Schooling ..or lack of..

I’ve been reading in the LA Times recently all about the schools and number of drop outs, especially Hispanic and Black kids.

My opinions are that the teachers are under paid and the schools do not receive enough money by any means.

My uncle and Sister are teachers and a friend of mine as well and there where huge cut backs in the last few years.

I believe that the money of the state is not going where it needs to and that there is enough sitting around for a project when they want it but not when we need it for things like more teachers, class rooms teaching materials, LAPD Officers or any of the sorts.

I would even vote for the mayor who raised a ton of money for his campaign and then took it all and put it to a good cause instead of to selling himself and making commercials on TV.

I agree that some school are better than others and that this unfair, though I have to point out that my two sisters go to a school in a very rich neighborhood and yet they still don’t receive anything near what they should as far as schooling, materials, time and attention.
BUT, our drop out problem can’t be blamed entirely on money and large classes.

College classes are VERY large most times. Often you will see 600 students at a time in one class. Does this mean they are to drop out? Nope.
Most college professors do not know all of their student’s names; do the students lose out because of this? Well, they at least don’t drop out because of it.
I don’t’ think that forty students for six months would be too hard to learn names as one teacher mentioned in her letter to the LA Times.
I have almost a hundred people in my office and learned them by name in a week and I am not facing them at the head of a class looking at their faces and reading their names off of papers as I grade them every day.

I also believe that not enough parents care, try or work with their children enough. They don’t sit down at the table and help them with their home work or take them on visits to the library enough, no, many of these drop outs come families full of gangs, violence and drugs as well and they play with other kids in the streets and get into trouble instead of at home doing homework.

I believe that the parents don’t expect enough from their child, yes, that little bit of pushing is a good thing and needed. Teaching kids to be responsible is another.

I believe that by the time a kid enters high school they are old enough to have started learning responsibility and not use the excuse of where they live, what school they go to or crowded rooms and even lazy parents get in the way of working towards their education. Even at the young age of 13 a kid is at a point of thing for himself and can think, “ What do I want to do with my life?” and then “ What do I need to do to get there?”

Other questions to ask themselves are “ Do I want to be a drug dealer and live that life? Or end up in and out of jail?”

This should even be the type of questions used in schools to get kids to think about this stuff.

At the age of 13 I knew what I wanted to do with my life and I worked hard to get there. At twenty three I’m still working but am at a good point when, with the way I was raised, I could have become what I was set up to do, be pregnant with my third child by now and on drugs as well as in an abusive relationship and no education.

I used my parents as an example …to do the opposite of what they did. My brother says he is the way he is because of them and has done drugs and been in and out of jail already at the age of twenty-one. Two people who grew up in the same exact life but decided to walk different paths as soon as they where old enough to choose them.

By the age of thirteen a child is old enough to make a choice for themselves and there are right and wrong choices. Yes, mistakes can be made along the way as is life but learn from them.
Teenagers must also be held responsible for the life they choose or for dropping out of school; they are old enough to take on the responsibility to stay in school. This teaches responsibility later when working a job or career.

I believe that help is a good thing for them and good guidance and role models but we are not all lucky enough for them,as I was not, and must make due with what we have…and inside we know that we can make it better. Everyone has at one point in their life, a dream or idea of what they would like to be when they grow up....the thing is know that you can make that happen.

There are many ways to fix the drop out rate, which would then fix the crime rate, death rate, and pregnancy rate as well as drug rate and so on among teenagers.

1.Better schools and material.
2.Teachers that after six months of looking at forty faces every day and seeing their names on paper know their students. There’s no excuse not to.
3.School’s who don’t let the students pass after they have failed the tests that are taken to see if they are allowed or ready to pass or not.
4.Parents who take the time and responsibility to spend an hour a day at the kitchen table with their child helping or making sure they do homework.
5.Parents who call their teachers on occasion to see how their child is doing.
6.Teachers who call the parents when a child is truant or absent.
7.Fines or community service and even probation or SOMETHING for truancy and skipping school as well as dropping out. Make these kids have some responsibility, I mean, if they are old enough to sell drugs, steal cars and get pregnant then they are old enough to keep themselves going through school.
8.And much more. Feel free to post your ideas for these kids as well.

Yes the city schools and tax payers money should be handled better and something done on that end but also, parents should do more and kids should takle charge of their own lives as well...they are old enough to stop laying the excuses on others.

A Greener LA...

Thanks to an anonymous commenter to my last post for reccomending this website . There is a ton of helpful information , especially if you are a homeowner in LA.

Below is one article from that site that I'd like to share with you...

Trees for a Green LA

FREE Residential Shade Trees
LADWP has made it simple for Los Angeles City residents to receive FREE shade trees through the Trees for a Green LA program (TFGLA). Follow these simple steps to enjoy the benefits of cool natural shade, energy efficiency, and clean air:
1. Participate in an online or neighborhood workshop
2. Submit your completed tree order and site plan
3. LADWP will deliver the trees to your home; you then plant and care for them.
Note: You must be an electric customer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to receive free trees.
Workshop Options
To receive your FREE trees, you must first learn how to properly plan for, plant, and protect your new trees through one of our workshops. You may either complete the workshop online or personally attend a workshop located close to your neighborhood. Please select an option below:
Online Workshop(Approximately 20 minutes)
Neighborhood Workshop(1 hour presentation/assistance)
Contact Us
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call 1-800-GreenLA (800-473-3652) and select Trees for a Green LA or email us at Tree.Program@ladwp.com.

Doing our part for our environment...

Hey LA,

I am learning to do more for my community and environment and wondering about your ideas, plan and tip's?

If you have an organization that you would like to post or tips. Information/etc please email me!

I would be interested in anything to help our environment, any charity or volunteer organizations and also any marathons/walk-a-thon’s/etc for any cures or purposes.

I’d even like to post your thoughts and idea’s about things we can do for our environment as well or what you would like to see done.

Environment issue of the week.

California’s drinking water.

I am constantly searching for more information and learning about my environment and what I can do to keep it safe and healthy for me and my future.

I eat organically and take public transportation or walk most of the time. I eat wild caught fish and seafood, not farmed, which contaminates our water.

I recycle and use organic and earth safe cleaning supplies.

And each day I do more towards living a healthy life on a healthy earth.

Share some of your tips and what you do for the environment.

Here’s a website that will give you the water grade for Los Angeles

www.environmentcalifornia.org

Some great informationa and acts about our california waters.

For water I: Try not to run the water when doing dishes
I only use the dish washer when completely full
I try not to run the water when brushing my teeth,etc.
I use organic and earth friendly cleaning supplies.

I eat 90% organic foods so I am not eating foods from farmers that send toxins into our earth and waters.

I’m guilty of : Long showers.

I only drink Fiji or Evian bottled water.

Stress on a cop/marriage/life.

This year my husband and I learned of his high blood pressure. He works out and is very fit and his diet is perfect so it came to looking at the stress. Stress on the job cannot be changed but stress at home can (to a point).


So early in our marriage we learned that the bickering and fighting about the little things needed to stop, after some trial and error. We are still learning but it’s happening.
In a home there will always be some annoyance between two people in close quarters or things that need to be done that the husband hears as “nagging” but there are good and bad ways about getting things said or handling situations.


I surprised my husband with our patio being turned into a calming place in our home this past weekend and after learning of his blood pressure issue we where scared into learning better ways to deal with things (like things we would possibly not agree on).


There will always be stress in our lives. His job as an LAPD Officer working the mean gang infested streets of LA. Mine in the cutthroat corporate word.
LA traffic and commuting is enough to raise the blood pressure in people and hell, now it’s tax time folks.
Eventually there will be children and financial and other issues to stress about as well.


One thing that is important to us is learning how to deal with stress now to prepare ourselves for added stress later.


We help each other as well as ourselves. We make our home as stress free as possible.
I set up the patio which actually ahs had the most calming effects on myself while eating breakfast out there in the mornings. It’s like I am reminded to slow down and take a breath.
My husband ordered a bunch of CD’s for meditating and calming music and sound as well as even color meditation CD’s that are played on the TV. There’s reading and working out and stretching more to loosen tight muscles and relieve head aches.


There’s scheduling the chores, grocery shopping, cooking in ways to cut down time and work.


The way we decorate our home in earth tones, calming colors and calming artwork.


We have even learned to turn the computer off more often when at home (lately my poor husband has had many battles with anything electronic in our home, crashing computers, gadgets that aren’t working properly, etc) this can be very frustrating.


X-box even comes in handy with my hubby (doesn’t have the same effect on me though as much as he has tried to convince me) and he plays in the afternoon on days off or at night so this also doesn’t interfere with our time together.


There’s “ I need my own time” times where we have learned to read each other’s body language or even tell one another. I’ll plop down on the couch with a book or head to the park…or shopping, horseback riding, working out on our own etc.


I have my own full time work and hobbies and hiking is one of them as well which is a calming work out and gets me out of my ruts and the gym or house.


One of my husband’s hobbies is comic book collecting and reading. Even I take my lunch break during the week at work and head towards the comic’s pages of the LA Times.


I take 3 hours of public transportation each day (including waits in between connections) and I take that time to read and study. By the time I reach home in the evening I have often been summerset in a story long enough to start unwinding.


My husband also gives great massages and has very strong hands. I have built the strength in my own hands as well to return some good rubbing to his sore muscles.


The effect’s of stress on a persons physical and mental health are being studied more and more and many articles have been done on the effects of stress as well as many magazines are out there with their covers splashed and pages full of ways and tips to de-stress or manage stress or save time or make time, etc.


Obviously the ways of our life styles and its effects on our body’s and minds are beginning to be recognized.


This should mean something to us. So I jump on the bandwagon have a less stressful life and de-stressing and managing stress.
It can’t hurt at least.

There will be times that are more stressful than others and
stress is un-avoidable, in these times the learning on how to DEAL with stress or DE-Stress steps in.


In my new marriage I am learning something new each day. Less stress or learning how to release it is also helpful not only on my mind and body but on my family, marriage, friendships and happiness in life.

If you would like to share your secrets of stress handling feel free to share!

Surprise for my husband...

Awww. Love is in the air…ok, after six months of marriage I still make people sick with our “puppy love” stuff.

We always joked that through our dating period we made about five people throw up all the time.



We are not incredibly publicly affectionate; the tongue's down each other’s throats are for teenage years gone by.



But there are simple holding of hands and looks across the table or room as well as our “hand shake” that made a waitress gush with how cute we where as well as the family at our wedding rehearsal burst out laughing.



This past weekend, Easter weekend my hubby had to work. That actually as not a bad thing since I have been planning a surprise for him since January and I finally became ready to pull it all off but needed a weekend where he worked both days for the time and setup.
So since his recent birthday this March he has known that I had something up my sleeve but not a clue as to what it was. I have had much fun building anticipation of this surprise in the last couple of weeks…. though he calls this torture instead of anticipation building…Tomato, Tomotoe ….



He was finally convinced that I would announce that I was pregnant or surprise him with a dog.
Now a dog is something I want even more than him but due to lack of time it’s not in the picture right now.



A friend was told of this up-coming surprise and asked “ is it smaller than a breadbox now but going to be bigger in eighteen years?” To this I said would be bigger from the beginning and not grow in size…so, no not pregnant and not trying and not planning to be for about five years yet.



Saturday (actually Sunday at 3:am) I was woken up by my hubby with a half a dozen red roses. Thankfully getting flowers from my husband is a gift that happens often and not a reason to ask “ What did you do wrong?”.
When he gave them to me I thought that somehow he had found out what my surprise was. But, no he had not. Of course he decided to hunt through the house to find out after the torture I was giving him and I thankfully got him to stop before he looked in my hiding places.


Yes, I know what your thinking ladies “ men are such little boy’s”.


Ok, so my weekend was so busy and as I had not realized until late that this was Easter weekend (somehow it had slipped my mind and with family far away I’m not always kept up to date on Holiday events anymore) and as my husband was working I spent the whole weekend preparing for his surprise.
I don’t have a car, actually my husband still has the one he entered marriage with but I don’t drive it and I take public transportation. The only reason I don’t drive this car is because it’s about on it’s last leg and it would be just my luck that when I do it decides to breath it’s last breath and I would forever have to hear about it from my husband on how long it lasted for him and how great it ran for him and how my crazy way of driving killed it.
I will drive the new one soon. This will more than likely give my my husband a heart attack and the calming effect's of our home will go to waste!



But I take public transportation now and so I have my little cart and at times when I have a large project like this and don’t want hubby to drive me to the store it can be difficult but not impossible.



I ended up over the whole weekend going back and forth to Target, Lowe’s and Ikea as they where the places I needed to go and thankfully open all weekend (except Target but I finished with them on Saturday) and a few other places.
I made 7 trips back and forth between these places and home over the course of two days. Entering and exiting the bus with the drivers either giving very annoyed looks or laughing as I struggled with a cart full of supplies.



Sunday after my husband had left for work my living room floor was covered in plants and flowers and our apartment looked as if it had exploded.



Here was my project: Decorating and furnishing my apartments very empty patio which is quite private and secluded as well as stone walled instead of iron bars.
It’s small but with plenty of planning I managed to do quite a bit to turn our patio into a secluded refuge away from the outside world.



Something my husband and I find important and strive for is as little stress at home as possible, along with that a place to relax and de-stress besides just a place that doesn’t build stress.
We try to decorate (six months together so still working on it) our apartment in earth tones and calming effects and art.
We meditate and work out and play soft classical music in surround sound.



With the recent discovery of my husband’s high blood pressure due to stress on the job as an LAPD Officer I decided in January to take it one step further.



I had read how living in the city is more stressful and that seeing just one tree out your window can have a major calming and lowering of the blood pressure effect.
My husband and I had planned on doing a little something to the patio eventually and lately (it took everything I had so that he didn’t start buying stuff for the patio recently) he had been mentioning constantly to start getting some chairs and stuff out there. He even ordered bamboo wind chimes. Of course he later said he thought I was being a bitchy and hormonal wife when trying to talk him into waiting to get anything for the patio (I was claiming that we should wait and do the bedroom first, etc).



So as a gift I wanted to surprise him with a completely changed patio. I even did before and after pictures for the family who knew of my secret.
I couldn’t buy stuff ahead and hide it for too long without it being found so I did the searching for what I wanted and the price checking, etc and made my plan, then had to survive much rain as well and then wait for a weekend that he worked both days.



I bought everything Saturday and Sunday and hid it as best I could, live plants where the last thing to buy so I didn’t have to hide them in a dark closet.



I worked through Sunday night putting it all together and it turned out great!



He woke me up at 3:am and thanked me, also joking how his half a dozen roses paled in comparison.



I even had breakfast sitting out there even though the rain was softly falling. The patio stayed dry though.



So now we have our small garden area to sit and read or enjoy a meal and conversation together. Looking outside the glass sliding doors you see flowers and plants and the calming colors of green and the browns of bamboo instead of noticing the building across the way. (Though partially we do have a good view and a great sunset).



I have added another section to our calming home, a little oasis of our own.



He, of course, enjoyed it much as we great minds think alike. Though he joked “ I wanted to do something with the patio but all I would have ended up doing is buy some chairs).



It’s a small space but now a whole other room and a place of enjoyment. I learned of small gardens in New York City/ Manhattan in my time there and have always remembered how calming it was to step into these tiny gardens in the middle of the city and right off the street but how far away you roamed mentally inside of them.



Now I’ve made our own place in our city life.



Surprise Dear Husband.


Love,Your Wife.

A war in our city of Angels...

Sadly the news that has filled the LA Times is that of a young girl whom, as she was leaving school, did a passing gang member shoot in the head.

She now lays in a coma with little hope and yet her aunts cling to the thoughts and hopes of miracles, I pray that they get one.

This also brings up the fact of the growing concern of gang’s in Los Angeles. This past weekend I heard from my husband, was a war zone with 7 shootings in 3 days in his division alone.
The war between the Hispanic and Black gangs are going strong and fueled by the fire of young un-educated men who don’t think about their consequences of their actions. Caught in the cross fire a young woman, just getting out of school for the day, working for her education and her aunt waiting to pick her up who ran to cradle her bloody niece in her arms before paramedics arrived.

Now that girl lie’s in a coma, a bullet through her brain...

A beautiful young girl...

Broken ...

And her family weeps.

The girl’s aunt says she forgives the gang member for he does not understand what he has done. I say I would forgive but if only he cared. He doesn’t.

A recent LA Times quote read “ The Black and Hispanic gangs are killing each other fast than we can do anything about it” but on the way to their own hell young innocent girls fall victim.

Our Police Officers are now not the only ones to fear gang’s, as they pull them over and risk their lives dealing with these guy’s every day but now our young children, students leading a regular life must fear them too and die.

Al- Quida terrorists are recruiting gangs such as MS-13 now as well and we are beginning to have more to fear than stray bullets from these un-educated, gun wielding young men who choose the life of crime, drugs and killing. We have to worry about homeland security as well. These terrorists are contacting gang member because they are the same breed. Hateful men who have no cares and worry nothing about consequences and death. Who will kill a young girl or a child without remorse because they where in the way of the bullets intended for young men of a rival gang.

These men who should be friends and students together instead are enemy’s and kill each other and along the way a few innocent bystanders.

These gang members have no heart; no soul and the terrorists know this as they share that same similarity. They will kill and not worry about being killed and don’t care who they kill either.

Los Angeles Alone has over 80,000 gang members (known) and 100,000 in the LA prisons and that is just here, if the terrorists manage to recruit these gang members then we have that many terrorists in our home land.

Even without that fact we still have these gangs and they are themselves terrorists of their own cities. Our city of Angels is more like the city of Hell.
Kids are not safe because we have gangs killing them, shooting (un-educated in that even as their style is sure to mean stray bullets) dealing drugs and not caring if they die before they are twenty-one.

They are the same as the suicide bombers over-sees; they don’t care if they lose their life in the process of killing others.

Similarity’s between terrorists and American gang members

They don’t care about killing innocent people or themselves in the process of killing those they intend to.

They fight for a reason even they do not understand or can explain.

They are a disorganized but dangerous group.

They often die young, killed by themselves, their own or a rival.

They kill children.

On this site are some quotes from gang members or past gang members…

The kind of things we do in a gang is mostly fighting. We fight against other gangs to show pride for our own gang, but in reality, we don’t even know what we’re fighting for. And by the time we realize this, it’s too late.



You asked if the gang life is fun. At first when you’re doing what you want it could be. But it’s easy to forget that there’s a price to be paid for the things you do. Yeah you hang out, but at the age of 15, my little brother was killed. I have about 15 of my homeboys who are doing life in prison as well as me. I’m doing 32 years to life. I’m only 28 years old and I’ll never get out. And about 10 of my homeboys have been killed. I started going to jail when I was 13 years old. Does this life sound fun to you? The fun is for a minute but it costs a lifetime of pain.




One of the best ways to find out if your son is in a gang is to look at who he hangs out with. His friends tell a lot about who he is and what he's involved in.
Kids are good at hiding things from their parents. They put out the image they believe their parents want to see, and a lot of times, as parents we don't want to believe the truth.
Don't think for a minute that your kid is any different than his friends because the biggest influence over your kid will be his friends. And if your kid's friends don't meet your standards, then as a parent, you should do everything in your power to end those friendships, because your kid's life and/or freedom are at stake.
Life in gangs has appeal for many people. A sense of belonging to something, ideas that you have the protection of may others, and with many, the easy solution as far as some money by either selling drugs, doing other crimes, or being taken care of with what you need by the other members of the gang. These are big attractions that seem great.
No one thinks about doing things for other people and being used to carry out their personal ideas, going to prison, getting hurt or killed, or getting your family hurt or killed. These things happen almost all of the time to people who get in gangs. The only thing is that with some, it takes a lot longer to happen. Many look at the one guy who is head of a gang with plenty of friends and money. Eventually, the same thing usually happens to him. Even when it doesn’t, he needs to be constantly aware that someone might try to do something to him and his family and friends because of his position. If there is one person that lives to an old age peacefully without spending a day in jail but is in a gang, there is a much better chance of hitting the lottery for a multimillion dollar pay off than being him.
Girls and women involve with guys in gangs are no better off. The guy you are with may have a disagreement with someone. If he cannot be gotten to because he is aware and on guard, his wife or girlfriend and children might be a target. When a female gets involved with a guy in a gang, she immediately gets all the bad things the guy might be in for. Being a target is one of those things. The bad part here is that while the guy might know, he may never tell the woman, or not even think something can happen to her. The same things happen when women just do a guy a favor, like giving another guy a place to sleep for a night, and drive him somewhere to deliver a car to someone. The guy you give a place to stay as a favor might have just escaped from prison; the car you drop off might have drugs, guns, or a body in it. Explanations to the police that you knew nothing about what was going on never go over good, and get women one-way tickets to prison.
Remember that when you get involved with a guy in a gang, you sign on for a relationship with the gang and everything that the guy has coming to him, even when you do not know what it is. Finding out about what you get later, is just about impossible to get out of. The bottom line is to ask yourself, is a relationship worth all of the other baggage you get from it somewhere down the line, maybe even years later.
I hope you remember to think before you act and know all the pitfalls of what you might get later. I hope you make the right choices while the options remain open to you.



I do wonder if that boy who shot Deliesh Allen visited her in the hospital and spent an hour with her aunts , if he would feel remorse, just a tiny bit of a soul.

Organic living in Los Angeles.

Why organic?
Here are links to a few websites to check out which list multiple reasons for organic living.
www.sagecreeknaturals.com/pesticide_facts.htm
www.alotoforganics.co.uk/help/facts.php

www.ccof.org/aboutorganic.php

A great magazine to read is found in stores such as Barns and Noble and at: www.organicstyle.com.
Organic living is getting bigger and bigger. We have stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods market popping up and working hard to keep prices low. In fact, I shop at Trader Joes and spend a ton less than I would at any regular grocer like Ralph’s. But even Ralph’s among other stores have organic aisles now too. (Though usually much cheaper at Trader Joes).

Finding organic foods as well as cleaning supplies is as easy as finding regular products now and even clothes can easily be found (Organic Style Magazine is a great place for this).
There are restaurants that are strictly organic in LA.
If you pull up a search for organic foods on google.com you will find about 11,100,000 hits.
Advice on eating organic is showing up in more and more places, Oxygen magazine among others mention organic eating and Paul Chek’s books mention it as well. There are cookbooks advising Organic this or organic that.
So why the organic life then?
Well, pesticides used on our fruits and vegetables. Hormones and antibiotics used in our meats.
Cleaner air, cleaner water, cleaner land. Holes in the ozone, destroyed water on earth, destroyed land , destroyed ozone layer. Our children’s health ,cancer. Etc.

Need I say more?

Cancer has been on a rise for many years and is also being linked to food more than ever and our way of living. Putting unhealthy pesticides in our bodies just might have a something to do with that.

Tip:

Natural and organic are not interchangeable. Other truthful claims, such as free-range, hormone-free, and natural, can still appear on food labels. However, don't confuse these terms with "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting USDA organic standards.

Interested in Each Other's Health.

My husband and I both have about a forest worth of magazine subscriptions (we recycle) and we read even more online.

Many of my own magazines are health and fitness as well as organic and the majority is geared towards woman. But in these magazines I often read articles on health for woman BEFORE pregnancy, which is important to me, as well as during and after.

I read questions to doctors that women are afraid to ask their own doc in person and in this I find out a lot of information.

I read how to eat better and healthier and work out right and how to clean my house organically as well as in quick time and live a healthy life. I have even read and found recourses for building an organic house.

My husband’s magazines are geared toward men and men’s health and fitness.I read his magazines and learn about things that help keep my husband healthy and I am made aware of men’s health problems that I would otherwise not know of.

I read how to cook things for my husband that fit his health needs and I learn the vitamin quantity he should be getting.I have even read many things on men’s health and how they affect not just your baby but the pregnancy as well.

And my husband has read my magazines and learns about his wife’s health, and his future children’s as well as learning how to help around the house and live an organic life, etc.

We have read many books together and our magazines are not just easy reading by the pool, they are really helpful and useful when it comes to money management, health and fitness, organics and our future.We are even kept more up to date on health issues by many of these magazines.

There is also marriage advice and before the wedding we read plenty of wedding articles.
In fact Organic Style recently had an article on organic dresses, invitations, flowers, etc.

On top of it all I even learn new recipes to try and the healthy kinds are getting tastier.Finding this type of reading material is easier and easier now.

We have Oxygen magazine for women (which also has great articles geared towards older woman and weight lifting).

In our home your will find: Fitness ,Shape and Self Which all help with health issues, diseases, workouts and staying in shape for a healthy heart, recipes and eating healthy, organics and fashion.
Organic Style,Women’s fitness, Men’s fitness, and many more (ok, including X-Box too=)

There’s anything from woman’s day to Real Simple to Time magazine as well in our collection.

Magazines like Time help keep up in what’s going on in current events.

On top of that we have shelf after shelf of books, even career building, meditation, yoga and anything by Paul Chek.

We even learn safety tips and travel tips and where to find neat products as well.

But back to my point….I am happy that my husband is interested in reading my material and keeping up with my health as I am with his. This helps keep us on a path toward a healthy marriage and life.

A few good links...

The LAPD Recognizes Woman’s History Month:

http://lapdonline.org/portal/generic.php?page=/get_involved/lapd_women/lapd_women.htm

This months Police Beat and message from the Chief:

http://lapdonline.org/pdf_files/news/05_03_beat.pdf

A link to an article on the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce about hiring more LAPD Officers.

http://www.wliinc2.com/cgi/foxweb.dll/wlx/cs/wlxENews?docid=158&cc=LOSANG&action=DISPLISTDET

Un-Educated Views...

I wanted to share an email I received regarding my post in the LA Times March 13th, 2005.
I am putting it here, un-edited ( so excuse the spelling) to share with you as well as my response this citizen.


“Perhaps he shouldn`t have gone in pursuit of someone running a red light. Once he had the license number and it became clear the driver wasn`t stopping, it seems to me that he should either have called in unmarked cars (if there was some basis for concluding that the vehicle was involved in a felony) or, in the alternative, simply reported the offense and had someone call on the owner at a later date. In pursuing a vehicle for running a red light, and triggering the ensuing chase, he exposed others to much greater danger. It is this confrontational predisposition that is responsible for the LAPD`s reputation as a crew of out of control cowboys. It`s important to remember that no one asked your husband to become a cop. He chose his line of work either because it was the best he could do economically or because he`s got sociopathic tendencies, or both. What healthy person would opt for a job that might result in the killing of another human being? You might want to examine your own motivation for marrying such a person.”

My Response:
“Why would the Police call in someone else when it is their job to do? That would be adding to the concept that all he does is eat donuts on tax payers money.

In the LAPD they do not necessarily go on "high speed" chases and are under VERY strict rules and restrictions ( whereas in Houston where I am from they would simply ram the suspects car off the road). The suspect was driving like he was drunk and running red lights which could have resulted in an accident involving other cars.

The car's he actually ran into where already in an accident and stopped in the middle of the road and even at a decently slow speed where hit because of this guy's driving actions.
If he had not been in a stolen car, with a gun , running red lights ( which just brought attention to himself anyways) and evading Police he would have then been following the law, not that hard to do but some people just don't have the logic to understand that.

When he hit the cruiser he had already hit the other cars and then sped up backwards into the cruiser. No fault of the Police who where doing their job if they had acted as cowboy's they would have earlier rammed his car off the road ( actually used the Pit maneuver which is actually safer but LAPD is restricted from doing so). Or hell, they could have shot out hit tires or through the back window but no, they did not act as cowboy's, they acted as highly trained Police men and under full guidelines.

As for my husband being one with psychopathic tendency's , to enter the LAPD Academy ( the hardest to get into in America , less than 1 % who apply get in, less than that make it through and less than that finish their first rookie year) he must undergo psychiatric tests and lie detector tests and a full back ground investigation. Ex-girlfriends where interviewed, neighbors who knew him his whole life and even kindergarten teachers as well as teachers through out school , family and many more.
Anyone caught with the slightest shades of grey in their minds are booted.

As for him choosing this career for economical reasons, he would have made more money sticking to what he was doing before and money was far from an issue. One of the men who went through the Academy with him was a millionaire who didn't ever need to work at all.

Shaquill O'Neal is in the Police Reserves and upon retirement hopes to enter the LAPD Academy. He's not in need for money.

My husband chose his profession after 9/11 when he decided he wanted to do something for his country and in doing so became one of God's peacekeepers here in the city of LA.

No, no one asked for him to be a cop and thank God because no would would ask for anyone too and yet we need them because we have crazy gun toting high on crack gang bangers in this world.
But, at the same time, no one asked the gang member who was recently shot and killed after evading Police and shooting at them with a gun that would have torn right through their vests and was high on cocaine and other drugs to be a law breaking gang member.

He might have to one day kill someone, but when he chose to become a cop he talked Long and hard with his father and grandfather and uncle who are all Preachers and the Bible speaks of our Peacekeepers and soldiers of God.
He hopes never to have to shoot his gun and many fine Officer's he works with never have in 20 years.
He didn't become a cop to shoot and kill, he became one to protect and serve.

As for me marrying him. I married the sweetest, gentlest most loving man I have ever met. A man who is open minded and loving and caring and my best friend. I don't see anything wrong with that.”
IHHB
I Have His Back
http://behindthebadge.blogspot.com/”

I am open to all opinions here but am also free to my own opinions and will of course post and respond as I see fit. In responding to these emails I hope to educate at least one person out there because many responses that I will receive are un-educated and hopefully they might learn something or at least seek out to learn before they decide to be cop-haters.

This is the un-edited versian that was posted in the LA Times.

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

A moment of fear...

As a wife of an Officer I am pretty calm and do not get worried too much about my husbands job in Law Enforcement but on occasion I can be gripped with that fear that all who are married to a Police officer knows about.

At 3:am when he is normally walking through the door, home safe from his shift, my phone rang instead, I looked at the time, saw that my husband was not there and my lungs seemed to seize on me as I answered my phone with a weak “ Hello?”. “ Hey Sweetie, on OT, got into a bad accident but I’m ok, not hurt.” We talked a second more and I was assured that he was not laying in a hospital somewhere and that he was just having to wrap up the scene and paper work and would tell me the story when he got home.

At 6:am I’m up and about and getting going about my morning routine, I called his cell but no answer, this is rare unless he’s talking to a higher up or on a chase or at the very moment un-able to take the call, usually not a problem, I’ll leave a message and he’ll call me back with in minutes or so. But this morning I had visions of him in a car accident, even though he tells me he’s ok and not at the hospital I cannot keep these visions out of my mind. The fact that I have spent the last week researching many things and in doing so read about Officers deaths by car wreck, then read an article about Police Deaths in car wrecks, etc.

I jumped onto LAPDwife and vented a bit, waiting for the phone to ring, trying to decide to call the station or not when he walked in the door, safe and sound thankfully. After the biggest hug in the world he told me the story….

“He and his partner went on pursuit of a vehicle running a red light and the suspect ran a couple of red lights then one more and crashed into some already crashed cars then threw the car in reverse and crashed into the cruiser (was listed as moderately bad damage? But the front end was wrecked completely and the passenger side door, was crushed with the frame of the car) my husband was passenger where the car hit worse and their car was thrown backwards then his partner saw yelled "GUN" the suspect jumped out of his vehicle with a gun in his hand and took off running, hubby's partner jumped out and chased but hubby couldn't get door open, finally did manage to kick it open (I don’t suppose it’s real easy for a big man in vest and belt to jump over the seat and go through the drivers door) and went on chase too, they called K-9 out and set up a search, the guy is still at large.

I was originally called during the perimeter set up so before the search was over and the paperwork and booking began."

Both he and his partner where ok and showed no signs of damage.We chatted a bit more and discussed the accident. He had a moment that hit him emotionally as he described him and his partner a bit dazed from the wreck and the suspect could have easily walked up and shot them, thankfully he decided to run and not use the gun but it was close.

Last week he had been the arresting Officer in a domestic dispute involving a knife (took the guy down while the man had a knife in his hand) and then another chase, this time on foot, after a suspect that had opened fire on Officers. He and his partner had jumped a huge California style brick wall and he had come close to breaking his ankle when almost landing on a parking curb as well as injured his arms quite badly (though I told him when he wrapped his wrists with a bandage he looked like an attempted suicide and to wear long sleeves).

We joked about him ripping two shirts in one week and how the OT pay from this mornings extra hours will come in handy.With the latest in the News (i.e. Devon Brown, etc) the Police lives are at even more risk than usual due to people “looking for justice” and so they decide to go shoot at cops or we have another episode of a stolen car and the guy speeding in reverse towards the patrol car and harming the Officers lives as well as others while running red lights and crashing cars.

So as a wife of an Officer I pray even extra through out the day “ Dear God bring him home safe after each and every shift” and give him an extra strong hug when he walks through that door.

At the same time I sit here and ask logical questions of un-logical people, why run from the cop’s?

Why run those red lights?

Why lead a life of crime and steal cars?

Why speed towards an Officer in intent to harm?

I guess the guy one was thinking " oh, well, I can run the car towards the cops but they can't do anything about it now" or some other stupid thing. And as the Police are restricted more and more due to politics their lives become more endangered and they are un-able to do their jobs and apprehend criminals without worrying about lawsuits, losing their jobs and going to prison themselves.

Stolen car, gun, evading arrest and running red lights, driving recklessly, ramming vehicle into citizens cars and patrol car.... and I read a few blogs this week saying that there was no need for cops at all and people could take care of themselves. Hell, the public has shown us they can't control themselves or their children.

My husband often refers to himself as a family referee, children are out killing and mothers are dumping babies in the trash, men beat and rape women…. Yes, it seems as if Police are not needed, citizens are doing a great job themselves….

I’ll just have to continue with those prayers…

Interested in Each Other's Health.

My husband and I both have about a forest worth of magazine subscriptions (we recycle) and we read even more online.

Many of my own magazines are health and fitness as well as organic and the majority is geared towards woman. But in these magazines I often read articles on health for woman BEFORE pregnancy, which is important to me, as well as during and after. I read questions to doctors that women are afraid to ask their own doc in person and in this I find out a lot of information.

I read how to eat better and healthier and work out right and how to clean my house organically as well as in quick time and live a healthy life. I have even read and found recourses for building an organic house.

My husband’s magazines are geared toward men and men’s health and fitness.

I read his magazines and learn about things that help keep my husband healthy and I am made aware of men’s health problems that I would otherwise not know of.
I read how to cook things for my husband that fit his health needs and I learn the vitamin quantity he should be getting.

I have even read many things on men’s health and how they affect not just your baby but the pregnancy as well.

And my husband has read my magazines and learns about his wife’s health, and his future children’s as well as learning how to help around the house and live an organic life, etc.

We have read many books together and our magazines are not just easy reading by the pool, they are really helpful and useful when it comes to money management, health and fitness, organics and our future.
We are even kept more up to date on health issues by many of these magazines.

There is also marriage advice and before the wedding we read plenty of wedding articles.
In fact Organic Style recently had an article on organic dresses, invitations, flowers, etc.

On top of it all I even learn new recipes to try and the healthy kinds are getting tastier.
Finding this type of reading material is easier and easier now.

We have Oxygen magazine for women (which also has great articles geared towards older woman and weight lifting).
Fitness
Shape
Self
Which all help with health issues, diseases, workouts and staying in shape for a healthy heart, recipes and eating healthy, organics and fashion.
Organic Style
Women’s fitness
Men’s fitness

And many more (ok, including X-Box too=)

There’s anything from woman’s day to Real Simple to Time magazine as well in our collection.
Magazines like time help keep up in what’s going on in current events.

On top of that we have shelf after shelf of books, even career building, meditation, yoga and anything by Paul Chek.

We even learn safety tips and travel tips and where to find neat products as well.

But back to my point….
I am happy that my husband is interested in reading my material and keeping up with my health as I am with his. This helps keep us on a path toward a healthy marriage and life.

MS-13 - A growing gang.

This article mentions one of the worst gangs in America, also one of which is being recruited by Terrorists.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050314/ap_on_re_us/gang_arrests

I believe it was either The Police Beat or the thin Blue Line magazine which had an article this year much more extensive than this one.
Not only have we already had to fear gangs in America for their violent crimes, drive by shootings, dealing drugs and recruiting our children but now we have the fear of our own gangs in America being recruited by terrorists such as Al-Quada and planting these other and even more dangerous threats in our own back yards.
It has been along time since we had a war on American soil with another country but no we face the chance of having a war that turns our own people against us right in our back yards.

There is already a need to crush gangs here and protect our city but now we must also protect our country.

Here's an article in Police Beat that speaks of the war between LAPD and gangs.
http://www.apbweb.com/articles-z47.htm

1. What do you think could be done to protect your community and children from gangs?
2. What could be done to stop gangs in your opinion?
3. Has your child been approached by a gang member or offered drugs?
4. What is your teenager’s opinion on gangs?
   

Here are some tips on gang prevention from LAPDonline.org

Prevention – What You and Your Neighbors Can Do
The first and most important step is to become aware of gangs, gang members, and their activities. Individuals armed with this basic knowledge are better able to avoid becoming victims of a gang attack.
Prevention is the key to controlling gang activity. Gangs attempt to instill fear. They intimidate rivals and citizens alike. The gang’s power grows through the use of fear and intimidation. They can be countered by citizen action groups such as the Neighborhood Watch. A neighborhood that is united and dedicated in a spirit of cooperation toward stopping crime and violence will greatly hamper gang efforts to flourish. Everyone has the responsibility to overcome apathy and fear. We must work toward a solution to the gang problem.
Parents and educators who suspect gang activity should:
Talk to the child or teenager and discuss the consequences of being in a gang
Talk to school officials and counselors inquiring if they are aware of campus problems and if there are any school programs that might help
Contact government agencies such as your local law enforcement agency or juvenile authority. They may have a crime prevention or gang specialist who can give you valuable guidance. The Los Angeles Police Department has a number of programs which may be of assistance to families dealing with gang affiliated youths
Seek advice from religious leaders. They may know of programs that help neighborhood children stay out of gangs
Report and immediately remove any graffiti in your neighborhood or local school grounds. The longer it remains, the more it attracts gang members
Take action – this is the most important step you can take as an individual, a group or an organization. Do not ignore the signs of gang activity.
When gang related incidents occur, cooperate with authorities. Your help and cooperation may prevent others from becoming victims of gang violence. NON-EMERGENCY information concerning gang crimes, wanted suspects, or any gang activity should be referred to their local police stations . For EMERGENCIES only, call 9-1-1.
Contact your local law enforcement agency for up-to-date information. The Los Angeles Police Department has a number of highly trained gang prevention and enforcement specialists that can help your family or neighborhood fight gang activity. Its crime prevention or gang specialists can help your neighborhood plan ways to fight gang activity. They can help you organize:
A Neighborhood Watch Program in your neighborhood
A graffiti abatement or clean-up program
An intervention program for a young person at risk or involved in gang activity
Other alternatives to gang involvement include locations where organized and supervised programs are offered. The following suggestions may provide a starting point for concerned parents:
Recreation and Parks Department
Youth Gang Service

New with LAPD

Well, my March 8th post of the night my husband was in an accident in the cruiser made it into the LA Times in the opinions section of the Sunday March 13th paper. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-op-copblog13mar13,0,7460002.story?coll=la-sunday-commentary
The opinions section was filled with the racial tension of LA.
Perhaps the Times wanted to try to “Balance things out” between the public and the LAPD though I think the 10-1 posts show we are still a long way a way. It’s a start though and my husband was proud, that made it worth it all.

I laughed at one of the dumbest comments I have ever read, in the times opinions a young man stated, "A lot of people want free stuff, and they like to fight. If riots start, I'm gonna get me a new stereo."
This made my list of top dumbest things to say in 2005.

I think, and you wonder why someone would look at you and think, “ he’s a criminal”. Geesh, stupid people. The daddy to the next gang member in the projects. Why couldn’t they interview the professors at UCLA and get an educated comment?

I have to admit that there are some decent comments from the mostly the older black communities who own their homes and do not want to see any riots. But other than that it’s the thugs that seem to get interviewed and sound incredibly outright stupid instead of some educated hard working of the black community instead of the drug-dealing thugs.

Then there was the recent gang member that was shot and killed a few days ago after leading Officers on a high speed chase and shooting at the with a shotgun that would have torn right through their bullet proof vests. The young man was a gang member, armed, evading arrest and high on cocaine and other drugs. The other man in the SUV was on probation for possession.

Now I am going to let lose for a moment ….

This absolute criminal is shot and killed when breaking MANY laws and all of a sudden I read in the Times all these “friends” of the gang member shot and killed how great a guy he was and how he would NEVER shoot the police (he did) and yada yada yada. Well let me point out. He did shoot the police, he was a filthy piece of crap that needed to be cleaned up off the streets He was a criminal and a gang banger and a drug user and cop shooter law-breaking piece of trash. He was not a schoolteacher and boy scout a hard working individual or upstanding citizen.
I am not saying he had to be shot, no, he had his options. He could have started off by not being a gang member, high on cocaine and other drugs and then by not evading police or shooting at them, he could have surrendered and pulled over and so on and so on. He made his choice.

For the SWAT team to have been called out means business, means the LAPD patrol Officers need help, means someone is breaking a law and evading arrest and if it comes down to it will be shot.

I thank God that no officer’s family has to go to a funeral now. Those Officers did their job, they stopped a criminal. For those who always make “lazy cop comments” well, just read the papers, your tax dollars are being put to work, these Officers are working hard and the criminals are keeping them busy.

Another subject is a picture that went with one of these articles of a sign that Read LAPD is KKK or something like that.

Ok, the suspect was Hispanic correct? Most of those Officers where Hispanic. Most of the Officers in my husbands division are Hispanic, about 95% of them.

The Officer in the flashlight situation was Hispanic and the Officer in the Devon Brown case was Hispanic. Not saying anything towards Hispanics here, just pointing out that I don’t remember the KKK letting Hispanics join.
I am pointing out that I do not see where everyone is getting this “ LAPD is racist “ stuff because the FACTS do not do not show racism. They show Police Officers doing their job and protecting the community from CRIMINALS and gang members and thief’s and gun wielding maniacs high on drugs.
I am pointing out the fact that the recent crimes are not White on Black and that no racism is involved. I am pointing out that much of the LAPD is black and Hispanic and Asian.
I am trying to point out that every time something happens in LA it’s a race issue when it’s not! Everyone lets race blind them so damn much in this City. Well I am an interracial woman from Texas and grew up with neighbors who where KKK members and guess what? No one was nearly as bad as what I see here and the biggest racists people are the project living criminals! Not the cops, not the suspects even committing felony’s but their neighbors who feel the need to stand up for the same people they should be in fear of because their young children are growing up to be just like them, to deal drugs and be in gangs and die in drive by shootings.

I grew up in the south where there was white against black racism and believe you me, that’s NOT what you are seeing here!

Most of the LAPD Officers I know are NOT white but a full range of mixture. If you go to the official LAPD website you can see the captains of the different divisions and see that there is a complete mixture of men and woman, black and white.

Please people get off this race issue and see the real issue at hand!

As someone else said in an LA Times article “ The gangs are killing each other faster than anything” so don’t weep poor tears over a gang member that decided to put himself in the life of crime and early death, whether it be from a Police Officer doing his job and saving his own life or from a rival gang.
Just pray that our future children do not choose to walk that same path.

Questions for Villaraigosa.

I emailed this list of questions to Mayor candidate Villaraigosa March 9th, as of today I have received no answer yet but when I do I’ll post them.
As a chance at being Mayor I have a few questions for you. With your permission I'd like to also post your answers on my blog.http://behindthebadge.blogspot.com/
Thank you,
IHHB

1. As a high school drop out what example do you intend to send to the young people of LA?
2. You speak of finding money to hire more LAPD Officers, what is your plan of a timeline on that?
3. 
   I have read about a “shady back ground” of yours. What example do you set for Hispanic men?
4. 
   There are many Hispanic gangs in LA; do you have any plans to keep young Hispanic men out of them?
5. 
   Our LAPD Police Chief is Bratton; he has a great and amazing history with the difference he made in the NYPD. What are your plans for our Police Chief?
   
6. 
   The recent issues with citizens screaming racism against the LAPD is always written up as white cops/ black suspects or victims. But actually the Officer who used the flashlight in the flashlight incident and the Officer who Shot Devon Brown where Hispanic. What are your plans on creating a better relationship between the LAPD and the community as well as standing behind and supporting the LAPD?
7. 
   LA is overpopulated and there are millions of illegal immigrants. What are your thoughts on population control as well as illegal getting their drivers license here in LA?
   
8. 
   It is impossible to drive on a freeway in LA. In what should take about 10 minutes to get anywhere ends up taking 45. What are your plans to help this situation?
9. 
   Along that line there is also the issue of pollution, LA is infamous for being the worst (in running with NY and Houston) .Do you have plans to control and help this situation? Do you have plans for the public busses, train and subways since many people take them and that helps with pollution but at the same time they need improvement as well as more lines that lead into SFV and down town LA?
10. 
    What are your plans to keep and get guns off the streets and out of the hands of citizens and criminals? Many young Hispanic men are in gangs and have guns as well as die from bullet wounds, what are your plans in the area?
    
11. 
    Do you have plans on keeping young Hispanics in school and getting through college?
    

Studying for a good marriage.

I am a person who studies and reads anything I can get my hands on so when I got engaged to my soon to be husband I started studying marriage and relationship.
For one, I don’t believe in divorce (unless it just can’t be helped in certain situations) and I wanted my marriage to be a good one, even a great one. I had grown up in a house hold that didn’t teach me what marriage should be like, in fact, just the exact opposite. So in my own marriage I want to give it my all.
I read books and magazines and websites and forums and blogs. So my husband sees that I have signed up to a marriage counseling type of forum and comes in to ask me about it, all worried. He asks me if something is wrong and I feel instantly bad for him but explain that nothing is and the reason that I was on a forum was not to complain (as most of what these forums seem to be though) but to read and ask questions as needed or wanted. Nothing in the world was wrong in our marriage and I intend to keep it that way.

We study through out our child hood in school and we learn to brush our own teeth and bathe ourselves and dress and feed and then work and we always study through out life to learn how to live life. We are always learning and it never ends. He study’s for his job and there is always something new to learn. He works out to keep in shape for his job, so I am studying for my marriage and keeping my marriage “fit” by working on it always.

So many marriages fail, I grew up in a home with a failed marriage. And divorce rates are sky high in normal life, much less marriage to a cop. Very few people put the effort and work into the marriage that it deserves and calls for and bail out. As some one told me when I got engaged “ well, there’s always divorce if it doesn’t work out”. Nope, that’s not an option in my book. And neither is being un-happy…so I work to have a good and happy working marriage. I give it my all. I want that A+ grade.

No…nothing is wrong at all My Dear Husband. I am just learning to keep it that way.
Please share your marriage advice and story’s.

A moment of fear...

As a wife of an Officer I am pretty calm and do not get worried too much about my husbands job in Law Enforcement but on occasion I can be gripped with that fear that all who are married to a Police officer knows about.
At 3:am when he is normally walking through the door, home safe from his shift, my phone rang instead, I looked at the time, saw that my husband was not there and my lungs seemed to seize on me as I answered my phone with a weak “ Hello?”. “ Hey Sweetie, on OT, got into a bad accident but I’m ok, not hurt.” We talked a second more and I was assured that he was not laying in a hospital somewhere and that he was just having to wrap up the scene and paper work and would tell me the story when he got home.

At 6:am I’m up and about and getting going about my morning routine, I called his cell but no answer, this is rare unless he’s talking to a higher up or on a chase or at the very moment un-able to take the call, usually not a problem, I’ll leave a message and he’ll call me back with in minutes or so. But this morning I had visions of him in a car accident, even though he tells me he’s ok and not at the hospital I cannot keep these visions out of my mind. The fact that I have spent the last week researching many things and in doing so read about Officers deaths by car wreck, then read an article about Police Deaths in car wrecks, etc.

I jumped onto LAPDwife and vented a bit, waiting for the phone to ring, trying to decide to call the station or not when he walked in the door, safe and sound thankfully. After the biggest hug in the world he told me the story….


“He and his partner went on pursuit of a vehicle running a red light and the suspect ran a couple of red lights then one more and crashed into some already crashed cars then threw the car in reverse and crashed into the cruiser (was listed as moderately bad damage? But the front end was wrecked completely and the passenger side door, was crushed with the frame of the car) my husband was passenger where the car hit worse and their car was thrown backwards then his partner saw yelled "GUN" the suspect jumped out of his vehicle with a gun in his hand and took off running, hubby's partner jumped out and chased but hubby couldn't get door open, finally did manage to kick it open (I don’t suppose it’s real easy for a big man in vest and belt to jump over the seat and go through the drivers door) and went on chase too, they called K-9 out and set up a search, the guy is still at large. I was originally called during the perimeter set up so before the search was over and the paperwork and booking began.”

Both he and his partner where ok and showed no signs of damage.
We chatted a bit more and discussed the accident. He had a moment that hit him emotionally as he described him and his partner a bit dazed from the wreck and the suspect could have easily walked up and shot them, thankfully he decided to run and not use the gun but it was close.
Last week he had been the arresting Officer in a domestic dispute involving a knife (took the guy down while the man had a knife in his hand) and then another chase, this time on foot, after a suspect that had opened fire on Officers. He and his partner had jumped a huge California style brick wall and he had come close to breaking his ankle when almost landing on a parking curb as well as injured his arms quite badly (though I told him when he wrapped his wrists with a bandage he looked like an attempted suicide and to wear long sleeves).

We joked about him ripping two shirts in one week and how the OT pay from this mornings extra hours will come in handy.

With the latest in the News (i.e. Devon Brown, etc) the Police lives are at even more risk than usual due to people “looking for justice” and so they decide to go shoot at cops or we have another episode of a stolen car and the guy speeding in reverse towards the patrol car and harming the Officers lives as well as others while running red lights and crashing cars.
So as a wife of an Officer I pray even extra through out the day “ Dear God bring him home safe after each and every shift” and give him an extra strong hug when he walks through that door.

At the same time I sit here and ask logical questions of un-logical people, why run from the cop’s? Why run those red lights? Why lead a life of crime and steal cars? Why speed towards an Officer in intent to harm?

I guess the guy one was thinking " oh, well, I can run the car towards the cops but they can't do anything about it now" or some other stupid thing. And as the Police are restricted more and more due to politics their lives become more endangered and they are un-able to do their jobs and apprehend criminals without worrying about lawsuits, losing their jobs and going to prison themselves.
Stolen car, gun, evading arrest and running red lights, driving recklessly, ramming vehicle into citizens cars and patrol car.... and I read a few blogs this week saying that there was no need for cops at all and people could take care of themselves. Hell, the public has shown us they can't control themselves or their children. My husband often refers to himself as a family referee, children are out killing and mothers are dumping babies in the trash, men beat and rape women…. Yes, it seems as if Police are not needed, citizens are doing a great job themselves….
I’ll just have to continue with those prayers…

What do you know about gangs?

There are many views of the LAPD, as I have found roaming through other Blogs and articles as well as getting into a few personal debates.As a wife of an LAPD Officer I am sure that all think my opinion biased so I am opening this up to your opinions.Here are a few questions for the public who so closely scrutinize the Officers of the LAPD in regards to Los Angeles Gangs.

1. With a ratio of more than 80,000 gang members( this is a VERY under-estimated amount and not including the more than 100,000 of those in prison) to 9100 LAPD Officers, what would you say the Police could do in terms of how they handle those who look like gang members? ( i.e. gang tat’s, known gang “look’s” ,etc) .
2. Do you think the Officers are safe enough on the streets at night dealing with a population that in gang members alone, out weighs them by more than 8-1?
3. How would you make the Officer’s feel more safe and protected in their job so as to lesson “over reacting”?
4. Are you worried that your child could become a gang member, be approached to enter a gang or cross someone who is in a gang and possibly enter harms way?
5. How much do you think gangs are involved with drugs, killings and violence in LA? Do you think gangs are as dangerous as everyone makes them out to be?
6. How would you get gangs off the streets and keep kids out of gangs?
7. List your thoughts on what a gang member looks like or how you might recognize a gang member .
8. Many parents are not aware that their child is a gang member . Would you be able to tell if your kid was in a gang and how?

Here is a website with information and facts on gangs .
Here
Parts of an article found Here

"Los Angeles is in terrible shape — again. The city's street gangs, which had been relatively quiet since the crack-cocaine epidemic of the late '80s and early '90s burned itself out, are back with a vengeance. After falling steadily from 1996 to '99, gang murders in the city increased 143% last year; 331 people died because of gang violence, in contrast to 136 in 1999. The violence got worse during the first half of this year, with a 23% increase in murders. Even as gang-related property crimes decrease — robbery is down 8.8%, carjacking is down 28% — other violent crimes are up. Felony assault by gangsters is up 9.7%, attacks on police officers are up 35.5%, witness intimidation is up 50%. In other words, there is less drug dealing and theft, more violence for the sake of violence. "It's a disturbing trend, and there's nothing I am going to be spending more time on," says Hahn, who has discussed the problem with President Bush."…““There are 100,000 gang members in jail in California, and they are getting out at a rate of about 3,000 a month, according to the state's department of corrections. This year alone will see more than 30,000 veteran gang members back on the streets….”“Chino went outside to smoke a joint. As he looked out over the roofs of the low-rent housing, his brow furrowed. "Sometimes I think I could have finished school and gone to college, but then I think, No — if I did it over again, I would be more careful, try not to get busted, make more money from drugs but have more organization. That's what I learned in prison." He has thought about getting a job, but the tattoos on his neck and face are an instant red flag to potential employers. "It's hard to change," he added. "Society pushes you back into the same pile of s___ you came out of. Back into the 'hood, drinking, kicking and selling drugs to a bunch of young kids, preparing them to take your place."

How Are Gangs Identified
Most gang members are proud of their gang and freely admit their membership. Many display tattoos openly and dress in a style identifying their particular gang. Their personal belongings are frequently covered with graffiti and bear the gang’s logo and the member’s gang name.Many individuals on the fringe of gang involvement are reluctant to identify themselves as gang members. They often state that their friends are gang members but they are not. However, rival gang members, shooting from a speeding car, do not make a distinction between a gang member and his associates. Gangs share common characteristics such as the wearing of distinct clothing or using particular hand signs or signals. Although details will vary, the following overview provides general information about the identification of gang members (if outside the city of Los Angeles, check with your local law enforcement agency for current information):

Graffiti. Gangs use graffiti to identify themselves and mark their gang’s "turf" or territory. They also use it to advertise the gang’s status or power and to declare their own allegiance to the gang. The graffiti may include the gang’s name, a member’s nickname, a declaration of loyalty, threats against rival gangs or a description of criminal acts in which the gang has been involved.Gangs frequently gather in dark areas to avoid being seen. In these locations they will often drink, use narcotics, and deface property with graffiti.

Clothing. The uniform of Hispanic gangs is standard and easily recognizable. Most gang members adopt a basic style that includes white t-shirts, thin belts, baggy pants with split cuffs, a black or blue knit cap (beanie) or a bandana tied around the forehead similar to a sweat band.Black gang members are individualistic in their dress. Black gangs tend to identify themselves by adopting certain colors. The "Crips" identify themselves with the colors of blue or black or a combination of the two. "Blood" gangs generally use red accessories, such as caps or bandanas, to identify themselves. While clothing alone cannot positively determine membership in a street gang, color and style serve to identify each gang. Green can either mean the gang member is declaring neutrality for the moment or is a drug dealer. Black is worn by some Hispanic gangs and Heavy Metal Anglo gangs.

Other common gang colors include brown or purple.Note: Some gangs are starting to change their clothing style by no longer wearing their colors in an effort to deceive law enforcement and conceal their gang affiliation. Gang clothing styles can be easily detected because of the specific way gang members wear their clothing. Examples are preferences for wearing baggy or "sagging" pants or having baseball caps turned at an angle. Gang members often prefer particular brands of shoes, pants or shirts. For example, some gangs like to wear plaid shirts in either blue, brown, black or red. These shirts are worn loosely and untucked.
Gang graffiti, symbols, messages or gang names can be written or embroidered on jackets, pants and baseball caps. Other identifying items include belt buckles with the gangs initials, key chains, starter jackets (team jackets), and red or blue bandannas commonly called "rags". Excessive amounts of dark clothing or a predominance of one-color outfits, white t-shirts and levis with upturned cuffs are also indicators of possible gang involvement.

Jewelry. May be expensive or cheap, but the gaudy type is preferred. Examples are heavy gold rope chains, earrings and other large rings.

Weapons. These can include shaven-down baseball bats, sections of pipe taped at the ends, spiked wrist bands, mace, knives, or semi-automatic firearms such as an "Uzi", "AK-47", or "MAC 10.

Other signs that youngsters may have joined gangs include crude and elaborate tattoos, females wearing heavy eye make-up and dark lipstick, fingernails painted a certain color, certain undergarments, gang-colored shoelaces in their athletic shoes and specific hairstyles (such as shaving their heads bald, hair nets, rollers or braids).

From:

LAPDonline.org

Underage Criminals.

In light of the school bus driver that was recently shot to death by a 14 year old boy in Tennessee and 13 year old Devon Brown who stole a car, evaded Police Officers, sped towards them and crashed the car into a cruiser and was shot by one of the Officers as the car sped towards him, I began thinking of other crimes committed by today’s American youths. Not to long ago was the Columbine shooting. Where the two students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked, fully armed into their school on April 20, 1999 and shot and killed 13 students and wounded many more.

Here’s a great website I found for parents to check out: http://www.19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/faqs/gangwise.htm

Juvenile and Criminal Justice Data
Key Facts:
In 1999, 1,763 youth under 18 years old were arrested for homicide in the United States.
Homicides committed by youth under 18 years old accounted for 10.1 percent of all homicides in 1999.
The juvenile arrest rate for violent crime in 1999 was 36 percent
Juveniles accounted for 17 percent of all arrests and 16 percent of all violent crime arrests in 1999, including 14 percent of aggravated assault arrests, 17 percent of forcible rape arrests, and 24 percent of weapons arrests in 1999.
More than 840,500 gang members were estimated to be active in the United States in 1999. This number represents an 8 percent increase from 1998, countering the decline from 1996 to 1998 and approaching the estimated high of nearly 846,500 members in 1996.
During the 1998 to 1999 school year, a total of 34 school-aged children were murdered in or around school grounds or on the way to and from school.
http://www.safeyouth.org
I guess this goes to show that a 13-year-old boy can commit the crimes of a man and should be handled no differently by the Police. There are dangers out there every day and each one the Police must handle in a way to protect the community as well as themselves.
Sometimes this means taking harsh actions that are later criticized by the public and the media.
Below are some site’s have more information:
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/96natyouthgangsrvy/surv_6a.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/juvmurders/timeline.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/little/

20th LA Marathon.

The 20th Los Angeles Marathon is upon us Sunday, March 6th.. And though I am not in I am looking towards finding my first walk/job marathon to do. So if you know of nay send them my way! I will advertise them here and keep them updated on my site.

What I would like is a walk/jog as my first marathon and a marathon for a cause.
I would prefer staying in California but am open for information on out of state for the future and will advertise them on my site anyways.

You can find more information on the LA Marathon at : www.lamarathon.com

Your opinions.

Wow, the politics are heated on LAblogs and at LAPDwife.com! And the storm is brewing.
To hear some questions put to our running politicians and their answers you can check out either of those sites.
What would you want to change in Los Angeles?

Here are some questions of mine towards the public.

What are you thoughts on adding more LAPD Officers?
What are your thoughts on underage criminals, should they be punished as adults for performing adult crimes?
Who do you choose for Mayor and why?

Also, feel free to send me your blog’s to check out and possibly promote on my site as well.

Surviving the first year of marriage...

Well, we are almost at our 5 months point in the road here and I thought I would put up a marriage post.
First of all, my marriage is a bit different being that I am married to an LAPD Officer, which brings odd schedules and a certain amount of stress and danger.
I work a full time job myself and we really only see each other on his days off, which is every other day or so. We also have a few weekend days together each month. Other than that he works Watch 5 currently and leaves the house before 3:pm and returns home at 3:am that is if there is no Overtime. Court takes place at 8:30 am and can continue until 5:pm.
On days I work he is getting in bed a few hours before I get out so when I do see him he is sleeping.
I am gone from the house Mon-Fri 7:20am-7: 30pm.

So a few days’ weeks I have my “me” time which I enjoy and a few weekend days a month I get to myself. We will have lunch together before he goes to work on those days but otherwise I shop, talk to family, horse back ride and do my own hobbies, etc.
The evenings I have to myself there be only a few hours until bed. I have dinner, read, and workout and relax.

With no kids at the moment, or if all goes as planned, for about the next five or six years, this schedule works for us great. My husband is much more of a night owl type anyway.
Of course I am a part of some new marriage forums the same as I am a part of Police Wives forums.
We have built a budget, though still making adjustments. We agree on healthy eating and working out as well as organic living.
I am still trying to get him to learn to pick the socks up off the floor and am convinced that the part of the brain that tells them how is somehow removed upon saying “ I Do”.
I still get candlelight on his night to cook though…even if it is pizza.
I love my in-laws and could not have gotten luckier in that department with the whole family.

I can't get over the fact that I have a "Husband" and often tell him.. he make allot of jokes.
The comic strip CATHY went through the wedding plans and are now in marriage right along with us. This strip cracks me up and is so true and close to our reality!

What is your first year marriage advice? How do you keep your marriage happy and healthy?

If you are old enough to do crime...

...you are old enough to do the time.

If you can commit the crime you should be punished same as adult.

This is my opinion about the underage and the death penalty.
Many in prison have committed murder before age 18. Being an adult or of age has nothing to do with it when it comes to murder. If some one a day older than 18 can be put to the death penalty than someone a day younger should be too. If you kill or commit the crimes they should reach their full judgment as well.


Here’s an article with more information…

http://www.ncpa.org/pi/crime/pd012400e.html

Crisis among Black Men is America.

I read this article and wondered what anyone else thought as well as opinions and ideas on how to change this.



“Crisis Among U.S. Black Men < elGringoSubvertico > 03/02 09:04:23 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A batch of new studies suggesting that black males in the United States are falling ever further behind other groups in health, education and employment has ignited a debate within the black community about who is to blame and what can be done. 51 percent of all HIV diagnoses were among blacks The rate of infection among black men was 103.5 per 100,000 individuals -- around seven times that of white men and three times the rate among Latinos A study by the Justice Policy Institute showed that black men in their early 30s were nearly twice as likely to have prison records than bachelors degrees “ www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=ourWorldNews&storyID=7784192&pageNumber=1

LAPD reaching out to help....

This is a Press Release I found on the Official LAPD website….perhaps Devon Brown and his parents should have attended ."Boot Camp and Parenting Classes

for At-risk Youth in South Los Angeles"
Los Angeles: Beginning February 19, 2005, the Los Angeles Police Department will host a 10-week military-style boot camp for at-risk juveniles between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. The program is part of LAPD's Juvenile Impact Program. Many of the participants have been mandated to attend by court order. Their parents will also participate in parenting classes.
The parenting classes and the boot camp will be held at 77th Street police station officers. The overall goal of this program is to modify children and parents' behavior and improve their communication skills and self-esteem. Police officers will provide instruction in drill and physical training at the boot camp. Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and counselors will train participants on communication and anger-management skills.
Parenting classes will focus on teaching parents proper discipline techniques, setting proper boundaries, and how to recognize gang and narcotics involvement.
This is the second year for the program at 77th Street Police Station. Class enrollment is usually 40 to 50 students, who attend on ten consecutive Saturdays, starting at 8 AM.
Interested parents can contact 77th Street Division Officer Joseph Marrone at 213-485-4285.
This news release was prepared by the Los Angles Police Department's Media Relations Section, which can be reached at 213-485-3586.

At-Risk kids.

Child-care advocates claim that up to 15% of 16- to 19-yearolds are at risk of never reaching their potential and simply becoming lost in society. Others would add to this category children of any age if they were at risk of not becoming self-supporting adults, headed for a life in institutions for delinquency, crime, mental illness, addiction, and dependency. We could also describe as “at risk” those teens and preteens who take on child rearing them and drop out of school.

K-9 versus homeless pitbulls.

Another post I came across about the Pit-bull shot by an LAPD Officer after attacking her read “ The cops dogs attack us all the time and are allowed to, it’s not fare that our dogs can not attack back”.

Are people this stupid?

First of all, the Police K-9 dogs are trained at stopping some one when in pursuit from an Officer or to hunt a suspect out of hiding or basically “arrest” when needed. They are used on suspects and criminals. If you are not doing anything illegal then you have nothing to worry about. If you are not running or hiding from Police, then you have nothing to worry about. If you are obeying the law…then you have nothing to worry about.

K-9 dogs are well cared for, up to date on shots, healthy and not filled with fleas. They are well fed and cared for, well groomed and trained. They are on leashes except when it is necessary to release for pursuit of a suspect or a missing child or to find a bomb or drugs, etc. They are not homeless dogs who have to care for themselves, are underfed and hungry and faster to be frightened and defend and are not living in alleyways in the cold and rain.

Need I say more?

On another note for all the Pet Rescues and animal control, as well as PETA, etc.
Many people are not allowed to adopt a dog from your groups without having a yard, a doggie door and at home with them 24/7 among other reasons that you see fit for someone to adopt a dog from you or to own one at all. Why then is everyone sticking up for a dog that was living in an ally and has had to live through the cold and rainy weather (that we especially that have had lately)? The dog’s “owner” may have had shots, etc. updated but that was paid for by someone else, is this dog going to have this each and every year? Is it going to receive all the vet care it needs when needed? Is it cared fro and prevented from worms and fleas? Half the homeless humans on the streets have life fleas, lice and even maggots on them…what keeps them from being on a dog as well? Is a dog of a homeless person living in a shed in an ally guaranteed to always have food and enough of it? What about clean water? Was this dog on a leash keeping him safe from running into the street or being attacked by other dogs or attacking other dogs, children or Police officers? Was the “owner” of this dog following the laws and keeping him on the leash? Would any of you from adoption agencies adopt a dog to a homeless person?

Again…Need I say more?

Parents who need help.

http://www.lapdonline.org/press_releases/2004/09/pr04445.htm

Above is a link and contact information from an LAPD press release that has info for parents who need help controlling their children.

As with the Devon Brown case we see that there is a need.