Mr. Rothman is taking issue with the qualifications of these five directors? Moreover, what relevance is the fact that the audience’s makeup was predominantly white male unless Mr. Rothman is suggesting the DGA prohibits nonwhites and women from becoming members or attending these symposiums?

Can we not manage to avoid injecting incendiary suggestions into every situation and perhaps save these implications for situations that truly deserve them?

RIC C. OTTAIANO

Dove Canyon