Marching in Monrovia

Guilty of not actually "marching"! Great turn out as the community continues to bond and show support. A common comment is the recognition that this MUST be on-going, the gatherings, the communication the physical unity...

Berta, I love the way you post. To make any type of impact on this problem than gang members families have to be involved and become part of the answer to defeating this blight.

If they are not the marchers are just preaching to the choir. The unity will go away in time as violence decreases for a while and than another eruption will take place. I've seen it happen more than once.

Your words are right on target. I knew a girl from Monrovia named Berta who lost at least one family member to gang violence years back. Is that you by any chance?

Local Boy

No, "Local Boy" by the Grace of G d I have not lost a member through violence.... I must say that when this recent violence got close to a relative's home I found myself looking over my shoulders, entering the home and leaving as fast as I could. Then I got 'pissed'. How after 43 years of feeling safe in a neighborhood could we allow ourselves to become captives? Then, I realized that until it hit me close to home I had been looking in the other direction....it was then that I knew that I would not accept fear...HOW DARE they....You can't turn away.I knew that I had to become involved in any small way. There is power in numbers! To go back to your question ... I will take exception...I see now that these children are extentions of our own family. When we turned away and forgot to extend our hearts , when we turned away and didn't feel our need to be involved we turned many a turmoiled soul into a world of violence. We can "fish" them back, one by one!!!!!!

I for one think there are better things to do than marchs. Those attending feel good about it, but it doesn't reach those doing the deed and in all actuality if you read some of the other boards they sadly laugh and make fun of it.

We, as in the collective community need to find a way to get through to those doing the crimes that what they do get's no one anywhere fast. Until that happens sadly they will repeat the behavior.

Marches” are not the answer merely a format in which people come together and have an opportunity to meet, talk and possibly align with some group in which they too can contribute to change. “Feeling Good, isn’t such a bad way to begin, it’s worked in changing many a soul under G d’s roof! Some folks don’t know how to go about getting involved and this type of format offers a gateway.. I’ve known a lot of “marches” in my life that inspired historical changes. We’re unique, that’s our gift. People will be drawn to what works for them and I could care less about what someone else is saying as long at it works! When a garden is being planted, you have to fertilize the ground, nourish it in order for the seeds to take hold…that’s where I think we’re at right now…there’s a long road a head of us, most likely awaiting for another generation of babies to sprout for these seeds to bear fruition. When you get enough of these “feel good folks” working in different programs that excite the youth it’ll draw, like a magnet. Those folks that just never had an opportunity to “know any better” for lack of home guidance are having some good lessons to experience by the mere exposure of these public events … in repeating something I’ve said before, adversity always has a way of providing us with a gift! And how the ‘picture’ looks now with the different approaches are merely chapters in a book…

All I'm saying is that we need to find a way to reach out to the disenfranchised which is what I'm working on with some folks down on LA Avenue. Somehow there is an entire group that feels left out and trapped in the cycle. What about them when they don't trust the city and their minions?

The parade is a nice warm fuzzy feeling for everyone but the ones who need the help the most. That is my point.

Frazgo..but you see...you are doing it! YOU have been drawn to work with a particular group of folks and I HAVE NO DOUBT that you & others will find some avenue in which these people can find a process to build some sort of trust & new relationships. I hope that this is what it's all about...as we each find where we can best offer our efforts? I had family that once lived right on that block. There was a time when it was a drug infested area and as a result always had law activity. It's easy to become victims just by circumstances. The point is that to make a change you can't hang on to what 'was'..you have to take risks and reach up and out. Some one has to be tired of being tired..and the fact that there is a group is a big indication. *Forgive me if I'm not addressing your remarks but I want to share my thoughts. I, too, for MANY years was frustrated with Monrovia's approach/attitude towards a particular community...the yesterdays are gone & a burden of uncomfortable memories. Today is all we have...

The Monrovia Police department has always worked hard on Los Angeles, Cherry, Monrovista, Cypress, Montana, Sherman Way and all other streets be it in the S/E section of town or wherever crime sprung up. The s/e have always received more patrol than other area of the city because of problems that have been around for years.

I don't agree with your "Monrovia's approach/attitude towards a particular community" line. I can't agree with your take there Berta because I know first hand how hard officers worked to keep gang activity and drug sales in check there. Course if they were there too much it was because they were racist, if not enough than they didn't care. It was a no win situation.

When you don't have the cooperation of people who live in high crime areas, and cops understand why that is, than making a dent in the problem is near to impossible.

Believe me, the PD reached out continually to residents to call and say what the problems were and on who and where officers should be concentrating their efforts. Some battles were won but often the cooperation simply wasn't there and it wasn't because of a fear of the cops, it was of retaliation from the thugs.

Local Boy

Oh Berta you and I are on the same page, where we aren't exactly on the same wave length is the march.

It has its purpose, but doesn't get to the ones that need the help the most to break the cycle.

That is the group Local Boy is talking about. Police may not be the right contact. I am finding out that even city hall trying isn't the right group to reach them. It is the group so disenfranchised from the rest in the community they don't know where to start or who to trust. Some wound so tightly in the cycle of violence it is their "normal". Others sitting on the side because of fear of their neighbors, fear of the police and just paralyzed.

I have no problems sticking my nose in and seeing what is there and helping with the solution. But then again I may not be the right person as so many see my being a white male is the source of the problems.

I don't know the answers but am trying to find them. I may not be able to fix, but can share with those that can. I

"Local Boy" it's a damn if you do and a dam if you don't. I hear what your saying, really I do. I perceived law enforcers as the solution not the enemy. I know all about the 'racist take' & there were moments in my life in which I was influenced by the same sentiments as I sat along side of some innocent folks--shit happens! It does get deep. Being in a inter racial marriage I was able to experience both sides of the fence. I heard things that would not have been said in my presence if I was with my spouce. Racial slurs by people wearing a badge or business owners-- not only in Monrovia but Monrovia as well. I realized in time & with maturity that these were people who didn't represent anyone else other than themselve, but, not everyone sees it the same way. I heard many a story from my husband and his friends regarding police harrassment. While it can be said that crying 'racist' is a poor excuse you can't always turn your head the other way. My husband was taken to the Police department more than once (as a teen) being picked up fitting a description of a black man. His parents took the time and concern to get the facts and each time it was someone of a totally different statue, like about 5 inches difference in height... but BLACK. Simple, maybe silly...but never the less ...painful! Our son who is now 40 and a lawyer would ride his mo-ped with cousins off of Canyon, Huntington Drive, etc. and it never failed that he was stopped requesting proof of ownership. Never, not ever did that happen to him in our city. I'm not 'crying' I'm just sharing! Were these situations just out of the norm? BUT THAT IS THE PAST! My son turned to legal work because of what he experienced!

This is all"OLD stuff" but some folks just can't forget & fall prey to being a victim. These are folks throughout life, beyond racial complextion that need a hand to show another way of dealing...

and FRAZGO the HEART always speaks louder than the PHYSICAL appearance!!!!!