Pubdate: Fri, 01 Dec 2000
Date: 12/01/2000
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Author: Steve Hoffman

Re "Downey's Latest Lapse Another Jarring Reversal," Nov. 28: I'm
sorry to read of Robert Downey Jr.'s latest troubles with the law.
Sorry that this gifted actor, quite possibly the best of his
generation, will not be able to practice his craft because he'll
probably be behind bars. Sorry that instead of making money and paying
big taxes, he will instead probably be costing the system thousands of
dollars to keep him incarcerated. And sorriest of all that this man
who has killed nobody, stolen nothing, vandalized no property and
harmed nobody but himself will probably be locked away as a scapegoat
to appease booze-swilling, cigarette-smoking, prescription-pill-popping
hypocrites who want to "send a message about drugs."

Steve Hoffman,
Hermosa Beach