Posted by
mountain rose on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 6:56:30 AM
The thugs overpowered the manager, the lifeguard, and two armed security guards and chucked them in the pool.
Things only quieted down when the police turned up.
Of course, the residents are calling for more police protection, but are they willing to back up the police who risk their lives to provide security?
It seems to me that the residents of the inner city are quick to gripe when the police get tough with the street thugs that terrorize their neighborhoods, and then they turn around and gripe that there aren't enough officers around when they need them.
It is about time that the people of Watts take responsibility for the deterioration of their own community. After the Watts riots of the 1960s, where thugs burned down businesses in the area, a lot of the local employers moved out of the area, so that residents had to drive elsewhere for work, or even to go to the market.
Somehow, there seems to be an inability to make the connection between the safety of the area and the availability of jobs and shopping.
In the past, the LAPD was able to keep order by getting tough with the local thugs, but then the city started electing officials who were determined to emasculate the police. Also, loud-mouthed activists make a big stink every time a criminal is roughed up, making service in that area less appealing to officers.
Do the residents of Watts really expect to be able to heap abuse on the heads of these public servants, and then have the officers show up to protect them?