@syscom3 – if I understand your argument correctly, you believe the ACLU and other Civil Rights organizations have taken away the power of government officials and agencies to correct the problems of street violence in Los Angeles (and I would assume throughout the U.S.). Also, you believe that gangsters are sociopaths and many family members are enablers of this or part-take in culture that promotes this.
Here’s the problem – the government and its agencies (LAPD and so on) seem unable to solve this problem or unwilling to solve it without violating basic rights. In fact, the current solution (high arrest rate, very few other services) does not solve it, but does get a lot of people paid, as groups such as Critical Resistance have documented (I am not part of that group, but have read their material). As long as most of the violence remains here in South Central, they seem to be content with it.
You have to remember, most of this was started by the very agencies that you claim are so eager to end it. I document this is my website, www.southcentralhistory.com. For example, the governments role in bring drugs into South Central has been well documented. Furthermore, violence has constantly been used by the authorities to control this area. For example, the authorities’ solution to the Watts Riots was bringing in the National Guard and killing civilians. The community solution to quell anger was to bring in MLK, who visited Watts soon after the riots (not for a photo opportunity mind you, but to actually talk to the people).
This idea that gangsters are sociopaths is illogical, and reflective of a cognitive dissonance that is wide-spread through-out this country. Today, the U.S. government released figures that said about 700 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year (about as many people as killed in LA County this year). It did not release the number of Afghanis killed. In Iraq, the amount of Iraqi people killed was about 1000 for every 1 soldier (informationclearinghouse.com). I don’t know if it is on that level, but U.S. government is responsible for killing more people each month than even the Grim Sleeper! If you claim these gangsters in the streets are sociopaths, they are only a small reflection of how the U.S. government acts. And in fact, a recent book called American Homicide by Randolph Roth (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/12/opinion/la-oe-rodriguez12-2010apr12) details that the homicide rate is not a reflection of poverty, race, or drug use, but is a reflection of how people feel about their government and the avenues that where they can earn respect (jobs, community institutions, ect.).
You are missing the big picture in this and you will not meet your goal of changing anything by commenting on dead people online. Their family members are not going to change or realize anything while they are in a great emotional state reading your ignorance. In fact, it only reinforces their beliefs. If you want to do something, deal with these people while they are living. I live here in South Central and I teach at Locke High School in South Central, and I have helped students get to college and I have also gone to funerals and seen everything in between. You can come volunteer with the live youth anytime you want, just let me know.
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