In reference to your Oct. 9 page-one article `` Barbara Bush Earns Even Higher Ratings Than the President, '' it is regrettable that you must continually define blacks by our negatives: `` Among liberals, 60 % have positive views of her, while 50 % approve of the president's job performance. In part, this may reflect the fact that ` she speaks a more progressive language ' than her husband, as Columbia's Prof. Ethel Klein puts it. Among professionals, 76 % have a favorable opinion of her, compared to 62 % who approve of her husband's performance. While a quarter of black voters disapprove of Mr. Bush's handling of his job, only 15 % have a negative view of his spouse. '' The statistics imply that three-quarters of blacks approve of Mr. Bush's job performance and 85 % of blacks approve of Mrs. Bush. If the assumption is that it is surprising that so few blacks find Mr. and Mrs. Bush distasteful, the positive view is even more newsworthy. Such an editorial point of view perpetuates an insidious, stereotyped perspective. Why are we blacks continually defined by our minority and the lowest common denominator. Preston G. Foster Birmingham, Ala. TEXT In reference to your Oct. 9 page-one article `` Barbara Bush Earns Even Higher Ratings Than the President , '' it is regrettable that you must continually define blacks by our negatives : `` Among liberals , 60 % have positive views of her , while 50 % approve of the president 's job performance . In part , this may reflect the fact that ` she speaks a more progressive language ' than her husband , as Columbia 's Prof . Ethel Klein puts it . Among professionals , 76 % have a favorable opinion of her , compared to 62 % who approve of her husband 's performance . While a quarter of black voters disapprove of Mr. Bush 's handling of his job , only 15 % have a negative view of his spouse . '' The statistics imply that three-quarters of blacks approve of Mr. Bush 's job performance and 85 % of blacks approve of Mrs. Bush . If the assumption is that it is surprising that so few blacks find Mr. and Mrs. Bush distasteful , the positive view is even more newsworthy . Such an editorial point of view perpetuates an insidious , stereotyped perspective . Why are we blacks continually defined by our minority and the lowest common denominator . Preston G. Foster Birmingham , Ala . 4 8 8~10~12~14~16~18~20~22~24~26~28~30~32~34~36~38~40 20~22 30 34~36 50 58 62 62~64 72 76~78 82~84~86~88 88 94~96 102~104~106~108~110 104 135 139~141~143~145 151 151~153 159 159~161~163~165~167~169 180 184~186 190~192~194~196~198 198 206~208 216 216~218 216~218~220~222 229~231~233~235~237 235~237 243~245 243~245~247~249~251~253~255 253 261~263 267~269~271~273~275~277 275 275~277 284~286 292~294~296 296 302~304 302~304~306~308~310 314~316~318~320 320 326~328 335~337 353~355 355 359~361~363~365 359,365 363~365 371~373~375 388~390~392~394~396~398 402~404~406~408~410 419 421 429 429~431 429~431~433~435~437~439~441 435~437~439~441 446~448~450 452~454~456 reference|807 article|809 you (author of the original article)|808,813 Barbara Bush|810,820,824,826,833,835,846,854,860 Ratings|811 the President|812,823,827,836,840,842,845,850,859 blacks|814,815,839,849,853,857,864,865,866 our negatives|816 liberals|817 60 % of liberals|818 positive views|819,832,861 50 % of liberals|821 the president's job performance|822,837,841,851 a more progressive language|825 Columbia|828 Columbia's Prof. Ethel Klein|829 professionals|830 76 % of professionals|831 62 % of professionals|834 a quarter of black voters|838 15 % of black voters|843 a negative view of his spouse|844 The statistics|847 three-quarters of blacks|848 85 % of blacks|852 the assumption|855 few blacks|856 Mr. and Mrs. Bush|858 Such an editorial point of view|862 an insidious, stereotyped perspective|863 our minority|867 our minority and the lowest common denominator|868 the lowest common denominator|869 Preston G. Foster|870 Birmingham, Ala|871 807|NUC:DIST:4 808|NUC:DIST:8 809|MOD:DIST:8|MOD:DIST:10~12|MOD:DIST:14|NUC:DIST:16|MOD:DIST:18~20~22~24~26~28~30~32~34~36~38~40 810|NUC:DIST:20~22 811|NUC:DIST:30 812|MOD:DIST:34|NUC:DIST:36 813|NUC:DIST:50 814|NUC:DIST:58 815|NUC:DIST:62 816|MOD:DIST:62|NUC:DIST:64 817|NUC:DIST:72 818|NUC:DIST:76~78 819|MOD:DIST:82|NUC:DIST:84|MOD:DIST:86~88 820|NUC:DIST:88 821|NUC:DIST:94~96 822|MOD:DIST:102|MOD:DIST:104~106|MOD:DESC:108|NUC:DIST:110 823|NUC:DIST:104 824|NUC:DIST:135 825|MOD:DIST:139|MOD:DIST:141~143|NUC:DIST:145 826|NUC:DIST:151 827|MOD:DIST:151|NUC:DESC:153 828|NUC:DIST:159 829|MOD:DESC:159~161|MOD:DIST:163~165|NUC:DIST:167~169 830|NUC:DIST:180 831|NUC:DIST:184~186 832|MOD:DIST:190|MOD:DIST:192|NUC:DIST:194|MOD:DIST:196~198 833|NUC:DIST:198 834|NUC:DIST:206~208 835|NUC:DIST:216 836|MOD:DIST:216|NUC:DESC:218 837|MOD:DIST:216~218~220|NUC:DIST:222 838|MOD:DIST:229|NUC:DIST:231|MOD:DIST:233~235~237 839|MOD:DIST:235|NUC:DIST:237 840|MOD:DIST:243|NUC:DIST:245 841|MOD:DIST:243~245~247|NUC:DIST:249|MOD:DIST:251~253~255 842|NUC:DIST:253 843|NUC:DIST:261~263 844|MOD:DIST:267|MOD:DIST:269|NUC:DIST:271|MOD:DIST:273~275~277 845|NUC:DIST:275 846|MOD:DIST:275|NUC:DESC:277 847|MOD:DIST:284|NUC:DIST:286 848|NUC:DIST:292|MOD:DIST:294~296 849|NUC:DIST:296 850|MOD:DIST:302|NUC:DIST:304 851|MOD:DIST:302~304~306|MOD:DESC:308|NUC:DIST:310 852|NUC:DIST:314~316|MOD:DESC:318~320 853|NUC:DIST:320 854|MOD:DIST:326|NUC:DIST:328 855|MOD:DIST:335|NUC:DIST:337 856|MOD:DIST:353|NUC:DIST:355 857|NUC:DIST:355 858|NUC:DIST:359~361~363~365 859|MOD:DIST:359|NUC:DIST:365 860|MOD:DIST:363|NUC:DIST:365 861|MOD:DIST:371|MOD:DIST:373|NUC:DIST:375 862|MOD:DIST:388|MOD:DIST:390|MOD:DESC:392|NUC:DIST:394~396~398 863|MOD:DIST:402|MOD:DIST:404|MOD:DIST:408|NUC:DIST:410 864|NUC:DIST:419 865|NUC:DIST:421 866|NUC:DIST:429 867|MOD:DIST:429|NUC:DIST:431 868|NUC:DIST:429~431~433~435~437~439~441 869|MOD:DIST:435|MOD:DIST:437|MOD:DIST:439|NUC:DIST:441 870|NUC:DIST:446~448~450 871|NUC:DIST:452|MOD:DIST:456