Letters for March 5, 2015

Ban hip-hop

Re “Hip-hop under fire” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R News, February 26):

I attended a concert at Harlow's several weeks back by a classic-rock guitarist and, as I recall, when the show was over and I stood outside waiting for my ride for half an hour, I was not subjected to any gunfire by a drug-and-alcohol-crazy crowd that just exited a hip-hop show. I am sorry, but I have no sympathy if city council were to ban these types of shows from Midtown concert venues altogether. When the city is trying to revitalize the downtown area, let this type of garbage go back underground where it belongs, because every time these venues puts on one of these shows, they run the risk of gang violence and someone being killed, and the club ultimately losing its license.

Mike Stinson

Sacramento

Self-loathing white people?

Re “The privilege problem” by Rachel Leibrock (SN&R Editor’s Note, February 26):

Couldn’t this just as easily been entitled “The White Problem”? I don’t know what race the writer is, but this white American woman would like to know: Why the pejorative connotation to that particular hue of skin? Are you a non-white who dislikes whites, or are you just self-loathing? As for Patricia Arquette’s alleged “privilege,” she has been one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood for decades. Nothing has come easy for her. She is excellent and I can assure you that many times she has been paid less for the same work as male counterparts. Good for her.

Christine Craft

Sacramento

A perfect cop is accountable

Re “How to build a perfect cop” by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R Feature Story, February 19):

A perfect cop? Francine Tournour takes a ride with a cop who is the poster cop for everything that’s wrong with American cops. Then, a series of Band-Aids are suggested. The problem with American cops is that there are too many laws that give them power but no accountability. I find it amazing that with all of the people murdered by cops in this country—including children—nobody mentions that cops kill at will because state law in every state says that if a cop kills someone and claims that he or she was in fear for his or her life, the cop cannot be prosecuted.

The way to build a “perfect cop” is not to keep the same corrupt system and encourage a diverse group of people to join the party and indulge in criminality under color of law. We need the repeal of laws that give police authority without accountability. I don’t understand what is so radical about expecting government employees to obey the law.

Richard Wales

Penryn