Re “Federal authorities seek death penalty in S.C. church massacre,” May 26-28 edition:

Killing Dylann Roof, the Charleston church shooter and racist who wrapped himself in the Confederate flag, with the death penalty will not end the layer of white supremacy in the nation. Who do you think the major supporters of Donald Trump are?

Mr. Trump’s campaign is defined by name-calling, lying, hatred, lack of substance, racial and ethnic slurs, offensive sexual references and racist comments/statements. Mr. Trump and his Republican supporters and staffers, who are white, think they know more about the African-American community than black people. A perfect example is Bill O’Reilly of Fox News.

Republicans are known to “eat their own,” and Mr. Trump demonstrated that throughout the primary.

The GOP wants black Republicans around them who will not speak their mind regarding race issues. Many black Republicans have absolutely no connection to the black community, nor do they have a leadership position in any state or the national Republican Party that can be used as a platform. Remember what happened to former RNC Chair Michael Steele when he attempted to do outreach to black people.

The GOP “pimps out” black conservatives to FOX, CNN and other media to denounce the Democratic Party line or to say something stupid about President Obama or the Latino and African-American communities.

Mr. Trump is a product of the right wing media that has been spreading hate for years.

What can be done about the GOP partisan race rhetoric at the national level?

Maximize voter turnout in November.

Dylann Roof and his hatred are not isolated, but a product of the Ku Klux Klan and the Confederate flag issue. Killing him won’t stop the ugly hate sentiments being taught to young white men.

What about nine life sentences?

WALT HILL

Petersburg