Donald Trump’s candidacy reflects Americans’ views on race

To the editor: If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. (“Donald Trump doesn’t have a racist heart. But it is cramped and frightened,” Opinion, June 8)

Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, is a calculating, intelligent person who has simply made a bet that the majority of Americans still retain latent racist views and will carry him to the White House.

The November election will go a long way in showing where we, as a nation, quantitatively stand on the racism issue.

Eddie Dawes, Hacienda Heights

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To the editor: I disagree with Michael D’Antonio’s assertion and, by extension, that of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), that one must look into “a man’s heart” in order to discern whether or not he is in fact racist. This is because the author is confusing bigotry with racism.

Bigotry is an emotional bias against a particular class. So unless Trump were to come out and directly say something like “I hate Welshmen,” we indeed cannot be certain of his position toward any group without knowing what is in his heart, and therefore, cannot know if he is bigoted.

Racism, on the other hand, is the belief that a particular race is inherently inferior. “Blacks just can’t make good CEOs” is an example of an inherently racist statement. The assumed inferiority of blacks in that sentence is self-evident. As such, we could easily judge its speaker to be racist without any delving into the speaker’s internal emotional state.

That said, it is easy to answer the question, “Is Donald Trump racist?” Of course he is.

Matthew Wilton, Inglewood

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To the editor: You state that Trump is a “loud-mouth huckster who managed to con his way into the nomination.” (GOP leaders made a deal with the devil, and now they are feeling the heat,” editorial, June 7)

Trump did not con his way into becoming the presumptive Republican nominee for president but was voted into that position by millions of American citizens. By supporting him, they have given their personal stamp of approval on bigotry, racism and misogyny (to say the least).

Personally, a single Trump does not frighten me, but knowing that there are millions of them in America is quite unsettling. I had thought we had come so far over the past 50 years but obviously, even at 53 years of age, I am quite naive about the mindset of many Americans.

Shari O’Connell, Santa Monica

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