Gang-War Rhetoric Ignores Deep Problems

“Fresh Voices in Tough Fight” (editorial, Feb. 18) condemned “the city’s Haydens” and their “tired rants” against L.A.’s war on gangs. The war on gangs is a failure. In the past two decades, over 10,000 mostly young men have died in local gang wars. The Times thinks it’s “fretting” to speak of “demonizing” gangs, but demonizing perpetuates the war.

The Times insultingly claims that I don’t care about victims. It seems to believe that gang members’ deaths are deserved deaths. Such rhetoric is good politics and relieves frustration but is bad policy. For example, the plan to crack down on graffiti (one more time) may be wildly popular but also means that thousands of young people will become felons under the three-strikes law. Does The Times have a plan to rehabilitate these young felons and employ them upon release, or will our prisons fill with taggers serving 25 years to life at a cost of billions?

The truly tired rant is the recycled rhetoric of the war on gangs, which glosses over the frictions caused by police sweeps and, most important, the economic loss of 50,000 jobs in South-Central since the 1992 riots. If LAPD Chief William Bratton wants us to “get angry,” why not at economic disinvestment from the inner city?

Tom Hayden

Los Angeles