Readers React: 40 years for Brandon Spencer: Is that justice?

Re “Campus shooter receives 40-year term,” April 19

While Brandon Spencer’s shooting into a crowd and wounding of four people were inexcusable and foolish acts, I believe his actions were evidence of an immature adolescent brain not functioning well.

Most important, I think his sentence of 40 years to life in prison is excessive. I would rather see the money that will be spent on incarcerating him over the next few decades go instead toward putting him through school so he and all taxpayers benefit.

Spencer’s harsh sentence should be immediately reduced. We shouldn’t waste money feeding and housing him in prison but should instead make sure he lives a more useful life beginning now rather than when he’s an old man.

Pauline Merry

Garden Grove

An extra level of seriousness and responsibility needs to distinguish gun violence from mere physical violence, the same way we distinguish drunk driving from other forms of careless driving.

If I beat a man with my hands and break his leg, my crime should be less serious than were I to shoot someone and break his leg as a result. Either way, the man would still have a broken bone, but the responsibility for self-control should be greater with the use of a firearm.

Yes, I know that all physical violence can be lethal, but we’d all rather have the fighting chance of a gunless confrontation.

Only people with an unusually high level of self-control should have a gun. Only those rare people who would surely talk their way out of a crisis should have a gun.

Only people who would never use a gun should have a gun.

Betty Ryder

Lakewood

Spencer, an African American, shoots into a party at USC. Four are injured. He is sentenced to 40 years to life.

Ethan Couch, a white teen in Texas, drives drunk and kills four people. His lawyer claims he suffers from “affluenza.” He receives no jail time at all.

I am so glad there is no such thing as racism in America anymore.

Kevin P. Smith

Newbury Park

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