To the editor: I believe Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has a major opportunity to shine a spotlight on how racist and destructive a second Trump administration could be for young men of color (and all people of color, really), simply by running major media ads recounting the former president’s own words. (“Obama confronts men for finding ‘all kinds of excuses’ to avoid voting for a female president,” Oct. 10)
For example, the ads could feature Trump’s statements during his rallies that police should have “immunity from prosecution.” That’s racist code. What Trump is saying is that rogue officers who choke young Black or Latino men or shoot them following a routine traffic stop should face no consequences for their actions.
The ads could also feature Trump’s call in 1989 for the reinstatement of the death penalty in New York after the arrest of five Black men in connection with a vicious crime. Those men, known as the “Central Park Five,” were later exonerated.
While examples of Trump’s overt racism are too numerous to mention in full, the examples above are fairly stark and visceral. I’m not a media expert, but I believe including those examples with footage of wrongly victimized people of color could have a powerful effect on those who do not yet understand what the difference between a Harris or Trump administration means for their lives.
Matthew Singerman, Newbury Park
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To the editor: Former President Obama suggested that Black men who don’t vote for Harris are sexist. Maybe he’s right.
But maybe a number of them just don’t like her policies and — surprise, surprise — prefer Trump’s policies
David Tulanian, Henderson, Nev.
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To the editor: Misogyny is an issue in this election for all races and genders. A woman president in the U.S.? Nope, there’s still never been one.
Here’s to hoping that we can move forward on that, too, rather than backward — way backward when you look at the male opponent and his supporters. Harris is more than qualified for this office.
Let’s all start talking to the person in the mirror and try to get this right this time around.
Leslie Burkhardt, San Pedro
