DO THE CRIME, DO THE TIME

To the Editor of THE EAGLE:- This letter is in regards to the story of
March 16 about the district attorney being asked to revisit the school-zone
charges of some of the 19 young people who were arrested in September of
2004. One of my questions would be: Who are the more than 400 people who
signed this letter? Are they all relatives or close family friends?

These so-called young people are not 3 and 4 years old. They should know
right from wrong. After all, being a parent, we raise our kids (or do our
best) to know the difference between the two. In this letter to the DA
someone says, "Punishment should be made in proportion to the crime" and
that "two years is too harsh a penalty for a teenager with no criminal
background." I say wake up! It doesn't make any difference that only a
small amount of marijuana was involved. A drug is a drug is a drug. It was
wrong and they knew it, otherwise, why hide it? Just because these may be
teens from prominent families should we cut them some slack? If these teens
were black and in the west side of the city, would they get the same
consideration?

Let's look for a second at the young man who walked into a bank and said he
had a bomb. He had no criminal record either. Should he have gotten away
with it because it wasn't really a bomb?

It is my opinion that these teens should be treated no differently. They
broke the law and got caught. If the state law requires a minimum of two
years in jail then so be it. I agree that some laws should be changed but
isn't that why we elect officials to represent us and put these changes
into motion? I don't think this decision should be left to our DA's office
to decide. Let the courts and our laws be the deciding factor.

ROBIN MAZZANTINI