Clarence Thomas
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Jesse Jackson’s criticism of Justice Thomas voting to weaken the Voting Rights Act (“Justice Thomas Turns His Back on the Legacy,” Column Left, Feb. 4) is right, but for the wrong reason.
Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act to prohibit a majority from disenfranchising minority voters. Thomas and his five Supreme Court colleagues deserve harsh criticism for ignoring the clear intent of the Voting Rights Act.
Jackson, however, misses the point. He condemned Thomas not because Thomas was wrong, but because he is black. That is unfair to Thomas and denigrating to African-Americans. Thomas’ race ought to be irrelevant. Like any American of any color, Thomas has the right to his own opinions.
TERRY FRIEDMAN
Assemblyman, D-Los Angeles
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