LA Times’ (and KPCC’s) Patt Morrison did an interview with Father Greg Boyle regarding his new book, and related topics. It ran over the weekend. Patt is smart and savvy and her conversation with Boyle makes for lively reading. Here are some representative clips.
ABOUT WHAT THE PRIEST HAS IN COMMON WITH ELVIS
I should have known better than to try to interview Father Gregory Boyle on his home turf, at the Homegirl Café in the Homeboy Industries building on the edge of Chinatown. It was like trying to interview Elvis in the lobby of the Flamingo Hotel.
Old ladies, homeboys, artists, a City Council member — everybody wanted to say hi to the man who, from nothing — less than nothing, which is to say, derision and debt and doubt — crafted what is now the biggest gang “exit” program in the country.
Homeboy Industries, a complex of ex-gangster-run businesses, has been a 20-year-plus labor of, yes, love, and now Boyle is telling tales. Homilies, tear-jerkers and even bursts of humor from the barrio families and felons he serves are collected in his new book, published in English and Spanish. He sat across from me, drinking coffee and writing messages on flyleaf after flyleaf of “Tattoos on the Heart,” which could have been subtitled “Life Among the Homies.”
ON THE CHURCH AND ITS..UM…LATEST CONTROVERSY
There are iterations of Christianity that say, “My way or the highway.”
I’m not down with that, as the homies would say. That doesn’t make sense to me.
Even within [my] own sad, tragic church, there’s a clerical culture that’s not very helpful — it’s just about power and privilege and secrecy and sometimes even a willful wandering away from Jesus and the living of the Gospel. I think that the church can be returned to itself. It’s about standing at the margins and with the right people, with these people [he looks around the cafe], and that’s what the church ought to be.
ON HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES ONGOING FUNDING PROBLEMS
When it comes to funding, why has this place had more near death scenes than Sarah Bernhardt?
Because there’s a fullness to the place, and funding the fullness is a $10 million annual concern. Three and a half million gets raised by our businesses, so I have to raise $6 million, and that’s a daunting task. But you think Homeboy Industries costs a lot, wait until you get the bill for our nonexistence. It’s not just that we serve 12,000 gang members a year, but we stand as a symbol to even those who don’t walk in, and who are locked up. If you didn’t have [us] as some future possibility [for them], that would have a devastating impact to the county.
So why is that 6 million so hard to get?
People say, “Gosh there’s no money.” I say, in six months, MOCA got $60 million. I don’t begrudge the fact that they got their money — I love MOCA. But that’s the truth. This is a harder sell. We had difficulty at the same moment it was publicly known that [MOCA] needed money. And the people in this city came to MOCA’s aid, and with us, not so much.
ON “CODDLING” GANG MEMBERS
Don’t criminals need to take responsibility?
A politician said, “Gang members should pay the consequences of their crimes.” I go, “Not only do I agree with you, find one person on the planet Earth who’s going to disagree.” You hear that all the time, that [we] coddle gang members. Would you ever accuse a drug rehab center — oh you’re coddling addicts? No, we’re trying to help them leave that behind. If you don’t have exit ramps, then how is it we can tell them to get off the freeway?
ABOUT WHAT FEATURE FILMS FATHER GREG FAVORS
What do you do for yourself?
I try to catch a dinner with a friend, maybe a movie. I love movies. I’m pretty eclectic — I’ll go to the Laemmle in Pasadena for the foreign kind of thing. I don’t mind something like “Avatar,” more popular stuff.
Let me guess that your favorite isn’t “The Bells of St. Mary’s”?
Probably my least!
Read the whole thing.
NOTE: As you can see my promise to blog “mid-morning” turned into mid afternoon. Part has to do with the fact that I’m still fighting off some unpleasant buggish thing.
But also, I unexpectedly taped Which Way LA Today , which required that I turn my attention to the County’s gang program (such as it is; more on that shortly).
I said before that he’s done more to stop gang violence than every single law enforcement officer in the country put together, and I stand by that, since I’m pretty well convinced anymore that there isn’t even one peace officer in the country who truly wants to stop gang violence. They just want to make arrests, to serve their own egos and/or self interests.
To quote Nicholas Cage in “Lord of War”, who plays a rogue gun dealer, “I’d prefer people to fire my guns and miss. Just as long as they’re firing.”. I really think law enforcement has a similar strategy with gangs. In a prefect world, bangers would bang and nobody would be killed. Just as long as they’re banging. Just as long as they’re tagging up the walls, taking menacing pictures and putting them on the internet, and scaring their community. As long as they’re there, police have a license to loot the treasury and create social order at their own peril.
Father G, on the other hand, truly wants to end gangs, and he has devoted his life to it. And, like an advocate of peace working to end any other war, he’s been labeled as a “sympathizer” to the enemy by those who politically benefit and/or profit off of the war, even once so by two LAPD cops on a nationally televised program on CNN about the LAPD and gangs on LA’s East Side. And, he’s not alone. CA state senator Gloria Romero and former CA assemblyman and senator Tom Hayden have faced similar character assassinations for merely trying to build avenues for gang members to leave their violent lifestyle behind, avenues that didn’t somehow benefit law enforcement’s agenda.
Not even one? Out of hundreds of thousands?
Well, maybe one or two, but we both know that law enforcement is a paramilitary institution, where the opinions of individual rank and file officers, especially liberal opinions, go about as far as a moderate, culturally tolerant Republican’s voice of reason at a tea party rally. The nail that sticks out is the one that gets hammered. But I’m assuming by your response, that there has to be at least one officer out there who wants to truly end gang violence, and by the fact that you haven’t remotely attempted to argue that a significant number of cops want to end gang violence, that you’re fully cognitive of the fact that the vast majority of them don’t.
Wow dude. That’s deep. I didn’t know there was a culturally tolerant Republican. Careful when you a s s u m e. You know what they say.
Father Boyle. A religious man. A man of God. A priest whose goal it is to save souls. God bless Father Boyle.
We should ALL support Father Boyle in his attempt to turn around the lives of these young people and lead them to Jesus. Only a man like Father Boyle, with such patience and humility, could lead gang members back to Jesus.
Thanks to Father Boyle we have no longer have gang violence in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.
Father Boyle needs to go to Mexico and stop the gang violence in Mexico, just like he has stopped the gang violence in Los Angeles.
Thanks R.T,. now we all know only Father Boyle can stop this kind of gang violence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBHFBcAYqXI
Rob Thomas know nothing about police work, nothing about what feeds a cop’s ego, nothing about cops at all and as usual is only here to bash cops. Like I’ve said before some cop probably kicked his ass long ago, or he got a ticket that of course he didn’t deserve and he’s been talking shit about them ever since. He doesn’t know much about Greg Boyle either.
Rob’s post is so incredibly shit filled a response directly to the whole thing, as it’s mostly just Rob’s cop hate rambling, is a waste of time but here’s a few toughts I had as I read this craziness.
Greg Boyle’s avenue to ending gang violence isn’t about “ending” it as Rob claims. As I understand it, Boyle works toward giving them ( those who want to leave gangs) an exit strategy and alternatives to their life style. Boyle isn’t trying to end gang violence, as Rob claims; he’s helping those who want to get out and trying to change how society and the police look at them. I have no problem with that to a point, and that’s addressed by Boyle in the link I’ve provided, but to make claims that are factually wrong as Rob does is based on his own rabid hate for cops and nothing more.
A link to a Boyle interview from 2003 is below, he’s smart enough to know you can’t end gang violence, and I don’t think that’s his goal or I’d find it somewhere. Look at his true approach and you’ll see Rob has no credibility on this issue at all. Rob comes from the position of hating cops that Boyle in fact wants people to get away from when looking at gangsters. Rob promotes that type policy with his countless attacks on law enforcement her, probably in his real life as well. That’s a good thing in Rob’s world, to hate cops, but it’s not ok to hate gang members, those are his good guys, the “white hatters”. In his perfect world he just wants them left alone to do anything thy want, as long as they don’t kill nobody (I guess putting someone in a coma would be ok).
http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/january17-03/gangs.htm
A blurb from the link…
With new Police Chief William Bratton in place, he hopes law enforcement can now fight crime by actively targeting criminals. But leaning only on police powers to fight gang crime isn’t the solution some are hoping for, he said. Boyle’s strategy to gangs, in turn, is a balanced three-pronged approach. “Prevention, intervention, and suppression.â€
In other words, reaching kids when they’re young and not yet in a gang; actively providing better alternatives to those already in gangs; and maintaining a strong police force to protect neighborhoods from those who attack the community.
Interesting, maintaining a strong police force to protect neighborhoods from those who attack the community. In Rob’s view that would be the police, I don’t think that’s what Boyle’s talking about though and neither does anyone else with half a brain.
ATQ, I’m sure you’re making the point that I’ve stated previously that I’m not a Christian. My agnostic religious views don’t contradict a word I’ve said about Father G. I commend him in his peace efforts. I commend peace efforts by people of all religious views.
WTF, who said Father G stopped gang violence in East Los Angeles, or anywhere for that matter? Surely not I. I said he’s done more to stop gang violence than all law enforcement in this country put together. You can try and misrepresent my statements all you want to, I’ll kindly correct you each time.
So, Sure Fire, you think my criticism of the police is rooted in an incident of police brutality that I’ve suffered from? If that were the case, would that not in and of itself be a good enough reason? It would make sense to me.
It just so happens, however, it isn’t the case. My criticism of police is rooted in my strong views on civil liberties, and modern day law enforcement’s growing lack of regard for them.
And, yes, Father G’s strategy is more aimed at giving gang members a road out of the madness, as opposed to necessarily stopping gang violence, per se. I would agree with that. That being said, however, he’s STILL done more to stop gang violence than law enforcement has.
Rob,
I’m simply saying that only a man of God could do what Father Boyle does. Every priest I’ve ever known is trying to lead souls to Jesus. Why are you trying bait me and start an argument again?
As far as him stopping even one incident of gang violence, there is no empirical data to support that.
But I’m sure he is doing everything in his power to lead souls to Jesus, which is by definition what a priest does.
“I said he’s done more to stop gang violence than all law enforcement in this country put together.”
***********************
R.T.
Can you provide just one news article or some data to prove your comment.
It’s time for me to get Rob’s back.
I guess one could take the position that if Father Boyle leads a gang member to Jesus, and that gang member does not commit any further acts of violence, that could be interpreted as preventing gang violence. Surely that gang member would have comitted acts of violence in the future had they not been led to Jesus and been born again. And that would only be thanks to father Boyle. So, I guess, in a roundabout way Rob is right.
I think all of us can agree to that. Can we not? A former gang member, whi becomes a born again Christian with a Bible under his arm witnessing to others about his lord and saviour Jesus Christ isn’t likely to be killing anybody. Right?
“who”, obviously. As Rob would say, I’m slipping back into it. LOL.
A ticket isn’t police brutality and all the ass kickings of people I took part in were never police brutality and there were plenty of those, it’s the way it is. In your sick twisted and hate filed mind you go on auto pilot and make assumptions on cops based on your deep rooted hate for them. I never said you were brutalized so why are you playing the victim card, doesn’t suit you?
Your words Rob…I said before that he’s done more to stop gang violence than every single law enforcement officer in the country put together, and I stand by that, since I’m pretty well convinced anymore that there isn’t even one peace officer in the country who truly wants to stop gang violence. They just want to make arrests, to serve their own egos and/or self interests.
You stand by your statement that isn’t based on any fact you can prove and is based on your own hate for cops. If there’s another reason to make the post on shit you know nothing about what else could your motivation be?
You also said…Father G, on the other hand, truly wants to end gangs, and he has devoted his life to it.
Where did he say he wants to end gangs as you claim? I couldn’t find that, and when I look at his work and his interviews I don’t see where that’s his goal and aim. He’s probably smart enough to realize it’s never going to happen. Looks like you’re just making more shit up to make your case absent facts that can back you up.
I don’t care that some internet troll hates cops, but it makes sense they’d at least present a case for it they could actually back up with something more than grade school level accuastions without the experience to make them. Especially when they try to pass themselves off as someone with an incredible amount of info on the subject.
What do you know about the law enforcement agenda, you spoke of, when it comes to gangs? When was the last staff meeting, or watch briefing, or gang class you attended where you got your info? You’re simply a know nothing making up shit as you go along like any other person going way past their level of expertise.
I don’t post on certain threads for two reasons, they don’t interest me or I don’t know enough about the subject material. You’re really over your head on law enforcement isues when you throw out the lines you do with no attempt, ever, to make a real case based on real facts.
Your last line shows you know nothing about what law enforcement has done in the area, and that’s not to diminish Boyle’s accomplishments but rather to show how incredibly stupid your thoughts are.
To make my case that you’re a cop hater I’ll present some of your own words and that’s not going into your LAPD are all Nazis rap.
They just want to make arrests, to serve their own egos and/or self interests.
As long as they’re there, police have a license to loot the treasury and create social order at their own peril.
Well, maybe one or two, but we both know that law enforcement is a paramilitary institution, where the opinions of individual rank and file officers, especially liberal opinions, go about as far as a moderate, culturally tolerant Republican’s voice of reason at a tea party rally
(prior to making sergeant, two areas of concerns of mine were adopted as policy and I wrote them both, so much for rank and file not being heard).
You know zero about cops, our work, our motivation or how we make ourselves heard to our superiors. You never will, your hate for cops won’t allow it.
I don’t need to argue with you about police issues, you have no standing to do it.
Boyle does what Boyle does and cops do what they do. Think cops haven’t stopped more gang violence with who they’ve locked up, who they’ve killed and who they’ve helped straighten out than Boyle?
Here’s Rob’s claim…I said before that he’s done more to stop gang violence than every single law enforcement officer in the country put together.
“Every singlle law enforcement officer in the country”. No fucking way, and like I said that’s not to diminish Boyle’s efforts only to point out Rob doesn’t know what he’s talking about and it’s laughable for him to even make the claim.
Fair enough, ATQ. In my opinion Boyle has done more to stop gangs than the police.
Now, how about that empirical data that only a man of god could do what Boyle does?
I got Rob’s back earlier and supported his argument, but now SF has a good point.
Gang Member A: Becomes a born again christian and commits no further acts of gang violence.
End Result: Father Greg prevented gang violence in the future.
Gang member B: Gets killed in a shootout with cops and commits no further acts of gang violence.
End Result: Police Officer prevented gang violence in the future.
I much prefer Father Boyles way wherever possible.
Sure Fire, then define what you mean by ass kicking if you’re not talking about police brutality. “that’s just the way it is”? No, that’s not what the constitution nor our lawmakers elected by the people say it is. That’s what you say it is. What you call kicking ass is actually called police brutality. A murderer calls what they do “kicking ass”, as well. Same difference.
Rob,
Only a man of God would preach the gospel to gang members and try to lead them to Jesus. A man who isn’t of God wouldn’t do that. I know of plenty of outreach programs for gang members, none as successful as Father Boyle. That’s why we’re speaking of him. Because he is acclaimed and accepted as an icon in the community for his outstanding work.
I mean, an agnostic social worker isn’t going to try to lead a gang member to Jesus. Are they?
So, it’s only common sense to say that only a man of God could do what Father Boyle does.
Call me Mr. Obvious if you like.
Sure Fire, Cops don’t do what they do. Cops do what the people tell lawmakers, again, elected by the people, tell them to do, or they lose their badge.
ATQ, that explanation makes no sense. It sounds like you’re trying to change the subject.
Rob, Sure Fire’s exactly right when he says: Boyle does what Boyle does and cops do what they do.
In the end, that about sums things up. We need both. We need the kind of help and hope and community that agencies like Homeboy industries provides, and we need good law enforcement. Remove either side of that equation and gang violence goes back up.
ATQ, for the record, Father Greg doesn’t “lead souls to Jesus.” He doesn’t evangelize at all. He helps direct people back to reconnect their real, best selves. That’s miracle enough.
You see Rob, it’s all wrapped around religion when Father Greg does it. Father Greg is a priest. Father Greg’s religion teaches that Jesus is the way to salvation. Father Greg is the messenger for that religion. A man of God.
And as far as I know, nobody has been as successful as Father Boyle at turning gang members lives around. I mean hey, you said as much yourself in your first post. Now you’re asking me to prove what YOU said. Come on man. We agree.
How about we just agree to this.
Father Boyle is an awesome individual and a man of God.
I’m sure you can agree to a generic statement like that. After all, if he wasn’t a man of God he wouldn’t carry the title Father.
Once again, I’m being Mr. Obvious.
So we’ll just agree to that Rob.
No, he’s not right, Celeste. The cops do what they’re told. Period. The functionality of police is to serve the people. To say they do what they do implies that they’re the ones who make their own decisions. Oh, many cops have tried to “do what they do”, and many have been brought to justice for it, too. Hopefully many more. But the bottom line is, the police do what the citizens tell them to, end of story.
I don’t recall ever saying we don’t need police. Just where are you and Sure Fire getting this?
ATQ, you’re so far off topic that you’re unreachable. When you want to talk about Father Boyle’s gang intervention work, I’m all ears. There has to be some religious blogs on the internet somewhere. I might suggest engaging such conversations there, where you’ll get some interest.
That’s miracle enough.
You got that right Celeste.
But the bottom line is, the police do what the citizens tell them to, end of story.
So like, people tell the cops to give them tickets?
Relax. I’m kidding. Just a little humor to try and lighten things up.
The citizens elect lawmakers, who then vote on the laws police are to enforce. That’s what the police do. What the representatives elected by the people tell them to do, is what I should have said. The police that “do what they do” usually wind up on the evening news, and eventually having their badges taken.
I’ll lighten things up. ATQ, you’re a bigot.
Rob,
I don’t participate in religious blogs because I’m not a religious person. Go back and check my language in past posts and that should be obvious LOL.
I do however applaud religious leaders who try to have an impact in our community. Whatever beliefs and methods are used to get people to treat each other with dignity and respect is admirable in my eyes. The clergy included.
I know what their beliefs are, and I know what they do because I was forced to go to church/mass many times as a child.
Re: post 33, ROFLMAO. That IS funny. You’re a funny dude Rob.
Of course I’m not angry because I know you’re just joking. You said it yourself that you were going to lighten things up. So, that IS funny when used in that context due to what’s taken place previously.
Nice one dude. That razor sharp wit of yours is showing thru.
Celeste,
Do you know if Father Boyle takes confessions from gang members if they request it?
No, he’s not right, Celeste.
Wow. Stick to the humor Rob. That way nobody could interpret your above statement as arrogant or argumentative.
Or childish.
Your humor is your strong point as I see it.
Celeste is doing her best to show us some slack and keep this from degenerating into a free for all. We all need to show each other respect.
If we disagree with somebody, we might want to say something like:
“I disagree” instead of “No, he’s not right”.
That’s a much less abrasive/argumentative form of debate.
Just my suggestion to promote civility and keep things nice and calm as Celeste has pleaded with us to do time and time again.
Here he goes again. 3 mile island.
And under the category of keeping things light and humorous,
I promise to use the word normal again. LOL.
I forgot “not”. I promise NOT to say that again. LOL.
Obviously humor isn’t MY strong point. I’ll quit trying.
An ass kicking is when someone gets into a fight and they get the worst end of it, simple as that. In a mutual combat situation, simple fights we rolled on all the time, you could usually figure out who got their ass kicked and who didn’t. That hard for you to follow? When people fought with us, the overwhelming majority of the time they lost, and that’s how it should have been. We didn’t get paid to “tie”. We had to kick people’s asses at times and for you to say it’s always police brutality is moronic.
So I never thought for myself Rob? I left it for “the people”, who have no experience in police work to tell me how best to do my job? This just proves more of my claim that you know nothing about police work, not anything.
I was the affiant on a few hundred search warrants, when deciding the best manner to execute them think I looked to “the people” to make that decision for me? Yeah, that’s how I operated, I remember now.
Your cop hate fucking rhetoric is pathetic, you’re as weak and lame as any poster around. You don’t know a thing about the cops or the law, you just make shit up as you go and are here only to disrupt.
What a fucking disgrace you are, even gangsters would tell you you’re nuts. You whining to Celeste sounds like a little kid taking his ball home so nobody else can play when he leaves the game.
The worst thing is, the absolute worst is someday you’re going to need me or a guy like me and you’ll call and we’ll roll and help your lame ass out and no matter how well the cop assists you you’ll mother-fuck behind his back when he leaves because that’s what you’re all about.
Sad.
Rob doesn’t deserves respect, what he needs is high doses of medication.
This is my favorite part of this thread. When Father Greg sets the politician straight because he’s trying to imply the Father Boyle coddles gang members.
A politician said, “Gang members should pay the consequences of their crimes.†I go, “Not only do I agree with you, find one person on the planet Earth who’s going to disagree.â€
Nice. Perfect. Father Boyle not trying to absolve gang members for personal responsibility in committing their crimes. Nobody can accuse him of coddling gang members. It’s things like this that make Father Boyle so good at what he does.
Wow. A cop bragging on a blog about his police brutality offenses. You do more to demean the police than I ever could, SF.
This is also a very powerful statement.
Even within [my] own sad, tragic church, there’s a clerical culture that’s not very helpful — it’s just about power and privilege and secrecy and sometimes even a willful wandering away from Jesus and the living of the Gospel.
ATQ, I think you’re at the point now where you’re confusing yourself. You don’t even know what point you were trying to make with that comment.
Sure I do Rob. Father Boyle is speaking out about those in the clergy that are their for any other reason that to help people.
“there’s a clerical culture that’s not very helpful— it’s just about power and privilege and secrecy”
That’s pretty self explanatory Rob. And you’re saying I’m confused?
I’m making the point that this was a bold statement made by a bold man. Very powerful. He’s not afaraid to criticize his own when he feels it’s merited.
Any other questions or backhanded insults?
Now you’re hassling me when I compliment Father Boyle.
Gee whiz by golly, is there anything I could say or do to get you to not insult me or take issue with every single thing I say, EVEN WHEN I AGREE WITH YOU?
What is it that I need to do to get along with you Rob?
Please tell me. Is there any chance that you are not going to be argumentative or insulting towards me every time I give my opinion?
I’m trying to get along here. Please tell me if there’s anything I can do to get along with you.
Celeste Fremon Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Rob, Sure Fire’s exactly right when he says: Boyle does what Boyle does and cops do what they do.
In the end, that about sums things up. We need both. We need the kind of help and hope and community that agencies like Homeboy industries provides, and we need good law enforcement. Remove either side of that equation and gang violence goes back up.
Father Boyle concurs with Celeste when he says:
“We’re here, and A Place Called Home is here and LA’s Best is here. I know that’s why the numbers have gone down, along with the sensible deployment of police. Lots of things have worked.”
Celeste and Father Greg believe Sure Fire is right. I’ll have to defer to them because I’m not an expert on the subject of gangs.
Father Greg is.
Goodnight everybody. It HAS been nice keeping things civil (at least comparitively speaking) after what’s taken place previously.
Celeste,
I hope you get well soon.
Peace to all.
Celeste, ban this bigot.
If people like art so much to support it with $60 million, maybe they would appreciate more graffiti from the gangs.
Sorry Celeste but I must weigh in on this dialogue because many of my friends live in Boyle Heights. Unfortunately, Father Boyle’s gang bangers live in their neighborhoods and they will tell you they are still actively gang banging. I know Father Boyle has tried to help the gangs but why aren’t there any prevention/intervention guys out in the streets from Homeboy like the others Venice 2000 has great guys, SEA, etc. Good ex gang members doing what they can. What bothers a lot of people is Homeboy hires $500 an hour lawyers to defend the gang members. That’s ok if you tell people who are giving the money that’s what it will be used for. Too many issue but friends in Boyle Heights and students at Cathedral High and many parents will tell you all differently. I’ve been saying people should organize a huge community meeting but no one wants to do it cause of Father’s employees being gang members.
Hi Janet, Glad you commented.
The street intervention people are a whole different conversation. The short answer is, that’s not what Homeboy does. Venice 2000 is great. But they have a different mission and function. Homeboy gets people job referrals, provides job training (and in some cases actual jobs), anger management, mental health services, parenting classes, tattoo removal and various other services that help guys and young women turn their lives around.
But like alcoholics at rehab, some of those who say they want to turn their lives around….slip, and some try to “drink just a little,” so to speak, which we all know doesn’t work at all. But many transform in an astonishing fashion. I urge you to go in to Homeboy and see for yourself. In other words, sure there are guys who scam and keep banging, but they’re in the minority and, in the long run, they don’t last at Homeboy.
As for $500 an hour lawyers, that’s simply not even close to true. Homeboy has a single lawyer on staff who is very good, very devoted, and very overwhelmed on a daily basis.
She is a former alternate public defender who took a BIG pay cut to come to Homeboy (and public defenders are not exactly raking the money in). But she loves the work. That’s the hot shot “$500 an hour lawyer.”
I can tell you absolutely positively that she is the only lawyer Homeboy pays. Period. And, like I said, they don’t pay her a lot.
Tell your friends if they have problems with Homeboy to set up a meeting with Father Greg and voice their complaints. That’s the honest and straightforward thing to do, rather than criticizing from a distance.
Janet/
“Father Boyle’s gang bangers live in their neighborhoods and they will tell you they are still actively gang banging”.
Celeste/
“But like alcoholics at rehab, some of those who say they want to turn their lives around….slip, and some try to “drink just a little,†so to speak, which we all know doesn’t work at all. But many transform in an astonishing fashion”.
Oh please.
I’m genuinely unclear on what you’re objecting to SureFire. That some who come to Homeboy screw up? That some think they can chip at banging, so to speak, to continue with the addict analogue? Or that some transform?
By the way, when Greg finds out that someone working at Homeboy is banging he lets them go, and tells them to come back when they’re ready. That doesn’t mean some don’t get away with doing it on the down low. They do. It’s a big place.
I find that most people who criticize Homeboy have never actually spend time there. (I’m not accusing you of that. I don’t remember what you told me about whether you’ve been to Homeboy.) I think it’s great that a number of people on LAPDs command staff, have repeatedly taken the time. In fact Bratton used to have one of his weekly meetings at Homegirl cafe, week in and week out.
I’m not critical of Homeboy, it has it’s place but has it’s problems, I’m critical of your reply. “Chip” at banging, be serious Celeste. It was just such a “oh well” type of response to Janet’s comments about “active” gang bangers.
By the way, you going post anything on Gardner’s plea tomorrow?
“By the way, you going post anything on Gardner’s plea tomorrow?”
I don’t think so. I don’t know that I have any thing to add at this point.
The parents of both of the girls were consulted before the DA offered the deal and they evidently agreed because they wanted to find out what happened.
It’s a horrible, horrible situation.
BTW, despite what I said earlier, I do think he should have had his parole revoked because it turns out Gardiner violated many more times than originally reported, and had he been sent back to prison he might have been reevaluated and possibly reclassified as a violent sexual predator, which was not his classification for the first offense. A reclassification, should that have been possible (which isn’t entirely clear, from what I’ve read), could have made a big difference.
I have something to say about it, I’ll pick the right thread when you post something new.
Sounds good.
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