With all the attention given the Baltimore mom caught on video chastising her son, I want to focus on the son ("Why Toya Graham is such a winning TV story line amid Freddie Gray conflict in Baltimore," April 29).
Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. In this instance Ms. Graham's motherly instinct kicked in during a volatile episode. I commend her for stepping up and claiming her son.
However, I also want to commend the son for his behavior toward his mom-in-chief. I did not witness this young man once employ profanity or physical or verbal resistance to his mother.
Mind you, he was in a very public space, and as a teenager I'm sure this was not the best time to be checked by his mom. Nonetheless he simply retreated and acknowledged his mom's authority without disrespecting his mom.
This says a lot about the young man who showed the world that he is still teachable. So many times we hear that our sons are angry, disrespectful and have no regard for authority. In this instance he proved that wrong.
Today I celebrate this young man and the many like him whom the larger community has determined wrong even before knowing them. The interaction between him and his mom showed respect and a regard for parental authority. I was impressed by his behavior.
Sharon Dawson, Florence, Ala.