Re “Sessions seeks to revive federal anti-crime program that targeted African-Americans,” March 16-18 edition:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ failure, perhaps calculated, to invite the Richmond Free Press to his meeting in Richmond is appalling but unsurprising. 

A marquee member of a cabinet of doubtful qualification and dubious ethical fiber, Mr. Sessions is transparently allergic even to the gentle ministrations of the corporate press, let alone independent arms of the fourth estate.

Equally troubling is Mr. Sessions’ seizing on to what may be a statistical anomaly in a time of historically low rates of crime to reinstate a regime of law enforcement of uncertain efficacy but probable ethnic and racial bias. 

The GOP’s inability to distinguish correlation from causation in addressing crime and its playing to an increasingly out-of-touch base continue unabated.

The Richmond Free Press must not be deterred in holding public officials of Mr. Sessions’ ilk to accountable.

DAVID ROUTT

Richmond