More than two weeks have passed since the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody ("Six officers charged in death of Freddie Gray." May 1).
Yet the basic questions about the manner of Gray's death remain.
Why was medical help withheld and why did the arresting officers ignore his desperate cries for help?
To defend such savage police behavior is to allow a few rotten apples to besmirch the reputation of the entire police force.
Sadly, a culture of impunity exists between police departments and prosecutors; an independent body must be appointed to bring Gray's killers to justice. If the killers escape punishment more violence could engulf the city.
The high crime rates and despair in black neighborhoods are deeply disturbing. The systematic long-term denial of equal opportunity to people based on their skin color and ZIP code is an affront and a national disgrace.
If wealthy white parents found their children consigned to substandard schools and neighborhoods, denied access to good colleges and jobs, harassed and occasionally killed by the police we'd never hear the end of it. Parents of every race should be protesting such injustice — peacefully but loudly.
Tejinder Uberoi, Los Altos, Calif.