I think many are missing the point behind the brouhaha surrounding Elizabeth Warren’s Native American heritage (“Warren’s extended family split about heritage,” Page A1, Sept. 23). I am confident that she believes she is whatever percent Native American she was told, and most likely it is true. The issues for me are the following:
She hasn’t been forthcoming about releasing documents from the universities where she listed herself as a minority.
As an attorney and educator, she should have known what the standards are to list yourself as a minority.
While the professors involved in hiring her claim not to have been influenced by her heritage or not to have know about it, I believe there had to be a human resources person somewhere in the process who was excited about filling a “slot.” Also, no one seemed to obtain substantiation of Warren’s claimed status.
Finally, Warren’s response that she wanted to meet people “like her” is pretty weak.
What should have been a non-issue is in fact an issue of transparency — a term politicians love to throw around but really like to obscure when it affects them.