This is in response to the Sun Journal article “For blind, bias still an issue,” published March 17. The article is about the new governor of New York, who is legally blind.

I think that even though David Paterson is legally blind, he will still be an excellent governor. He worked hard to become lieutenant governor and has not let his blindness stand in his way.

Paterson must have a great sense of determination and perseverance to accomplish what is a difficult task for a person with full sight. This determination will serve him well; New York needs a strong and determined leader.

Paterson knows what it is like to be different from other people, and has experienced many obstacles during his career. Because of this, he will probably be less judgmental, and won’t be prejudiced against people with disabilities.

Blind people hold many jobs today that nobody would have believed possible 50 years ago. If legally blind citizens can be lawyers and nurses, then they can certainly be governors. In this day and age, blindness doesn’t mean the same thing as it once did, so being blind is no reason why a person can’t perform a job well.

Even though the theory of a blind man running New York may sound ridiculous at first, Paterson will be a perfectly able governor. In fact, his determination could make him an excellent governor.

He could easily do better at his job than some elected officials with full powers of sight.

Sarah DiVello