Teen Curfew Struck Down

As a proud, observant and vocal member of the scapegoat generation, I nearly dropped my Pop Tart when I read that the San Diego nighttime curfew was finally found to be unconstitutional (June 10). The San Diego curfew and curfews like it make criminals out of law-abiding citizens, take away some of our religious freedoms and rob parents of their God-given right to raise their own children.

A quote in the article states that if this court decision “forces cities to let juveniles roam the streets for any kind of activity protected under the 1st Amendment,” curfew laws would have “no teeth at all.” In other words, citizens must choose between either curfews or their religious freedom. San Diego’s curfew outlawed Catholics from attending midnight Mass.

If you value your rights as a parent, urge your assemblyman to oppose legislation imposing additional daytime curfews and enforce the laws we already have. Curfews are a risk we can’t afford.

ROBERT CROSBY

Claremont

* Of course the San Diego curfew is vague; it was intended to be. When it was considered by the City Council, the police chief and mayor said the police would selectively enforce it against people they thought shouldn’t be on the streets. They might as well have a law saying it’s illegal to be in San Diego to give the police plenty of leeway in deciding whom to arrest.

This is the mayor who is running for the U.S. Senate so she can get the government off our backs.

MICHAEL CARGAL

La Mesa