PUBLIC NEEDN'T MOURN A GANGBANGER'S DEATH

At the risk at sounding insensitive, I must say I was unmoved by your news
story about the "alleged" teenage drug dealer who was recently gunned down
(Feb. 15, "Her nightmare becomes a reality with son's murder").

I do not mean to imply that the young man got what he deserved, but anyone
who decides to play this dangerous game of quick cash and instant
gratification must assume the risks. In the paper's follow-up the next day,
his mother is reported to have said that her son had told her that his
"getting a lot of cocaine" had been making other dealers jealous.

What bothers me about the Feb. 15 Valentine's Day portrait, in particular,
is that it never mentioned or implied that the deceased teenager and his
surviving -- and still active, I assume -- competitors have posed, and
continue to pose, a threat not just to those of their ilk, but, more
importantly, to the noncriminals in their communities.

While they're out hustling drugs and guns, other folks in those working
class and poor neighborhoods are out making an honest living. These
everyday people -- and their children -- can't help running the risk of
getting caught in some gangbanger's crossfire.

There's nothing romantic about that. So while sympathy is due to any mother
who has lost a child to violence, it is also true that any man or woman who
freely chooses to operate for profit outside the law should not expect that
the public will mourn their passing when they finally become a deadly
by-product of their selected lifestyle. Unfortunately, the tone of your
story would seem to suggest the opposite.

CHARLES WINOKOOR

Fall River