December 30, 2011, shots ring out in Oakland. It's almost 9 pm and
Gabriel, who was only 5, was with his family as they tried to earn a living. Earlier
in the month, 2 year old Hiram Lawrence Jr. was also shot to death in Oakland. He
was with his family as they filmed a rap video.
A third boy, 3 year old Carlos Nava, was shot and killed in August. He
was with his mother in Oakland when gang-bangers drove by and shot at rival
gang-bangers. As is often the case, people in gangs rarely hit what they aim
at, and it's the innocent, like Carlos, that end up dead.
The Oakland Police Department has not arrested anyone for the killing
of either Gabriel or Hiram, but I know who did it.
Here's the expanded timeline of events:
1.
Man knocks up woman.
2.
Woman gives birth; man disappears.
3.
Woman attempts to raise child alone, sometimes
turning to drugs and prostitution for assistance.
4.
Child grows up
without father, and mother is either partially there because she has to work
long hours or not there at all (see #3 above).
5.
Child is forced to join gang for self preservation.
Does drugs, commits crimes, and hurts people.
6.
Child becomes adult (or young adult) while still
in gang. While fighting rival gangs or committing armed robbery, man-child
shoots and kills innocent victim.
7.
Before going off to jail for life or being
killed himself by a rival gang or the police, man-child knocks up woman.
Before it gets to the level of shooting and killing, this man-child has
likely committed a series of lesser crimes from vandalism to robbery to selling
drugs. He has been introduced to the OPD in the past and is likely well known by
them. His exploits (read: crimes) are also well known within his gang and are
highly suspected by his family. He has likely bragged about the "dead
presidents" he makes selling dope. He may have videotaped his last strong
arm robbery of an old lady - look, everyone, how tough he is knocking down old
women! - and posted it on YouTube or facebook.
Every time this man-child runs into the OPD, his family and friends
complain loudly to the press about police abuse or racial profiling. "He's
a good kid," they sob for the cameras. "He wasn't doing anything
wrong," says the girlfriend. Of course, this
makes for good ratings on the late-night news shows.
With the press, they turn to public support. They organize a rally and
demand the police leave them alone. The police have rules and laws and,
unfortunately, cannot release this thug's rap sheet for all the world to see. Even
if they could, the family would likely turn this around and say, "That's
why they targeted him." They would also likely claim this man-child had
recently "found Jesus" and was "turning his life around."
All the while still demanding the OPD stay out of their lives. "Leave
us alone." "Quit profiling us." "Stop abusing us." "You're
the man keeping us down!"
But the truth is this man-child is a killer in training. After all,
isn't that why he joined the gang in the first place: kill or be killed? And
the Police know this. Everyone in Oakland knows this. Even the man-child's
friends and parents know this.
So who killed Gabriel and Hiram? Look in the mirror, Oakland. It was
your son, your brother, your nephew, your cousin, your uncle. It's the child
you abandoned, the one picking your pocket as you walk down the street. It's
the boy who just sold you drugs. It's the man-child running from the police;
the one in the street race; hanging out on the corner because he just dropped
out of school.
It's you, Oakland, because you don't hold your sons accountable. Instead
you blame the police. And when the police can't find the actual trigger-man,
it's because he's hiding behind your skirts. Time to "man up"
Oakland. To borrow a line from Smoky The Bear, "Only you can prevent
crime!"
