Criminal Acts

Geoff Boucher’s article examining the careers of recording artists who were charged with crimes fails to make an important distinction (“Best, Worst of Times for Eminem,” Jan. 6).

Before the hip-hop movement, the rap sheet (a pun, sorry) on these artists typically involved the use of drugs or obscenity charges. John Lennon never assaulted anyone for kissing Yoko Ono. Bob Dylan and his “crew” never burst into a record executive’s office and pistol-whipped him. Inflamed supporters of the Beatles never shot up Mick Jagger’s limo as it cruised the Vegas strip.

What we had were Jim Morrison pulling his pants down, Paul McCartney being detained in Tokyo for marijuana possession and Jimi Hendrix using the f-word in a concert. Even Keith Richards’ heroin bust in Toronto was regarded as more tragic than wantonly criminal. The violent acts we routinely see today cannot be compared to the mischief of the past.

DAVID MACARAY

Rowland Heights