Large-scale protests break out in Anaheim after two Latio men were shot, capping off many years of tension between the two disparate populations of Anaheim.
The deaths of two men who were killed in officer-involved shootings in the city of Anaheim, California are sparking nation-wide protests over police brutality toward Latino men.
The LA Times tells the history of the class divide that exists just next door to Disneyland’s “Happiest Place on Earth”:
The shootings of Manuel Angel Diaz, 25, and Joel Acevedo, 21, have laid bare the economic divide between the city’s pockets of glitz and affluence and the less-prosperous Latino neighborhoods, where residents have voiced outrage over police conduct.
That anger has struck a chord from from Oakland to New York, where solidarity protests are planned for Friday and into the weekend. The events are being organized on Facebook and Twitter. Activists are sharing posters for the actions and information on topics including defending against tear gas.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune elaborates upon the protests that have been rocking Anaheim since the killings of the two men, and building on top of a long history of the two widely variant demographics leave “a large segment of the population feeling like second-class citizens.”
Two fatal police shootings last weekend – one of an unarmed man police say was a known gang member- roiled the city and exposed its divisions. Demonstrators took to the streets four nights in a row.
Tuesday’s was the largest and most violent protest, with some of the nearly 600 demonstrators hurling rocks and bottles at police, who made two dozen arrests. About 20 businesses were damaged.
…The city, about 90 percent white in 1970, now has a population that is 53 percent Hispanic.
Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the city, alleging that Anaheim’s at-large elections have weakened Latinos’ voting power. The suit claims only three councilmembers in the city’s history have been Hispanic. Most of the City Council currently hails from the city’s upscale neighborhoods to the east.
“So much attention has been paid to building up the resort district and somehow those resources would trickle down to the rest of the city and we’re just not seeing it,” said Jose Moreno, president of Los Amigos of Orange County and a plaintiff in the lawsuit. “A lot of us are saying enough is enough and this police shooting is really just emblematic of something more systemic in the politics of the city.”
The mother of one of them who who was shot, however, condemns the violent protests in her son’s name. The Washington Post quotes grief-stricken mother, Genevieve Huizar:
“I watched as my son took his last breath. I watched as his heart stopped beating for the last time,” Genevieve Huizar said, breaking into sobs. “Please, please, please stop the violence. It’s not going to bring my son back, and this is the worst thing any mother could go through.”
What do you think of the nationwide show of solidarity for Anaheim’s Latino population?
How do you think racial and socioeconomic tensions can best be healed when the community believes police brutality is an issue?
Will you attend any of the protests this weekend? What can be done to keep more blood from being shed?
Lead photo of Genevieve Huizar: AP/Damian Dovarganes
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So, te editors are asking how socioeconomic tensions can be healed when police brutality becomes an issue.
I guess that means these shootings were completely unjustified and the victims weren’t known gang members or anything, and certainly they didn’t both already have criminal records.
Oh wait…nope,they were both gang members with criminal records, and the protest is based on allegations made by one of the victims’ families. (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/us/after-night-of-protest-and-arrests-anaheim-vows-to-crack-down.html?_r=1) Welp, let’s go ahead and side with the grieving mother without really knowing anything about how two gang members with criminal records wound up getting shot.
You know what, Mike L, the Anaheim police and the Latino population have been clashing for longer than just the last week. This isn’t a singular problem, but the killings of these men just set off a powder keg.
And for the record, the mother that I quoted is actually begging the people who are protesting/rioting to stop.
Even if someone has a criminal record, and may have been gang members, that doesn’t mean that the shooting was necessarily justified.
We don’t make any claim here about whether the shooting was justified or not, we merely say that for this community, police brutality is an issue. Whether it’s because of incidents in the past, or this issue, this community is at odds with a police force whom they don’t trust.
You want to say “Welp” about a mother who’s son was killed, and whose community is a battleground right now? You want to say “Welp” at a group of people who are among the most disenfranchised in this nation?
Go for it. Anyone else have any opinions about Mike L saying “Welp” here, about this situation?
So…you’re not even going to try and justify your characterization of the police actions as “brutality”?
That’s what earned you the “Welp.”
Maybe you have so little respect for the men and women who protect our communities as to classify all of their actions as “brutality,” but I know the vast majority of police officers to be honorable people who do the right thing more often than most of us would.
If you want to make pretend that any shooting of gang members with criminal records is automatically “brutality” then go ahead, but don’t expect others to be drawn in by your delusion.
Listen, I’m a HUGE fan of police officers. HUGE.
However, we must not forget that this nation is absolutely PLAGUED with examples of police brutality against men of color, in particular. You drive Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Barbara to San Diego and see who gets pulled over… An unbelievable proportion of them are Latino men. This has been brewing. That doesn’t mean ANY riots or violence are EVER justified. It just means that it is a complicated issue and needs further examination. Sun, here, disagrees with the riots and expressed it clearly, without shaming anyone (me or other editors) or the rioters or those who’ve been victims of police brutality.
Thank you for that, Sun. For your clear opinion expressed respectfully. I may disagree in some ways, but I really respect the way you’ve presented the argument.
What you don’t seem to be seeing is that the use of the word “brutality” is, in and of itself, a shaming.
You shame the police and then claim that it’s wrong to shame people.
Strawman.
I do not feel it is a strawman because the piece above juxtaposed comments about the shooting with a line about “police brutality getting in the way.”
Comparing two ideas in such a manner is incredibly powerful and often results in the audience drawing a specific conclusion.
The saddest example of this that I ever saw was during my first year as an undergraduate. One night, a girl in my dorm, just 5 doors down the hallway, passed away in her sleep. An autopsy showed later that she had a previously undetected heart defect. This was, I hope you can imagine, incredibly shocking to a group of 18 year olds who had just lost one of their own seemingly without explanation: how often do you hear about an 18 year old dying in her sleep?
When the school paper reported on the story, prior to the autopsy results being available, they decided to run her picture along, a line about how her death was unexplained, and then a long rambling discussion about recent campus suicides.
Two years later many people still thought that she had killed herself. The article never claimed she did, and the evidence proved that she did not, but by coupling the reporting of her death with a discussion of campus suicides, the idea took root and was never really stamped out.
It is difficult to see this piece as any different. We are told that there were two shootings, the details of the shootings are omitted, and then there is a prompt to discuss police brutality. Is no one going to draw the conclusion that these shootings were police brutality? Could we really blame someone for drawing that conclusion?
“What do you think of the nationwide show of solidarity for Anaheim’s Latino population?”
It shows that multiculturalism is a complete failure. It shows the emergence of two “nations” within California. It shows demographic change that will yield a future very different then the Utopia projected. It shows a racial solidarity that is surprisingly accepted by even Liberals, as long as the person is not European, with the an apologetic argument justifying its existence based upon class struggle and oppression rhetoric.
I live in California (San Francisco) and I don’t believe what you are claiming to be true.
Multiculturalism can work, and does work, and I see this in my every day life.
If anything, this is a barrier to the growth of multiculturalism, not demonstration of its failure.
I live in California as well (LA area).
This is in California, not to mention Anaheim, of all places.
If Multiculturalism can work anywhere it should be here, not like some rural town in the redneck South. Yet, Latinos are showing solidarity based upon race. Not only in Anahiem, but according to the paper, across the entire country. I don’t call that a barrier.
It doesn’t work.
Two different cultures will have different values, languages, belief systems, ideology, etc. It takes the ability to supersede your own culture to have some sort of compatibility. That takes a certain level of intelligence and humility. People who are tribalistic tend to be of lower intelligence. People who have humility, understand that they may not know or understand everything, and so seek out differences that may add to their understanding of the world. But intelligence isn’t what makes a group survive. Tribalism and collectivism can be said to have more survival advantages.
A society where a group is more tribalistic in nature will be able to get more down and assert themselves more willingly than an a group comprised of individuals who are not bound by anything. You are about to see that here, in the aftermath of such of display of “Latino solidarity.”
At the same time not all cultures are equal and those who endorse cultural relativism simply haven’t been to other parts of the world. They usually believe in it due to wanting to sound enlightened.
It is great to learn about other cultures and explore/meet people different then yourself. However, when it comes too having two cultures and groups of people problems will arise naturally due to their conflicting nature.
Even Liberals and Conservatives are two different “cultures” if you think about it. Something that is rarely thought about by either camp. What is interesting is although Liberals love other cultures, believing in that no culture/person/group has all the understanding and wisdom in the world, Liberals will still engage heavily in tribalism when it is against “the conservatives (and vice versa).” Notice the generalizations.
There is a certain level of being able to resolve differences peacefully. But more likely then not, differences are often resolved violently. The more differences, the more problems will arise.
I actually agree with Mike here about multiculturalism. I live in LA, too and have seen many communities here integrate cultures really well.
Is it tough? Yeah. And not only do liberals/conservatives have different cultures, even families do. Ask anyone who struggles with their in-laws.
However, empathy is usually the first step to overcoming those problems with differences.
I STRONGLY disagree about any culture being “better” than others. I’m not even going to debate that, however, as it’s off topic here and VERY STRONGLY borders on racism. To say that cultures that are more “Tribal” aren’t as intelligent is simple ignorance and not founded in any science whatsoever.
I was going to modify your comment to remove that part, but I will leave it in with the caveat that no more discussion over the intelligence of one race/culture over another ends here.
I’m gonna have to be careful here because this is a topic that is near and dear to me on several levels. But before I go into my rant I have to say that no police officer is perfect, that things happen that shouldn’t but they do. I have a close friend who is on the gang unit in the city of Chicago so perhaps my view may be somewhat tainted. But then again, I deal with gang bangers and their families on a daily basis so perhaps my views may also be balanced.
As a counselor, the only time I’ve needed counseling was 5 years ago when one of my clients, two weeks after his successful discharge from treatment was shot ON his 16th birthday. He was riding his bike and a rival gang shot him in the head. This is a young man who once came to me after attending a championship softball game in Springfield Illinois and said, “Tom B, I have never had so much fun in my life.” He was a known gang member but wanted out of his gang … even knowing that he would have to be “beaten out” of his gang, he truly wanted a different life.
When I and other staff went to his wake, I couldn’t help but openly cry when I saw the medals he’d received for various sports events while in treatment. The “God box” he and I built was nestled in the floral bouquets next to his casket. His mom came to me and consoled me.
By early afternoon, my mood changed from sorrow to rage. When I observed countless gang members walking into the funeral home wearing t-shirts with R.I.P, his date of death and a picture of him. It took every fiber of my body, every skill I’ve learned through the years to not be stupid enough to go up to those morons and tell them point blank “YOU killed him.” I came close because one of my co-workers pulled me aside and said he knew what I was thinking and to let it go. Obviously, it may have appeared that none of his fellow gang members shot him but word has it that one of them may have because he wanted out of his gang. No one ever found out, no one was ever charged.
So we take the allegation that a couple of police officers may have unjustly killed known gang members with known criminal records and start a nationwide campaign and marches? Let’s ignore the real truth and facts about what’s happening on the streets? Where are the marches to take back the neighborhoods? Who is fighting for the hard working good people in these neighborhoods that live in fear every day of the week? Where are people holding parents accountable for allowing their kids to go in a direction of impending death? Where are the so called community leaders in all of this? Many are out there condemning law enforcement.
As I said, a friend of mine is on the gang unit in the city of Chicago. Every time I hear that an officer’s been shot, I call his wife praying that it wasn’t him. Her response is often, “I don’t know Tom, I haven’t heard anything yet.” Imagine living in that constant fear? Imagine reading an article about someone who is like your husband, that puts his life on the line every day of the week, is one who main stream media wants to show as a corrupt cop?
I know all about different cultures, in particular the Mexican culture. I’m married to a Mexican, was raised amidst the Latin Kings and the Black P Stone Nation (BPS). I lived off 23rd street on the west side. 22nd street was the dividing line between the Kings and the BPS. And I can tell ya, back in the 60’s and 70’s, the gangs, as bad as they were, weren’t nearly as bad as they are today.
There was been mention of profiling in one of the responses. Hello? There is no such thing in the middle of gang ridden neighborhoods. Suspicious activity, behavior warrants investigation.
Last week I was subpoenaed to testify against a client who was discharged because of threats toward staff. A known gang member who happens to live within block of where I grew up. I have to tell ya, had I not been subpoenaed, I wouldn’t have gone. If you could have seen his face when I and two other staff walked into the court room, you’d be put off as well. Now, if this guy was walking around my neighborhood, I hope to hell someone stops him. Pro-file away … please. This guy also stole letters from his caucasian room mate so that he could threaten him and his family.
So let’s get real here, okay. There are times when things are necessary. Just as I wished they had pro-files a man walking the streets of a neighboring suburb. The guy murdered a 16 year old who had walked in on her house being robbed. My son-in-law was first responder and he still has nightmares of the horrendous seen in the house.
Sorry for my long rant
Tom,
I think this rant of yours is really interesting, thank you for sharing it.
I think the issue of whether it’s more okay to shoot someone who has a criminal record is a tough one because of the young man you mentioned whose heartbreaking story exemplifies just how much we don’t know about any particular person. That young man you mentioned had a criminal record and was a gang member, right? So if police shot him for reaching for holding something in his hand that looked like a gun or for any other reason than he was threatening the life of an officer or civilian, you would be enraged, because you knew the truth about that boy. But the media may say he was a “known gang member with a criminal record”.
I just don’t want to assume that we know everything there is to know about the two men here. I don’t assume police brutality in that community, however, I do not assume there isn’t police brutality. I know the gangs are HORRIBLE.It’s devastating. But it seems like whatever is happening in Anaheim simply hasn’t been working. The gangs there do need to be broken up and the community needs to be protected. But it seems like nothing’s working right and that’s when riots like this happen.
It is, ultimately, going to be up to the officers to prove that they were justified to kill both men in those shootings. But it is going to be up to that community to prevent further blood from being shed in those protests. But it seems the protests are necessary in order to bring national attention to the situation in Anaheim. I’m certain everyone wishes the protests had been peaceful, and I’m 100% against the violence in the protests, but regardless of where you stand, the situation is bad and it needs repairing.
Thanks Joanna. I guess a word to the wise is that when a police officer tells ya to stop and drop, then it’s a good idea to do so. Even a regular traffic stop, if the officer tells me to do something, ohhh yeah, I’m gonna do it. I watch the TV show COPS and I shake my head thinking “what on earth are they thinking?”
After their investigation, in the event it’s found that the officers acted poorly, I’m sure/hope they’ll get what’s warrented.
I firmly believe that multiculturalism can and does work. An area just west of Chicago, Oak Park is a prime example and has been studied by other communities for their success.
What happen to desegregations? Growing up when I did, it was something that was very much promoted. It seems we ended up going in the wrong direction. Chicago is one of the most segregated cities I know of. But even with its segregation, it’s sad that people are afraid of going into different neighborhoods in fear of being harmed. My wife and I still go back to the old neighborhood and buy the “fixens” for Mexican dinners. (I am a much better Mexican cook then my wife – my late mother-in-law said so). Maybe because I grew up there, It doesn’t scare me. It’s sad because some of the greatest Mexican restaurants are in that neighborhood. Chicago is LOADED with different cultures.
I wish I knew what it will take to turn things around.