Demanding more of elected and hired school officials is all well and good. But the Democrat and Chronicle's recent School Board endorsements implied that board members bear primary responsibility for the declining state of Rochester public schools. This is a gross simplification. It's like saying fire fighters are responsible for burning homes and police are responsible for crime and violence.

The long-term solution to the cultural decline of the inner city will come only when we scrutinize the source: the decline of individual responsibility.

Why must it so often be someone or something else's fault for individual failure? Blame racism, poverty, joblessness, drop-out rate, lead paint, poor schooling, poor policing, and poor music morality. Blame everything before blaming poor personal behavior.

The D&C's editorial leadership continues to attack gangsta rap with relentless intensity. But where's the continuous focus on the lack of individual responsibility that has spawned the "scourge on the city?" Where's the in-depth coverage on poor parenting, lack of education, and bad choices that keep the destructive cycle unbroken?

The members of this subculture are a minority of the city's population, but as anyone who's ever taught knows, it only takes one or two trouble makers to disrupt a class. And it only takes a few with a bad attitude and a gun to cast a pall of fear over a neighborhood.

Think of the potential good that could come from a continuous editorial light shining on these personal behaviors that breed anger, self-pity, and laziness. What are the personal reasons for lack of education, poverty, and unemployment?

Who or what stops any child from going to the library, reading a book, doing homework, and aspiring to better himself? Certainly not librarians, teachers, principals, or school boards.

The history of this country is rich with stories of individuals who have transcended bad circumstances to live productive lives and make positive contributions.

RICK TADDEO, WEBSTER