Rev. Cortly "C.D." Witherspoon all but threatens a riot over the alleged assault of a black teenager by a Jewish community patrol group ("Black leaders call for Jewish patrol group to be disbanded after alleged assault," Dec. 3). Marvin "Doc" Cheatham demands the disbanding of the group, ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of one incident that no one is trying to cover up.

It falls to Shaquille Carbon, the junior at Northwestern High School, to question why there should not be a community group made up of both Jews and African-Americans, and to lament the fact that his existence often goes unacknowledged by those he says hello to on the street.

Unlike, Reverend Witherspoon and Mr. Cheatham, Mr. Carbon avoids hyperbole and raises fair points. I hope that he grows up to be the kind of leader that the entire community deserves.

Jeffrey D. Silverberg, Baltimore