I have been living with an illusion. I believed that everybody was educated to know what the Nazis did in World War II and that use of Nazi symbols was illegal in Germany. Elon Musk’s apparent use of the Nazi salute violated those beliefs. Had the gesture been somehow different or accidental, a normal person would have apologized. Instead, he called criticism of his gesture a “dirty trick.”

It is impossible and irresponsible to ignore Musk’s illegal intrusion into Government operations, far-right politics and use of the Nazi salute. One action normal people can take is to boycott Tesla. In addition, there is the problem of rebates.

Electric vehicle (EV) rebates are available from Vermont electric utility providers. The list of providers can be found at driveelectricvt.com. Rebates are funded by a tax on your utility bill (and other sources) — the “Energy Efficiency Charge” of 4.5%, whether you have an EV or not. You are paying to provide rebates to people to buy Teslas. If you don’t like this idea, call your electric utility and let your state representative know.

Steve Reynolds

Cornwall