The civil rights dinosaur
In “Inherited clout not a sure thing” [News, May 24], Rand Paul’s statement that businesses have the right to refuse to serve blacks was characterized as “his quibbles with some elements of the Civil Rights Act.”
Quibbles? Paul’s views would undo lunch-counter sit-ins where students sat day after day demanding to be served. His views are racist to the core and to trivialize them as missteps or minor is no service to the reading public. He is a dinosaur and should be put back on the shelf.
— Adrienne Weller, Seattle
A good bad week
The Times showed Rand Paul’s picture with an up arrow in “Good week, bad week” [News, May 23], signaling he had a “good” week.
Apparently, whoever decided he had a good week is knee-deep in the tea-party movement.
Did you miss the part where Paul spoke about the civil-rights amendment and how it should not have required private clubs to be nondiscriminatory? He gave that speech at a golf country club, symbolic to say the least —typically all-white, upper-class.
Later this past week, Paul said he thought Obama was being too hard on BP.
Too hard? BP was caught lying about how much oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico — it is 10 times worse than what BP officials have been claiming. Considering their gross negligence to begin with, the general consensus is that no one appreciates BP these days, except Paul.
— Jim Corbett, Seattle
A heartfelt, but otherwise unconvincing defense
I watched [Republican National Committee Chairman] Michael Steele trying to defend Rand Paul on TV. How could he, of all people, defend the statements made on TV by this tea-party favorite?
Paul exposed himself for the racial bigot that he is. How —in good faith — could any American support this man’s views?
Paul thinks the Massey Coal mining mess and the BP oil mess were just accidents. He said President Obama was blaming BP and Massey unfairly, and was unfairly picking on private enterprise. He said accidents happen. I guess we should just get past it?
— Anne and Bill Dillon, Kent