Anyone who has worked with young males in the Baltimore metropolitan area can certainly relate to many of the issues identified by Childs Walker in his article regarding the death of John Crowder ("He couldn't help himself," July 11). Crowder missed his old neighborhood and couldn't handle the structure imposed by his cousin, who had become a strong mentor.

Most of us believe that we really thrive with structure. However, if structure is not a part of one's early childhood experience, it can cause an adolescent to feel too tightly squeezed. The victim's cousin, Brodie Crowder, really addresses the elephant in the room when he states that the old neighborhood "was not normal." There are neighborhoods in Baltimore that are toxic for all who attempt to live in them. Popular culture has, strangely enough, glamorized some of the dysfunctional behavior found in these neighborhoods.

The article describes how some people try to live in both worlds, but this in itself only causes additional stress. Clearly, several people had pinned their hopes on this young man working his way out of his old negative environment. Like many young men, he made a series of poor decisions which ultimately led to his death.

Is there a moral or lesson to be learned from this story? Clearly, children need to be provided with structure from a very early age. Parents need to be taught how to raise their children with values and respect for other people. Can these neighborhoods that are "not normal" be fixed? We really need to answer this question without wasting time, as too many lives are at stake.

If the neighborhood cannot be fixed, we need to offer willing residents an exit strategy. If the neighborhood is not normal, more children will be at risk. Most importantly, we can never give up. I commend those men who took the time and energy to attempt to make a difference in John Crowder's short life. Hopefully, they will continue to mentor other young men at risk. Finally, we must remember that John Crowder was, according to the testimony of those who knew him best, a good person.

Edward McCarey McDonnell, Baltimore