Downtown Demilitarized Zone

Dear Editor,
    I just read your article about Thunderstars bassist Omar Richardson getting beat up by a panhandler downtown ["Musician Hurt in Panhandler Attack Outside Show," Daily Music, Nov. 12]. I hope he fully recovers. It’s a disgrace what’s happening to our “live music capital of the world." In no time, even musicians aren’t going to want to come here.
    My wife and I have lived here since the Seventies. Going Downtown used to be a normal venture for us. We would stagger from bar to bar without a care in the world. As our lifestyle changed, we found ourselves Downtown less often.  But recently, we decided it was time to venture out to the Empire Control Room. As soon as our feet hit the Downtown payment we felt like we were in a demilitarized zone. Every step of the way we were confronted by aggressive panhandlers. When we didn’t engage, they threatened us and shouted profanities. We will never go back. Our spineless City Council has a let yet another thing that makes our city what it was turn to crap.