Fallout from the Raid

LETTER IN THE NEW YORK TIMES 4/24/00

     Juan Miguel Gonzalez won the battle for legally entitled custody of his son, but lost his claim to be a caring father by sanctioning an additional and traumatic sudden separation for Elian.

     How can we calm frightened children whose Saturday morning televised cartoons were pre-empted by a terrified 6-year-old's being abducted at gunpoint?

     How can proponents of gun control justify the message conveyed by their use of guns in this hostile takeover?  There are no winners here.

Carol Goldberg

The writer is a psychologist.