Gang Shooting in Westwood
The Times reported that police in Westwood “occasionally stopped and questioned youths they believed to be members of street gangs” (Metro, Feb. 7).
A suspect had already been arrested in the Karen Toshima slaying. It is a crime to be a member of a gang? Or is it a crime to be a young black man in Westwood?
Isn’t the real message being sent from Westwood to all young black people, gang members or not, that “You are not wanted here. You are not free, as white people are free, to window shop, to frequent restaurants and movies, to amble along the sidewalks enjoying the ambiance. If you persist in joining the privileged throngs, you will be stopped by the police. You don’t belong here.”
Is that the message we should convey to young blacks in this land of opportunity? I think not.
VIRGINIA M. DONOHUE
Los Angeles
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