Four-year-old Roberto Lopez is the latest symbol of a dying newspaper. The little boy was shot and killed as he walked with his sister to a community center near their Angelino Heights home around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Where did the Los Angeles Times play the story? Page B3 in my edition. It should, at least, have been the dominant story on the cover of the California section and knocked off a timeless feature about a fire-gutted Montecito monastery’s efforts to rebuild.
Instead, we get a short story, with no photo of the boy. No interviews with family, friends or neighbors. No neighborhood scene. Times’ editors should have followed the example of LAPD’s Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger, who told their reporter: “We’re throwing everything we have at this investigation.”
I’m so over blaming Sam Zell for every shortcoming of our once stronger daily; rarely great, just stronger. Reporters and photographers out to save their jobs from impending layoffs should have carpooled to the scene and produced an in-depth series of stories and hoisted them on their editors in time for today’s paper. Too bad a tipster couldn’t have phoned in an erroneous report of a celebrity spotted in the neighborhood. Maybe the sleepyheads on Spring Street will recover in time for Thursday’s paper. To its credit, the paper’s Web site shows some progress on the story, with video from Tribune’s KTLA. Still, it seems like their overdosing on sedatives in the Times newsroom again.
But that’s not the only felony case of an underplayed, underdeveloped story in the fumbling Times.
We’re in the midst of the worst state budget crisis in history. The governor threatens to cut billions from public school budgets. The latest survey shows California now ranks 47th in public school funding.
The criminal enterprise known as L.A. Unified, which should be overseen by a panel of federal judges, took steps to can 2,300 teachers if the nightmarish budget comes true. Where did the story run? Page B-4.
The Times should run front-page stories every day on the latest news of the budget debacle. Include email addresses, home phone numbers and home addresses of every GOP legislator who refuses to act responsibly and raise taxes. (OK, I hear you on the home addresses.) Interview the constitutents of these backward-thinking lawmakers to see if these cavemen really represent their views.
Even the governor, who continues to steal transit money, is calling for tax hikes. The same governor who would have billions more to spend today had he not slashed the car tax upon taking office in 2003.
Forgive me, L.A. Times, for suggesting you step up your game. You probably think what I’m calling for sounds like advocacy journalism and would force you to surrender your objectivity, an outdated term that only provides an excuse for your failure to inform a community about the meaning of events and issues.
Tell me, what’s your objective view of a bankrupt state that fails to meet the needs of its young and its most needy residents?
And what does your objectivity say about the sad end of 4-year-old Roberto’s life? How are we to cope when you don’t tell us more about him, our city, our struggles and our future?
While you think about it, leave a red rose on Roberto’s shrine. It’s OK to mourn while you ponder questions for Chief Bratton and the mayor.
Celeste, sad to say it and God Bless those LAPD guys who give a shit, but this little kid being a Latino and living on Bixel and Court St falls under the umbrella of the “throw away people”.
Sad commentary on a little human life that disappeared.
Journalism. Democracy. Can’t have the second without the first.
When I was a kid (over 50 years ago), journalists were revered in my circle of friends. No, none of us actually knew anyone who worked on a newspaper (or magazine) but we ALL wanted to run a newspaper and I can’t count the number of neighborhood sheets that we put together over the years…
We knew that the writers didn’t make much money, but they were the real heroes in our world. If EVERYTHING else was going to hell and corruption was about to swallow up everything, there would be at least one newspaper somewhere that would shine a light on the bastards and expose them for what they really were. Probably the most noble profession to a bunch of 10 year old kids.
Fast forward to the 21st century.
If we lose truly free and independent journalism in this country I am certain that by the 22nd century, our liberties will be but an ancient memory of a grand experiment started centuries before and ultimately squashed out by the greed and gluttonly of the last 20th century.
What is the probability that the killer of this 4 yr. old kid is a mexican gang member who is here illegally or the kid of illegal immigrants? This story is all to common in Los Angeles aka “the gang capital” aka “sanctuary city”.
Anyone remember a baby in a stroller killed by 18th street gang members in the Westlake District by the Food For Less last year ? Guess where some of the suspects were arrested, that’s right Don Quackers, they were in Mexico, hiding out in Mexico just like so many other cholos wanted by the LAPD who have also been arrested in Mexico.
If a “mayate” gang member had killed an innocent kid, you can be sure Don Culo would be talking mierda about the low down “mayates” and how we should hang the dirty dogs. Pero if it’s a low down sureno, it’s a different cancion, que no Don Culo? The cholo are all victims of the corrupt robber barron gavachos “taking over” the EastSide. jejeje
Here is another story that Don Quixote is also very concerned about. Innocent blacks are once again becoming targets of racist sureno cholos in Monrovia, last year there were over 13 shootings of innocent blacks by the violent and racist and xenophobic sureno cholos, in just a two month period. Pinche low down cholos are almost as bad as the robber baron gavachos.
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http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvcrime/
Gang violence flares up in Monrovia — again
By Frank Girardot on January 14, 2009 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | ShareThis
It was a year ago this week that a racial tensions in Monrovia flared up and resulted in a gang war that left four people dead and several wounded.
Things got heated when Sanders “Pete” Rollins was shot and killed in front of his home on Sherman. It only got worse when teens Sammantha Salas and Brandon Lee were also shot and killed in what appeared to be retaliatory attacks.
Last night, neighbors got a terrible reminder of that violence when Rollins’ former home was shot up again.
Here’s a letter (not edited) I received from a neighbor, who is scared and concerned that the violence is about to get worse:
Well said, Alan. I guess I’m also tired of various news people hiding behind their corporate mastheads. It’s genuinely hard to understand why the state’s budget mess isn’t all the front page every day. So, what? Parents will find out next fall that their childrens’ classrooms have ballooned by an additional 6-10 kids and wonder how that happened.
I don’t know how people are supposed to make decisions in a vacuum of information. Well, actually I do. And, it doesn’t bode well for democratic choices. People have to make decisions, and lacking the information they need, they sometimes simply make it up. We see how well that’s worked out over the past 8 years.
Odds are 99.9% that the killer of this young boy is a diamond street gang member who will most likely be caught hiding back in Mexico. I’m sure there are many people in the area who know the killer is, LAPD justs needs to check with relatives acrosss the border, before this diamond street gang idiot sneaks across the border.
This issue is really about what happens when illegal immigration is ignored.
Oh, I made that last comment before I saw your post below this one. I guess I’ll have to go there to challenge people who want to coddle illegals–the criminal ones.
Woody and Place Your Bets, you should both send your brilliant tips to the LAPD. The police need your canny, clear eyed judgement of the situation. Of course! something BAD happened in Los Angeles – it must be the work of illegal immigrants.
This sure was.
Here’s an update on the case. It seems the illegal immigrant was just arrested in Mexico. Or not.
Yes an arrest has been made, he was a recent parolee. I’m sure he (Howard Astorga) was one another of those latino gang members who was in the process of turning his life around after being a victim of robber baron gavachos for most of his life. The robber baron gavachos, LAPD and George Bush must be held acccountabale for their role in this murder. It’s not the cholo’s fault !!
I got suckered in to seeing the movie “Grand Torino.” Now I know that the problems aren’t with Mexican or Black gangs, that back down to Clint Eastwood, but with Asian gangs. I get so confused as to whom to blame.
This is a great page. And the contents are really that worth reading. I will add this to my own library