PARALYZED CRIMINALS DON'T DESERVE PUBLIC SYMPATHY OR SUBSIDY

The Sun's article "Baltimore's street violence creates an epidemic of spinal
cord injuries" (July 30) is yet another example of how the illegal drug
trade saps not only the life of our city, but also the taxpayer's
hard-earned money.

Those young men/thugs depicted in the article knowingly engaged in illegal
activities that resulted in their paralysis.

There is something wrong with the picture when taxpayers, many of whom work
hard at honest jobs for far less money than the average illegal drug dealer
receives, are forced to pay for the results of criminal activity -- through
Medicaid, welfare and other publicly funded social programs.

What is the reward for hard-working people, who take responsibility for
paying their own way, instilling values in their children and supporting
their communities? To be forced to pay for the medical care, housing and
food needed by disabled criminals.

These criminals, hurt in their line of "work," continue doing what criminals
do best -- desecrating the values that made our country great.

Debbie Allender, Glen Arm

After reading The Sun's article on spinal cord injuries increasing because
of drug violence, I don't know what sickens me more:

Watching law-abiding senior citizens scramble on fixed incomes to pay more
and more for medical care while these thugs receive free medical care out of
our pockets (some continue to sell drugs in the very wheelchairs we paid
for.

Or The Sun's attempt to make us feel sorry for these street hoods who
inflict much more harm than they receive.

The Sun may have reached a new journalistic low by trying to elicit sympathy
for these people.

Mark Elliott, Baltimore