I just read Christopher R. La Motte's wistful op-ed on the riots in Baltimore ("Why do we applaud rebellion in film, but not in Baltimore's streets?" May 7).
Like Mr. La Motte, I too am a lawyer; apparently unlike Mr. La Motte, I stayed awake during my class in criminal law.
Arson, willful destruction of property and the assault and battery of police officers are criminal acts. They can not be condoned or justified as "attempts to shock the white community."
I am just happy that Mr. La Motte's favorite movie was not "Purge."
William T. Define, Baltimore