I guess this is a rant…
The last few days has changed my outlook on life, but I guess that’s what life is a series of experience that shape who you are. You see I
was raised by a father who decided to get him and his new wife out of a horrible area. My father was raised in downtown L. A.in an area called Aliso
Village early 60’s – 70’s.
So my father a young newly married Hispanic, did what any good husband would, he worked his butt off to better his situation. Eventually moving to
Whittier in the 80’s by this time having me and my brother. Whittier, a nice suburb of L.A. As a side note that is why I am such a big believer in
the “American Dream” My Grandfather was a gardener, His grandsons range from a VP at a Bank, an MIT Grad, and several Business professionals.
So growing up all my experience with Police Officers where pleasant, Whittier P.D. of the time was great. I remember growing up with ZERO fear
of police. However I always had my father telling me to Respect Police, but never trust them. At the time I only had Whittier P.D., those guys?
Don’t trust them? That’s crazy talk.
As I grew up though I began to see that maybe all was not what it seemed with police, examples in the media, Rodney king, etc. Well still
this was not in my life, I never do anything wrong so why would cops bother me.
At the age of 22 I had my first run in with what my father had always hinted about the reason for his distrust, I was picking up my Elderly
Aunt who works in Anaheim at the time. I was in an Infiniti, a young Hispanic with his cousin who was 13 at the time.
Maybe it was the Combination of the type of Car, brand new Infiniti and two Young Hispanics… But like I said earlier, my father got his
family out of L.A. so we could have a chance, and at the time I was in sales making 80K a year. So here I am picking up my aunt, at 9:30pm with my
young cousin, and an Anaheim PD car pulls up behind us and flashes his sirens.
We are ordered out of the car at gun point, I calmly againno fear of cops, tell my cousin to do as they say, and don’t reach for anything. I
turn of the car and we step out, as we are being ordered away from the car again at gun point. I notice my 13 year old cousin is crying and shaking
with fear, SO I Calmly ask the Officers “what is the problem officers?” I am told to shut up and placed in cuffs and sat on the curb, The car is
immediately searched, Despite my questions and protest.
They pull the registration off the window (new car) and check it with my wallet. The whole time I am calm, they check it with my ID in my
wallet and immediate start asking questions like.
“you a drug dealer” “how’d you get this car” Etc.
Again Im concerned but not afraid, I ask what was the reason for being pulled over, at this point My aunt has gotten off work, and as we were
in the parking lot of her Work. She demands to know what is going on.
At this point I am released with my cousin, I am told that me and My 13 year old cousin matched the description of a car that was involved in
a hit and run. I ask for their names and badge numbers, they Laughed and told me.
“have a nice night”
So I write It off as two overzealous cops nothing more, my child hood illusions still intact.
You see My cousin that was with me, his father was not so motivated to get them out of bad areas. At the time he told me thank God my aunt was
there to verify we were there to pick her up. At the time I look at him weird and shrug it off and this is where I start to get to my point.
These cousins I have are funny, they are from my Mothers side of the family, and I have always looked at them as a mirror to my family. When my
older brother was born, my older cousin was as well, and I am only 3 months difference from the other cousin on the same side, and my younger brother
the same with their last child.
The main difference is they grew up in Anaheim with #ty parents, in a #ty area. We always made every effort to have them over as we were all
close growing up due to the nearest in age. AS we grew however I begain to see the effects of the area and lack of parenting.
-Where my older brother Went to MIT, my Older Cousin went to jail.
-Where I entered business and advanced my sales Carrier, My cousin my age went into selling drugs.
-Where my younger Brother went into computers, the younger cousin (who was terrified by the cops
earlier) Had a kid young and dropped out to go support them.
My point is, I like many could only see one side of things, My side, I always wrote my cousins off as Lazy, Stupid, or any other
combinations of that.
Now the reason I mention them relates back to the whole purpose of this rant, You see my younger brother and my younger cousin are very
close, and growing up he would go to his house and hang out with his friends. I would go every now and then, and got to know many of them, hanging out
with them in Anaheim.
It is a completely different world over there than what I was raised in, In that time I met many people that where very good people. Just
in bad situations. (again, I was of the mindset Their fault for never leaving)
One of the people I met there was a nice family, Single parent house, Just the mother doing her best for her kids. Her son Robert, became
friends with my family. When I lost my mother he was a great help and comfort, his family would take in their kids friends in a time of need. I can
recall numerous time going over there house and a kid who had no home would be there.
Robert had a Younger brother, Joel, he was a troubled youth, again as many in that area, HE saw the gang lifestyle as a form of protection.
I remember when my brother would go there while in college I would always tell him to be safe, he usually would grab our cousin and go out, Sometimes
he stayed in Anaheim. Many times at the relative safety that Robert and his family provided. Being older, Robert became a friend of my family.
Well as many of you may have saw there was that near right at Anna and La Palma, and me with my limited experience with Anaheim, and my
NARROW view point, spent much effort in that thread ARGUING FOR THE COPS.
As Robert was one of the people who texted us telling me of the near Riots about to go down at Anna and la palma. I read his reports, and talked to
him, and had come to the conclusion clearly the COPS had been in danger.
You can see my comments at
Cops shoot at Mums, children, release dog on woman holding child.