Young Males’ Aggression

In “Taking a Societal Hammer to Male Aggression” (June 23), Patt Morrison says, “If society doesn’t come up with some reasonable options for its aggressive young men now, it will have only unreasonable options later: prison, or a pill.” Society has reasonable options, called “fathers,” “male role models” and “elders,” but we are abandoning these at breakneck speed (pun intended).

Watching the destructive revelry after the Lakers’ win, I saw aggression and exuberance uncontained. The aggressiveness itself is not the problem, it is the lack of containment. There need not have been destruction of private property, theft, vandalism, etc. if these “celebratory rites” had been anticipated, planned for and contained, off-street, and watched over by older, responsible men. These youths, who have little sense of the larger community in which they live, need containment, not restraint--that’s best learned and self-imposed. And it’s best learned from responsible adult males. Doesn’t that sound like what “fathers” used to be instead of sperm donors?

Young males are genetically predisposed to aggressiveness--testing and “proving” their manhood. This is not the problem. Let’s relearn how to contain our youth and allow them relatively safe, appropriate expression while teaching each of them what it is to be an adult, a person, a citizen.

DAN BRUMER

Encino

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Why all the concern over the burned police cars? The film medium has offered this to the public as entertainment for decades. I believe the all-time record of police cars destroyed in one film is “The Blues Brothers.” Youth have been entertained and well-schooled in this effort.

I believe the script formula has been to: 1) Take off your clothes, 2) defy authority and 3) destroy property. These were amateurs, so two out of three are quite acceptable.

W. LEE TRUMAN

Camarillo