Rap Concert

I am extremely disturbed by a photo accompanying the story “Police Halt Rap Concert; 4 Arrested” (Sept. 12) and two stories about the concert. If we are to look for solutions to the problems of violence, we must first accurately assess the problems.

We allowed the 17-year-old in our home to attend the concert. Whether or not she attends the “makeup” concert will not be because it was referred to as music of the “aggressive, gangsta-rap variety” (“Theater Owner Says No More Rap,” Sept. 14). For anyone who knows the SOS Band and many of the other artists, this is clearly an inaccurate description of their music--far too easy an “explanation” of the violence.

Moreover, the articles give the impression that the concert tickets were easily available to all who wanted to “just show up to be part of a scene.” In reality, the tickets were very difficult for radio listeners to obtain.

Instead, our concerns revolve around what kinds of protections there will be from (1) intoxicated and fighting attendees, and (2) the police. The Sept. 12 article raised the latter concern.

First, the caption on this photo reads “Ventura police and county sheriff’s deputies . . . train their guns on a vandalism suspect.” Either the caption was inaccurate or we should all fear for our lives. Since when is vandalism justification for drawing a gun? Isn’t a drawn gun a far greater danger to the public than a vandal, which legally refers to one who destroys property?

Second and more frightening--the photo shows at least two officers pointing what appear to be a handgun and a rifle in one direction with their heads turned in a different direction--that of the camera. Let us assume the police and deputies were not posing for the camera in such dangerous circumstances. If law enforcement officials are to take the risk of drawing weapons, shouldn’t they at least look where their weapons are directed? This photo frightens me far more than the passed-out attendees we learned of from our teen.

MICHELLE CHERNIKOFF

ANDERSON

Ventura