Dear Robby,

My web site is a resource for NON-health related tobacco industry issues.

Many people who run a search under "Puerto Rico" or other Puerto Rican search

criteria often wind up at my site for my attempts to garner their support

relative to the non-health related tobacco industry issues we deal with.

I just wanted you to know that our web site has no official connections to

the Puerto Rican community in the way, I believe, you were originally seeking.

However, it is my policy to respond to each and every email I receive to my

web site and I can detect the need to respond to yours.

If any one ever tries to tell you that what happened in Central Park is

indicative of Puerto Rican men, or Puerto Rican people in general...they are

lying, they are fostering nothing but unnecessary hatred and they are stupid.

I have the honor to have Puerto Rican friends and friends of other Latin and

Spanish heritage and it is a decent, proud, loving, nurturing and caring

community.

Of course the incidents that occurred were isolated.

No one should hold the celebrations of the Puerto Rican parade, it's

participants, it's observers or vendors responsible for what occurred.

Those that committed the crimes, including the specific police officers that

refused to come to the assistance of the women that were being assaulted are

the only ones that have to be held responsible for what happened.

Never let the actions of any few criminals of ANY community allow you to

believe that those actions represent that entire community, for that is just

not true.

The additional crime is for you to have been made to feel the way you do

because of what has so foolishly and stupidly been said.

I will post your letter and my response in my web site, as that is the best

way I can show my support for the Puerto Rican community as you have asked me

to do.

Continue to be Proud, continue to be a caring, understanding and contributing

member of your great Puerto Rican community and whenever foolish people

attempt to brand yours or any other community as one of hatred or violence,

just remember that those are the very people you need to forgive and by doing

that alone, you prove the stupidity of their statements.

My Best Regards To You,

Sincerely,

Robert X. Shuster

Executive Director

The Shuster Project

http://www.rxshuster.org

Email: rshus177@aol.com