LETTERS THERE'S NO HONOR IN BEING IN GANG.

The article in the March 10 edition titled ``Sad End to a Short life'' made me take notice.

Yes, it is a sad end to a short life, but what about that life? Your writer has missed the point of why youths go to gangs. It's a choice. Byron Benito made that choice a long time ago when he was much younger to join that gang. Blaming his learning disability is wrong. I have a 13-year-old son with a learning disability - does that mean he will go to a gang and seek membership? I don't think so. Besides, where were Benito's parents when he needed so much help in school? Don't all of the school in the Santa Clarita Valley have learning specialists.

Why place the blame on his probation officer or on some teachers who have been trying to intervene.

You article points to his parents, saying ``they tried everything they could.'' Here's another cop out. I don't think they did, but it's too late for Byron now. What they did do was let him go too soon when he was young enough to be influenced.

The article tends to glorify gangs as a no-other-alternative way to go in life. What you failed to point out was that there is no honor among gang members.

Here you have 15 young men all together to do what? Watch someone die and then walk away to leave him to do just that. Die alone. No honor.

Now they all get to face the judge, alone, no one to back them up now and what will they get? Fifteen years to life if they are lucky.

Even as kind, loving and thoughtful as Byron was made to look in this article, he was still a gang member. If the youths of our valley are looking for heroes, they need not look at the way Byron Benito lived his life. He is not the right kind of role model our youth need.

- Casey McMichael

Canyon Country

Donating is fine but not drinking

Re ``St. Paddy's ride raises cash for kids,'' (Santa Clarita Edition, March 18)

``After swilling green beer in plastic cups and chowing down on corned beef and cabbage, about 100 leather clad bikers roared through Santa Clarita on Sunday to raise money for the city's community center...the bikers rumbled on to Mulligan's bar...and to several Irish pubs in Ventura...''

Maybe the name of this article should have been, ``Drinking and Driving raises cash for kids.'' I live in Santa Clarita, and I appreciate the effort to raise funds for this worthy cause. However, I believe their next ride, planned for Cinco de Mayo, should not include ``swilling'' beer.

- S. Wachter

Saugus

Story sent wrong message to kids

After reading your article ``Seeing Green'' (March 18) by Heather MacDonald, I was inspired to write how wrong it is.

In the opening sentence it starts out by saying ``After swilling green beer in plastic cups and chowing down on corned beef and cabbage, about 100 leather-clad bikers roared through Santa Clarita on Sunday.''

It goes on to say they went to other bars and then drove back to the Rendezvous.

Being a teen-ager who is taking driver's education at Saugus High School, I am always being told not to drink and drive. Yet your paper has it on the front page. I do understand that it was for charity, but what if one of the bikers had gotten in an accident.

My concern is what is the message you are sending to kids? That it is all right to drink and drive, if you are doing it for charity.

- Jeff Harris 

Saugus