Old Myth and Cliches Live On In LA Weekly Story on Escalante Killing

Mr. Rabe, you also perpetuate a myth, and indulge a cliche, when you blithely write, "Of course it's sad that a little girl was killed." No, Mr. Rabe, wrong, wrong, wrong. It is not "sad." For a little girl to be shot to death is just a bit worse than "sad," wouldn't you say? Such things are really well beyond words, but let's just try out a few: vile, despicable, fiendish, devastating, crippling, cut-you-off-at-the-knees hideous, unfathomably heartbreaking. . .Your "of course it's sad" belongs in a category with "We are shocked and saddened" and other hollow pronouncements that are unfeelingly invoked in the wake of horror. As for your attempt to taint Pelisek's article with hints of racism---which I think is outrageous---I dare say that "lawless Mexican village" and "huge brood" were accurate descriptors. As for "incurable disease," yes, I would call this a very apt expression in this circumstance, seeing as it extends to criminal enterprise that has thrived throughout Los Angeles, decade after decade. I refer to gangs, of course, and the fact that no amount of law enforcement, no amount of saintly effort by the great Father Greg Boyle, ever stems this terrorism. Yes, that's correct---terrorism. What else to call tribal criminal warfare that yields murder after murder of innocent people, many of whom are. . .little girls. . .high school students? Your politically correct effort here to minimize this "incurable disease" that plagues and scars many parts of L.A. is of an ilk that helps enable the problem to persist. You have no perspective on this subject, beginning with your astounding characterization that the shooting of a three-year-old child is merely "sad." Movies are "sad." Your commentary is utterly revolting.

You're missing the whole point of what John Rabe is saying; when people report on Northeast LA, they tend to use cliches rather than look at a complicated situation.

One of the reasons Cypress Park has trouble is drug money. It's brought in by people buying drugs in the area. Without the self-indulgent behavior of drug users, there would be no money to fund these criminal activities.

Growing up in Northeast L.A. in the seventies, the gangs were mostly guys who hung around and very few gang members participated in the brutal criminal activities you see now. Drug money has raised the stakes everywhere and now it's more brutal. I agree that the gangs are basically domestic terrorists-like the Klan. But who provides the funds?

The parents who brought their daughter to a drug house at 2:00 in the morning are MORE responsible for her death. But no one ever reports on that. It's easier to demonize an entire area which is predominantly Latino and working-class.

Thank you, John Rabe, for speaking up for better coverage of Northeast L.A.

You, Ms. Muehlburger, are the one who has missed the point.

Wow.

I've never met Rip Rense (that I know of) and told him my secret thoughts, yet he seems to know everything about me. It's almost like magic.

(Thanks, Karen)

-- John

Just the type of snide, bitchy remark I would expect from someone as divorced from reality as Rabe apparently is. "Of course it's sad that a little girl died." Can't engage that, can you, Rabe?

"Snide and bitchy"???

Very becoming of you, Mr. Rense. Thank you for elevating the discourse.

You're entirely welcome. Happy to be of service.

We need to legalize drugs.

Meanwhile, a deputy sheriff is dead, wife widowed and children left without a father.

I was at dinner the other night with my family -- I work in law enforcement, on the streets, and the rest of them have paper-pushing and opinion giving jobs. While there's of course much merit in that, it's fascinating to see the disconnect between those who opine and those who do. They had a lot to say about reports and essays written, studies and theories ... but at the end of the day, it seems to me, it's a lot of nonsense. The bangers--however they got here--are a cancer on the communities they inhabit and wreak enormous amounts of destruction. In Northeast LA, you are somewhat unique from South LA in that you are exposed to more of it ... and that's why it's so shocking and scandalous and terrifying. But that violence is incredibly widespread in the parts of town public radio listeners don't go to.

We need to eliminate the gangs ... through injunctions, incarceration and MOST IMPORTANTLY, giving people opportunities to direct their energy to something other than criminal enterprises, bangin, etc. And that's going to require investment from the people who, in this forum, seem to care about their neighborhood ... but who haven't much mentioned other parts of town, where the violence is so much worse.

Andrew,

If there's one thing I'm optimistic about, it's that there are public radio listeners all over the place, in good and bad neighborhoods. Obviously, it doesn't solve the gang problem on its own, but at least it's one more forum.

Tell us more ... what kind of investment are you talking about when you say, "And that's going to require investment from the people who, in this forum, seem to care about their neighborhood ... but who haven't much mentioned other parts of town, where the violence is so much worse"?

@Andrew: I don't disagree with you,but your intro highlights the importance of point of view.

You're exposed to all the problems rough neighborhoods have to offer, but on the flip side no one ever calls the cops to show them how well they're behaving. The point is, you largely (not gonna say only) deal with miscreants or their victims. Just as the paper pushers' point of view is limited, yours may be as well.

That said, as a Glassell Park resident, I agree 100% on the community re-investment and neighborhood vigilance.

http://riprense.com/cypresspark.htm