To the editor:

I found it interesting that State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) opposed strict enforcement of laws against high-performance automobile noise and drag racing in our neighborhoods because those infractions, as the Times reported in its March 3 article, “Duke Street crash raises street racing concerns,” have led to over-policing of communities of color. So, to him the issue is not about peace or safety – it’s about race. There are two things that are noteworthy about this sentiment.

One is his assertion that noisy car engines and drag racing are somehow a feature of communities of color and therefore must be allowed, or at least not enforced seriously. That is his first slap at racial minorities.

The second is that homeowners and families in predominantly minority neighborhoods are somehow okay with this. They, more than anyone, are adversely affected – even endangered – by these practices. To assume otherwise is just wrong.

In his statement, Ebbin showed himself a champion of his party’s condescending view that they know what is best for minorities and must “protect” them, especially the fraction who make life difficult and dangerous for the rest. To me, it’s that approach that harms communities of color.

-Jack Lichtenstein, Alexandria