Minority Representation

“Majority rules” is an abstract mathematical goal cherished by those who find truth in numbers, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with justice (“Is the Court Becoming the Politburo?” by Paul Craig Roberts, Column Right, July 12). A poor black candidate running against a wealthy white one has almost no chance of getting elected. Check the demographics of the U.S. Senate for confirmation of this fact.

Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, arguing against the use of the Voting Rights Act for setting racial and ethnic quotas, fail to understand that the philosophy of majority rule without a financially level playing field has often been used and continues to be used to keep minorities out of the power structure. It is almost incomprehensible that Justice Thomas, himself a descendant of slaves, and the beneficiary of being appointed to positions of power, is so out of touch with the extraordinary challenges facing politically ambitious blacks and other minorities.

LARRY SHAPIRO

Beverly Hills