Republicans and Duke’s Election
The country is practically drowning in the crocodile tears of the Republicans over the election of Duke to a seat in the Louisiana state legislature (Part I, Feb. 19). These are the same Republicans whose Willie Horton campaign ads not only went a long way towards keeping them in the White House, but without a doubt went an equally long way towards creating a climate which resulted in the election of a Duke.
Duke’s election was entirely within the process, and must be allowed to stand. He is what his district wanted. Attempts by Republicans or anybody else to remove him by fiat and “reverse demagoguery” equate with the shabby past attempts to remove Assemblyman Tom Hayden from his seat in Sacramento.
Far more ominously, a successful attempt to rob David Duke of his legally won seat could set a precedent making it all the easier to, say, steal the Democratic presidential nomination from a Jesse Jackson emerging victorious from the 1992 primaries.
JEROME S. HOPKINS
Oxnard
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