To the editor: Surely it occurred to Elon Musk that there would be some blowback from his being the face of the firings of American workers (“Tesla attacks mark troubling twist in political violence as Musk divides America,” March 21). Did Musk not anticipate the anger and hurt of thousands of men and women losing their ability to provide for themselves and their families while he gleefully jumped around on stage celebrating their misery? What exactly did he expect to happen? Americans are hopping mad and have hit back at the most obvious target.
Patricia Jacobs, Westlake Village
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To the editor: This article is nothing more than fanning the fire of domestic terrorism. Call it what it is, “Tesla attacks mark troubling twist in political violence as Musk saves America.” Tolerating any activity that threatens people or property should not be encouraged. Your article does just that. Words matter.
Steve Huard, Everett, Wash.
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To the editor: Tesla owners opposed to policies promulgated by Elon Musk are not the first individuals to ditch their cars or refuse to consider purchasing a particular brand due to politics. From the 1920s to the late 1940s, many Jews avoided Ford Motor Co. products because of founder Henry Ford’s avowed antisemitism. Ford’s Dearborn Independent newspaper published an infamous front-page antisemitic tract, “The International Jew: The World’s Problem,” based on a hoax of czarist Russian origin, “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”
Ford was sued for libel in 1927 but before he was to testify, he closed the Dearborn Independent, issued an apology and reached an out-of-court settlement with the plaintiff, a Jewish San Francisco attorney named Aaron Sapiro, whom Ford had accused of exploiting farm cooperatives. The Jewish boycott of Ford products largely continued until Henry Ford’s death in April 1947.
Harold N. Bass, Porter Ranch
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To the editor: We bought our first Tesla Model S in 2013 and a Model Y when it came out. We purchased them because we felt we were helping the environment. My son, daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons all have Teslas. Again, to help the environment. All of our cars were purchased before Musk went crazy.
I am now embarrassed to be driving a Tesla, but still like my car and do not intend to dump it. I am just hoping that people understand that the majority of Teslas on the road were purchased with good intentions and not to support a man who has completely changed his ideology and is working on dismantling the government.
Melanie Roschko, Westlake Village
