Will Anyone Learn From Bad Examples?

The first question that pops into my head when I hear about athletes dying or being critically injured in a car accident is, “Were they wearing their seat belt?” I don’t know why it still comes to me in the form of a question, because naturally, the idiot--Derrick Thomas in this case--wasn’t wearing one.

I’m sick and tired of hearing media descriptions of a city in mourning over the loss of an athlete in his prime, when his own stupidity was the cause of death or injury.

DONN UMBER

Santa Monica

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Hopefully, our youth had an opportunity to read T.J. Simers’ excellent story on Darryl Henley [“Hard Time,” Jan. 22] and if only one kid is deterred from a life-ruining mistake because of the article, maybe something good can come out of this mess.

JESSE GARCIA

East Los Angeles