Author: Kathleen Ahearn, Wayne

QUESTION OF PROPORTIONALITY

"Passaic man admits assault on girl, 10" (Page L-1, Sept. 13) and "Cops
raid marijuana crop in Wayne" (Page L-3, Sept. 13):

Due to a plea bargain, a Passaic man who raped a 10-year-old girl (with
evidence of DNA) can be sentenced to 15 years in prison but paroled in
two to three years. A Garfield man who grows marijuana will probably
get 10 to 20 years. I would ask the courts, "Where is the comparison?"

A man has deprived a child of her innocence and gets out of prison in
two or three years, probably to ruin another child's life. These
children will live with this as long as they are on this Earth. Should
not this man be given life in prison without parole, or at the very
least the entire 15 years? Aren't children precious?

It is against the law to grow marijuana, and the man who violated this
law should be punished. But I think he should be punished far less
severely than a man (or woman) who rapes a child.