LETTER OF THE DAY

APPALLING SENTENCE

I'm appalled at the sentence handed down by Justice Marsha Erb after
convicting 19-year-old Jason Wong of being a mid-level drug dealer. ("No
jail time for teenage drug dealer," March 13.)

By sentencing persons like Wong to house arrest, what kind of message is Erb
sending to the individuals who fuel the addictions of others and ruin entire
communities while doing so?

Someone who is convicted of dealing large quantities of ecstasy, cocaine,
crack cocaine and being in possession of a 9 mm handgun, a machete and
baton, not to mention $10,000 of illegal cash, deserves more than a
dressing-down .

Wong must have said "ouch" when Erb took the time to scold Wong, letting him
know, that "he is nothing more than a low-life drug dealer and that he may
have caused the deaths of fellow teenagers."

What was Erb thinking when she said she didn't want to send such a young man
to prison, along with some of the worst individuals society has to offer? If
I am not mistaken, isn't Wong one of these? The person who is going to be
punished for this bonehead decision is Wong's aunt, who is tasked with
babysitting him for two years.

Are we not trying to send a strong message to society and rid ourselves of
this low-life scum?

Gigi Morse

(The time doesn't fit the crime.)