Let's Talk
There are times when even the experts who know gangs best seem ready to throw up their hands. Gangs heve been killing for years. People become numb to violence. If it's not your neighborhood, not your city, it's one more sad story - if it even registers at all.
Inside the neighborhood it can be worse. I remember a man who had lived in Riverside's most notorious gang neighborhood for decades. A young man had been killed in his driveway, shot point blank with a hunting rifle.
It wasn't the first body that landed in his yard.
"What can you do about the gangs?" he said.
Indeed.
Forty days after 3-year-old Ethan Esparza was gunned down outside his grandmother's Pomona home, after the vigils and the calls for the killers to come forward, Ethan's life seems dangerously close to becoming a "what can you do?" moment.
That's where you come in. We want you to be honest, open, clever, thoughtful, practical, impractical, even angry (to a point). Tell us what we can do to prevent another innocent - and even not so innocent - person from dying in gang violence.
A lot of kids are killed, I was told recently. Why focus so much on Ethan?
Then he gave me the answer.
Ethan was murdered at his 4th birthday party. He was killed because too many people said "what can we do?"
Let's make him the face we remember.
Let's talk about solutions
- Mark Petix
Comments
I hope your views on gang violence help effect the youths in many crime infested neighborhoods. Me, myself have witnessed many acts of violence and I too think it should be stopped, yet it will continue. People have come to just let it pass and it has changed the way many people act upon violent situations.
Posted by: Leo Valencia | January 12, 2007 9:54 AM
. I`VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF POMONA ALL MY LIFE AND KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO EXPERIENCE THE LOST OF LOVED ONES TIME AND TIME AGAIN. GROWING UP IN POMONA MEANS GOING TO GRAMMAR, JR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL WITH OTHER KIDS YOU MEET AND WHO DURING A COURSE OF TIME BECOME WHAT WE KNOW AS FRIENDS. SOME OF THOSE FRIENDS DURING These TIMES DO BECOME GANG MEMBERS BUT TO THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP WITH THEM FOR ALL THOSE YEARS DON'T VIEW THEM AS THE VICIOUS ANIMALS THAT THE MEDIA, SOCIETY AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT MAKES THEM OUT TO BE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE THOUGHTS OF EVERYONE READING THIS RIGHT NOW BUT BEFORE YOU SHUT DOWN AND CLOSE UP, PLEASE TRY AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND FINISH READING THE REST OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. BESIDES HASN'T IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN BEEN TOLD TO US BY OUR TEACHERS, PRESIDENT AND OTHERS THAT WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO PRACTICE OR TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO BE PREJUDICE? IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT THIS IS THE SAME THING. ITS NOT AT ALL LIKE EVERYONE THINKS IT IS, NOT EVEN THE GANG MEMBERS I KNOW CONDONE ANYONE TO KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE OR EVEN WORSE OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN. I PERSONALLY FEEL THE SAME WAY. IT IS AN OUTRAGE THAT SO MANY PEOPLES LIVES ARE CHANGED BY THE IGNORANT COWARDLY ACTS OF THESE INDIVIDUALS BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO REALLY DO ALL THOSE THING BEING TALKED ABOUT IN OUR NEWSPAPERS BY OUR MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEN AND POLICE CHIEF. THE SO CALLED LEADERS WHO OVER SEE OUR CITY'S PROBLEMS. WHO ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS AND AWARENESS GROUPS TO HELP SAVE OUR YOUTH AND CLEAN UP OUR STREETS. SO THAT THE CITY OF POMONA CAN FINALLY FEEL SAFE TO WALK DOWN OUR STREETS AND ONCE AGAIN BECOME A UNITED COMMUNITY TO FIGHT AGAINST ALL THE SENSELESS ACTS OF VIOLENCE. WELL THEN I SAY THIS; IN ORDER TO DO ALL THESE THINGS WE MUST FIRST START AT THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM AND ONCE AND FOR ALL HOLD THOSE WHO ARE ACCOUNTABLE, ACCOUNTABLE!!!! HAS ANYONE EVER STOPPED TO THINK THAT MAYBE THE REASON FOR INCREASED GANG MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL THE SENSELESS KILLINGS OF INNOCENT LIVES TAKEN JUST MIGHT BE FUELED BY SOMETHING OTHER THEN JUST PARENTAL NEGLECT OR PEER PRESSURE. JUST MAYBE THINGS HAVE BECOME SO OUT OF CONTROL ON OUR STREETS AND WITHIN OUT COMMUNITY IS BECAUSE OUR CITY COUNSEL MEN ARE USING OUR Taxes AND CITY'S MONEY TO SEND THEIR WIVES ON EXPENSIVE VACATIONS. IS THAT NOT CREDIT CARD FRAUD AND STEALING?!??OH I'M SORRY, OF COURSE ITS NOT BECAUSE THEN THAT WOULD MEAN OUR CITY COUNCIL MEN WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH THE VERY SAME CRIME THEY PROMISE US RESIDENTS THEY WILL FIGHT TO PUT A STOP TO IN OUR COMMUNITY. OKAY HERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH OUR CITY'S DOWN FALL. HOW CAN EXPECT TO WIN BACK OUR STREETS FROM GANG MEMBERS AND THERE COWARDLY ACTS WHEN YOU SEND OUT A GANG WORSE THEN THE ONES IN OUR COMMUNITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. YES, I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE POMONA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COWARDLY INHUMANE ACTS THAT THEY HAVE BESTOWED UPON US AS WELL. LIKE I MYSELF HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ONE OF OUR OVER PRAISED POLICE OFFICERS HIMSELF; QUOTE " YOU SEE ARE GANG WILL ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP.WE WILL NEVER LOOSE.WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT, WHENEVER WE WANT AND WHY? BECAUSE OUR GANG GETS TO WEAR A UNIFORM AND CARRY A BADGE,A UNIFORM AND BADGE, THE PEOPLE AND MEDIA RESPECTS AND LOOKS UP TO. THESE PEOPLE AND YOUR TAXES PAY US TO KEEP ORDER AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DO. AT ALL COSTS. BESIDES WHO ARE THEY GOING TO BELIEVE? A UNIFORMED GOVERNMENT PAID CITY COP OR A PIECE OF SHIT STATISTIC LIKE YOU " UN QUOTE. HAVE YOU EVER EVEN ONCE STOPPED TO THINK THAT MAYBE SOME OF OUR YOUTH TURN TO GANGS BECAUSE OF THE LOSS AND PAIN THEY HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN LOOSING AN OLDER SIBLING , CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER OR BEST FRIEND BY THE VERY SAME PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TAUGHT AS CHILDREN TO TRUST AND TO RUN TO FOR PROTECTION...... HASN'T IT ALWAYS BEEN SAID THAT THERE IS ALWAYS TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY? WELL LISTEN UP BECAUSE YOUR ABOUT TO READ THE REAL REASON FOR THAT INNOCENT POLICE MAN BEING SHOT IN FRONT OF THE COURT HOUSE BY THAT YOUNG BOY..... THE MEDIA AND PRESS WERE TOLD BY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE KID SAID HE DID IT TO GAIN FAVOR IN THE SIGHT OF A WELL KNOWN GANG IN POMONA,THE INFAMOUS POMONA 12 STREET SHARKIES GANG. RIGHT? WELL WHEN HIS CLOSE FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES WERE FINALLY ABLE TO SPEAK WITH HIM, THEY ASKED HIM THE VERY SAME QUESTION. WHY????? WHY WOULD HE DO SUCH A THING? HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE FELT ANGRY AND HE FELT HE HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO THEM FOR WHAT THEY HAD DID TO ONE OF HIS BEST FRIENDS ONLY A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THEN..... THEY KILLED A YOUNG MAN IN COLD BLOOD. SHOT HIM IN THE BACK WHILE HE WAS RUNNING AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL TO WELL WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM IF HE DIDN'T RUN. THEY WOULD SNATCH HIM UP AND TAKE HIM WHERE NO ONE COULD HEAR HIS CRIES AND SCREAMS FROM THE BLOWS TO HIS FACE AND BODY FROM THERE FISTS AND BATONS, LIKE SO MANY TIMES BEFORE. THEN TAKE HIM IN AND HAVE HIM BOOKED ON WHATEVER CHARGES THEY WANTED TO. INCLUDING RESISTING ARREST WHEN THE BEATING THEY GAVE HIM WAS TO NOTICEABLE. OR SOMETIMES AFTER, EVEN JUST LETTING HIM GO BECAUSE THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO DO THE PAPER WORK ON HIM WOULD TAKE UP TO MUCH OF THERE TIME. SO YES EVENTUALLY THIS VERY SAME (KID AT THE TIME) GOT INTO ONE OF POMONA'S GANGS AND STARTED RUNNING FROM THE SAME POLICE MEN WHO HATED HIM FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO CATCH HIM TIME AND TIME AGAIN. ONLY TO END UP WITH THEM GETTING AWAY WITH THE COWARDLY ACT OF PLACING A GUN AT THE SCENE AND MAKING SURE ON THERE FINAL RIGHT UP ON HIM, MENTIONING SEVERAL TIMES THAT HE WAS A KNOWN POMONA GANG MEMBER. THEY DIDN'T STOP THERE EITHER. NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT CALL HIS FAMILY TO LET THEM KNOW OF THERE SONS DEATH, THEY WAITED UNTIL THE BOYS MOTHER, FATHER AND CLOSE FAMILY FRIEND WHO HAD SEEN HIM LAST THAT FATAL NIGHT, WENT INTO THE POLICE STATION TO ASK IF THE RUMORS ON THE STREET ABOUT THERE SONS DEATH BY THERE HANDS WERE TRUE. WERE GIVEN NO COMFORT OR ANSWERS UNTIL AFTER MAKING INSISTING REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ON THERE SONS WHERE ABOUT'S, WERE THEN TOLD BY ONE OF OUR SWORN POLICE OFFICERS OUT OF FRUSTRATION FOR THEM NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE THEY (MEANING THE POMONA POLICE DEPARTMENT ) WOULD PAY THEM FOR HIM. THEN WALKING AWAY LEAVING HIS MOTHER AND FATHER LEFT TO FEEL ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT??? BUT TIME AND TIME AGAIN STORIES LIKE THESE NEVER EVEN MAKE THE FRONT PAGE AND EVEN IF THEY DID, I'M SURE IT WOULD BE AN OVER JUSTIFIED HEROIC ACT OF ONE OF OUR CITY'S FINEST. I COULD SIT HERE AND WRITE STORY AFTER STORY ABOUT THE CRUEL COWARDLY AND INHUMANE ACTS OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT REALLY NOW WHO WOULD THEY BELIEVE. A UNIFORMED GOVERNMENT PAID CITY COP OR A PIECE OF SHIT STATISTIC LIKE ME???? POMONA STATISTIC
Posted by: RC | June 8, 2007 12:46 PM