A Tough Spot

I’ll admit it – I don’t always say what’s on my mind. First off, as owner and publisher of this paper, aside from this column I don’t want the paper to be a forum for my personal beliefs. We take pride in writing “down the middle” (though just this week it was called a “Communist newspaper”) and we have faith in our readers to make up their own minds. 

But the ugliness that is taking place downtown forces me to ask some questions and offer personal insight.

First off – I’m totally bugged by reports that former presidential nominee, California attorney general and vice president Kamala Harris stated that the “demonstrations in defense of our immigrant neighbors have been overwhelmingly peaceful.” Has she not seen the cars lit on fire, the looting going on and the police who are being pelted with rocks, Molotov cocktails and other debris? 

And why would President Trump call in military intervention against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who publicly stated that the deployment of Marines is “a blatant abuse of power?”

It seems to me that what is happening is more in line with politics rather than what is good (and safe) for California. 

Which leads me to share that on Friday I completed my jury duty in downtown Los Angeles. Let me just say that, given the current unrest in the area, I am so glad that I wasn’t put on a jury.

On my way downtown on Wednesday of last week I pulled over onto the side of the freeway to review (for the umpteenth time) instructions for parking downtown. Not two minutes after I pulled over a truck from the Freeway Service Patrol pulled in behind me to see if I needed help.

Talk about feeling watched over! The service is a collaboration among the California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and local transportation agencies, according to CHP. I was surprised to see the big truck pull up behind me and happy to give it a “thumbs up” that I was okay.

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Yesterday I attended Rosemont Middle School’s promotion. Kudos to principal Suzanne Risse who made sure the ceremony went off without a hitch.

Having graduated four sons from Rosemont I thought I had the routine down pat. Man, was I wrong!

I found out early on when I stood in line outside the school’s gates, waiting to be let onto the campus. A line wound its way from the gates and up the sidewalk outside the school! 

Once inside the school campus, however, it all came back to me and though I was warned beforehand to keep my “head on a swivel” no unrest was visible.