Every citizen should be treated equally

Jeff Jacoby is right: The fact that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas benefited from affirmative action does not make him a hypocrite when he criticizes the practice and surely will cast his vote with the majority to eliminate it in the forthcoming Harvard case (“In rejecting affirmative action, Justice Thomas is no hypocrite,” Opinion, June 21). To argue otherwise is essentially to say that any judge or justice is bound by the experiences of his or her youth and may never evolve on the basis of intellect or experience.

But I would go further. Those interested in achieving true racial equality should oppose the practice of affirmative action. It is a clear violation of the constitutional command that every citizen be treated equally. Rather than continue this practice — which on its face is unconstitutional when public funds help support the schools that practice it — we should adopt a veritable Marshall Plan in order to improve public education and eliminate the racial gap in learning and success.