L.A.’s Black-on-Black Murders

Re “The Untold Agony of Black-on-Black Murder,” Jan. 26: As a dermatologist, I am well aware of both the skin-deep similarities and differences that black Americans have with their neighbors of other ethnic backgrounds. One fundamental truism is that the hopes, dreams and values of most black Americans are entirely identical to those of all skin colors, and that the color of one’s culture is more defining of one’s character than the color of one’s skin.

Had the killings of black-on-black men instead been white-on-white or black-on-white, the National Guard would have been deployed to enforce an end to the emergency of the gangs and the culture that promotes them.

For all ethnicities -- including black Americans -- to accept such black-on-black killings is the most insidious and dangerous form of racism that exists. The black men, women and children who die from black-on-black street violence have first and last names, families and personal histories as real as those of any other American. To dismiss such killings as an unavoidable part of urban life is inexcusable.

Forget about buying SUVs supporting terrorists abroad -- anyone buying gangsta rap music and street drugs should be made to understand that doing so supports the killing of Americans by the gangs that occupy our city right here at home.

Kenneth S. Alpern MD

Los Angeles

*

Murder rates for young black men are 18 times higher than for young white men. Black fathers need to be responsible for their children, and for overseeing their education and safety.

Until Democrats realize that black Americans’ problems start with blacks themselves, not with the “compassionate (ha ha ha)” conservatives they maliciously deride every day, little progress will be made.

John Jaeger

Irvine

*

If this doesn’t wake up the residents of Southern California, especially the region’s African American leadership, I don’t know what will. There will undoubtedly be the familiar calls from liberals for some more community programs and from the conservative side to start building more prisons. What L.A. needs to counter this so-called “monster” is actually a two-headed monster: one head to administer real business development (and not poverty-pimp grants) in the most-affected communities and one head a police force with muscle.

If there’s one obvious difference between my beloved L.A. and my new home of six months, New York City, it is that the Big Apple does not have an embarrassingly low officer-per capita ratio. If the L.A. City Council can’t find the time to set everything else aside and build a more effective Police Department, then everyone’s in trouble.

But at the end of the day, the city’s African Americans -- especially that community’s civic and business leadership (where are all of those rich rappers who have made their millions off violence?) -- must stop thinking and behaving like victims. We should all learn from the Jewish community: Get over the victimization and, damn it, be a leader!

Manny Gonzalez

New York City

*

After reading your article, I can’t help but ask how we as a society can allow this to keep going on. This is America! We are supposed to be a country where people can prosper and shouldn’t have to worry about getting shot when they walk out their door. Gangs are a national problem and the local governments need help from the federal government. For the most part the police and the communities where gangs reside know the people who are committing these murders. As there are different rules to follow during war, the same should apply when dealing with gangs.

We need to open our eyes and realize we have a war going on in America. Gangs do not have a problem with violating a person’s civil rights. Why are we so worried about violating their rights? Our freedom is in jeopardy from within our boundaries, much more so than from outside.

Richard Cooper

San Pedro