Comment: Neither "Hang 'Em High" Nor "Victim of Society"

For many readers, the killing of an 18-year-old suspect in an attempted robbery of a San Ramon jewelry store Wednesday is fraught with meaning about contemporary social ills linked to crime and violence. But there's strenous disagreement about what the meaning is. Our article about the crime, "," and the resulting comments prompted our Comment of the Week from El Cerrito Patch contributor Todd Groves, who described his own struggle with the issues that have been raised:

Kids get lost in this collision of narratives. Between "hang'em high," and, "victim of society," we are losing more kids -and they are kids- everyday to a street culture that's life-curdling. Both narratives exempt the believer from having to find real solutions to these vexatious social problems. I see utter confusion on the policy front, think tanks and non-profits propagating ill-fitting programs and schools simply struggling to keep the doors open and the kids in class. If you think we aren't paying an immense price for simplistic worldviews, know that prisons are passing colleges on the State ledger. Neither the conservative nor liberal remedies battling for the last 50 years has broken the accelerating cycle of a hardening underclass. Before developing a blithe opinion, make sure you've taken steps to deeply look into the problem. I've thought of little else for decades, yet still struggle to find adequate answers.

• Editor's note: We welcome reader comments on our articles. The Comment of the Week doesn't necessarily reflect the view of El Cerrito Patch. It's chosen according to what we believe will be of general reader interest. For other examples from our Comment of the Week series, please click .