Questions on Elks Club Stories

The articles appearing in The Times recently about the rejection of three men by the Elks Club in Van Nuys raise some questions.

Three men, one white and two blacks, were rejected for membership. Who decided this was a racist rejection? They were not all of the same race.

The only thing the men had in common was their sponsor, state Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Tarzana). Perhaps the members didn’t like the senator’s politics and or ideologies, his table manners or the way he parts his hair.

Why did these men want to join the Elks, which is purely a social club and is not to be used for business or commercial reasons? This question should have been asked by the investigating committee, and if the answers given were the same as the ones I heard on the radio, the names should never have been presented to the membership in the first place.

I heard one of the black men interviewed on a radio talk show, and the host asked him that same question. His answer was that he knew that but other members were doing it so he thought it would be a good idea for him.

What were the senator’s motives in sponsoring these men? Perhaps the Elks should look into that.

EDWIN J. SULLIVAN

Sherman Oaks