SENTENCING DISPARITIES SHOCK AND OUTRAGE

WE KNOW that we're not the only ones who see the injustice in the
Virginia court system. We, along with our co-workers, have been
discussing April 4 news articles with a lot of disbelief and anger.

How could a woman who murders a 13-month-old baby receive a five-year
sentence ("Baby sitter sentenced to 1 year in slaying"), only to
serve one year at most in prison, while someone gets 10 years for
growing marijuana ("Jury in pot case convicts man, urges 10-year
term")?

Is this sending a message to society that it's OK to kill our
children but not to smoke marijuana? We don't condone the use of
illegal drugs, but we don't see how this compares in the least with
the cold-blooded murder of a baby.

Karen Snell, Roanoke
Kim Washington, Rocky Mount