Kangaroo Court

I watched some of the Congressional Hearings on the Toyota debacle this week, and I was furious with the Representatives who pilloried, harassed and humiliated the Toyota executives, especially Mr. Akio Toyoda, the CEO of Toyota.

Most of the “Gestapos” seemed to think that Mr., Toyoda should commit Hara-Kiri over the scandal, and the scene brought memories of the late Representative Tom Lantos’s remark to Craig Livingston, “Even Admiral Boorda committed suicide.”

As far as I can determine, there have been nineteen deaths attributed to the sticking accelerator problem, and while I am not insensitive to the loss of life it caused, I am not ready to boycott Toyota. I also do not think the “crisis” warrants prohibiting Toyota from selling their products in this country.

However, the best opinion I have read regarding the Toyota recall is that of one of my favorite columnists, Charles Krauthammer.

Instead of writing my usual column this week, I am going to provide a link to Mr. Krauthammer’s syndicated column from the Washington Post and let you read it. If you have already done so, than I commend you on your astute selection. If not, please take a few minutes to learn what this man, who himself was permanently paralyzed and almost killed in an auto accident, has to say.

I do not have permission to reprint the article in my column, hence my providing the link to it instead.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022503115.html