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02/06/2005:

"Crips, Bloods and Laura Bush"

by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
President Bush wasted no time in dispatching his newly designated gangbuster, wife Laura, to the mean streets of Philadelphia. That city, like other big cities, continues to be plagued by gang killings. Laura's mission, as Bush made it clear in his State of the Union speech, is to help halt that violence. In addition to tapping Laura as his gang czar, Bush says that he'll shell out $150 million to youth education and violence prevention programs. But in the past Bush's flashy, new initiatives, unveiled with much public fanfare, have fizzled out due to lack of money, lack of political will to push them through, or lack of practicality. Bush's gang initiative may suffer the same fate. The money will be spread out over three years. That adds up to about $1 million for each state. That paltry sum will barely by hoops for one inner city youth recreation center. That is, if the money is ever appropriated. Bush has said that he will meat ax dozens of federal programs to cut the mountainous federal deficits that he created by piling on billions to wage war and reconstruction in Iraq, and his disastrous tax cuts that mostly benefit the corporate rich. The dollars would be dribbled out to Bush's pet faith based groups to push his morals and values message.

But increased dollars, Laura's inner-city treks, and Bush's moral finger wag, will do little to stop the killing. Many of the young men that tuck guns in their waistbands and shoot-up their neighborhoods feel that no one cares whether they live or die. Their belief that their lives are devalued fosters disrespect for the law and forces them to internalize anger and displace aggression onto others.
Full Article: commondreams.org

Calif. Police Kill Suspected Gangster, 13
LOS ANGELES - A 13-year-old suspected gang member driving a stolen Toyota was killed by police early Sunday after a pre-dawn chase in which he rammed an LAPD (news - web sites) patrol car, authorities said.

The vehicle was moving erratically and police began their pursuit after suspecting the driver was drunk, said LAPD spokeswoman Kristi Sandoval.

The driver stopped and a passenger, described as another suspected gang member, fled on foot.

The driver ignored commands from police, then shifted the 1992 red Toyota into reverse and rammed a black-and-white cruiser, prompting police to open fire, Sandoval said.

She could not say how many officers opened fire, or how many shots were fired.

The driver died at the scene. Sandoval did not know how many times the youth was hit by bullets, or where.
news.yahoo.com
Excuse me, police kill CHILD, age 13