ALPERN AT LARGE-This Thanksgiving, Angelenos should give themselves credit--we're not perfect here in LA, but at least we appear to have rioting out of our system. Of course, that still didn't stop a few Einstein-types from marching on our local freeways. Happily, however, despite the fury of some and the annoyance of others, no one appears to have suffered the deaths, injuries, or financial devastation we saw during the LA riots of past generations.
One can only hope that Los Angeles has it figured out that rioting can only make things, even very bad things, entirely worse.
America is being split again as to the "two differing versions of the story" in Ferguson. The grand jury assigned to this case was multiracial, and the physical evidence appears consistent with the officer's side of the story. Yet there will remain those who still reject the findings, or who will presume that there is yet another police coverup over the shooting of an unarmed black youth.
There will also be many who adhere to the argument that the monthly, weekly, and daily deaths of black youths in Chicago (LINK: ) are by far a greater problem and threat to black youth than what happened in Ferguson. After all, is black-on-black murder any less horrible than the death of any youth (regardless of who is at fault) that involve the police?
Yet any violence between civilians is an entirely different thing than when the government (specifically the police) is involved.
The police are supposed to know better, and hence the need to racially integrate police forces in Ferguson will serve the need (which we DID see in LA) of lowering crime rates because communities felt more akin and united with their police force...and the perpetual thugs were turned in for long-term exile to the prison to which they so richly earned the right to enjoy long-term residence.
Angelenos have not only enjoyed lower crime rates (with a relatively small police force, based on its population and compared to other large cities) but also greater economic opportunities. It appears that we will NOT see a repeat of the last LA riots, which not only balkanized our City but also played a large--if not the single largest--factor in stopping the Wilshire Subway and other major transportation projects from being constructed for 20-30 years.
More importantly, the lack of violence and crime have established areas particularly hard-hit by the last LA riots--such as Downtown and South LA--from areas of urban neglect to areas of urban renewal. In contrast, it's doubtful that any major investors will want to build new stores and developments in Ferguson, MO any time soon.
So let's be grateful, and more than a little hopeful, that while it's perfectly fine to be outraged by a given event or issue, that rioting or violence makes everything worse (and can even turn the best of arguments into something that's ignored and belittled).
The only complaint I'd throw at Angeleno protestors is that marching on freeways and halting traffic not only endangers the protestors but makes those caught in traffic as kindly disposed towards your cause as New Jersey voters were kindly disposed with Governor Chris Christie when his aides intentionally tied up traffic as a political stunt.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! We are ONE nation!
(Ken Alpern is a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at [email protected] He also does regular commentary on the MarkIsler Radio Show on AM 870, and co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 96
Pub: Nov 28, 2014