A Neighborhood Stimulated
Seldom will you see so many of the pathologies affecting inner-city life on such vivid display as was seen today in Los Angeles. Crime, dependency, joblessness, and teen motherhood were all there, broadcast live to an uncomprehending America.
At around 11:00 this morning, four men robbed a Bank of America branch in Santa Clarita, a suburb about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. As they made their getaway in a Volvo SUV, they were spotted by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, and then began one of those televised police pursuits for which Los Angeles has become so well known.
Two suspects jumped from the Volvo in Sylmar, but the chase continued into South Central L.A., where the two remaining robbers began disposing of the swag by throwing it out the car’s windows. This brought pandemonium to the neighborhood, and brought a good many people into the streets trying to scoop up money without being flattened by pursuing sheriff’s cruisers.
When the Volvo got stuck in traffic near the intersection of Vermont and Vernon Avenues, hundreds upon hundreds of people poured into the street and surrounded sheriff’s deputies and LAPD officers, many shouting, “We want the money.”
Beside the novelty of seeing thousands of dollars strewn about the city streets in such a fashion, the typical television viewer must have been struck by the inordinate number of people who seemed to be at home in the middle of the day and with enough idle time to go out and chase the free money being dispensed by the neighborhood bank robbers. One young man who identified himself as Deshawn (spelling is approximate) told a reporter for KTLA that the money was “a stimulus package for the neighborhood.”
Just so.
On another channel (I regret not having a link to the video), a woman, who appeared to be in her 40s, told a reporter that she was the great-grandmother of one of the robber’s children. Her granddaughter, who looked about 16, then appeared in the shot holding an infant, presumably the now-denied heir to the fortune just distributed to the neighborhood. And for a few minutes this morning, that neighborhood looked to be very stimulated indeed.
(Additional video is here, at the KCBS website.)
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Comments:
Apr '11
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighbor
Could you be mine?
Would you be mine?
It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood
A neighborly day for a beauty
Could you be mine?
Would you be mine?
I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you
Let's make the most of this beautiful day
Since we're together, might as well say
Would you be my, could you be my,
Won't you be my neighbor?
And don't forget to bring the moola........
Jul '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
Kind of reminds you of Escape From New York.
Hollywood is so prescient.
Edited on September 13, 2012 at 6:54amFeb '11
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
All that they missed are illegal immigrants and union thugs.
Sep '12
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
Great opening for a movie, i.e. an Occupy-themed modern take on Robin Hood. Coming in a few months, smart money says.
Aug '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
It's a sad commentary on society.
Oct '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
So much reality in so few words. "Manna from Heaven" in a manner of speaking. Wait until it begins to ceases to fall in volume.
Edited on September 13, 2012 at 7:41amOct '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
While driving to what turned out to be an exciting meeting with a budding entrepreneur who has a real shot at taking his $400K company to $10-$20M in 5-7 years (and putting XXX people to work in the process), I heard (on an LA radio station) a woman from the neighborhood say something about how great it was that the Robin Hood criminals were redistributing money from the rich to the poor.
We have a loooong way to go, folks.
When I saw the video, I thought it was Helicopter Ben and Barry attempting to grow the economy from the middle out.
Edited on September 13, 2012 at 7:44amMar '11
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
I actually provoked a very similar (but penny-ante) version of this scene once.
Driving through downtown Colorado Springs late one evening, I accidentally swerved into a parking meter on a median strip, sending the head of the meter flying through the air and literally raining quarters down from the sky.
And just like south-central L.A., what had been a deserted street 5 minutes before was suddenly full of people at 11:30 PM - all scrambling for quarters. A funny sight indeed (until the city sent me the bill, of course).
Apr '12
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
Ominous question from you--what are all these people doing at home in the middle of the day?
They want free money and these are Obama's supporters. If they get some redistribution if drugs on election day, maybe they will firget to vote.
Jun '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
I remember as a young boy finding a wallet at a motel swimming pool. My parents had me take it to the front desk because the owner would obviously be looking for it. I was from an early age instructed in middle class norms (aka civic virtue).
Contrast my experience with the description above. It would not occur to any of these welfare dependents that they were participating in theft. But that's what socialism does; it teaches the poor that it's okay to steal. And it's the lack of civic virtue that will keep them poor forever.
May '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
A reporter mentioned that the police hit a button to mark each place money was thrown out of the car, each mark signifying a new crime scene. With the news cameras flying overhead, perhaps police could identify individuals taking money for prosecution. Is LAPD going to pursue any of those thefts?
Apr '12
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
Truly an amazing story. How much deconstruction of or complete ignorance of reality must occur to come to such attitudes.
Edited on September 13, 2012 at 4:15pmAug '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
I made a small purchase the grocery store a couple of days ago, paid with my debit card and asked for $50 back. This is a great convenience of the modern age.
When I took out my wallet later, I saw that there was $70 in it, meaning the teenager cashier had given an extra $20. The next day I went in, asked the manager whether her drawer had come up short by twenty the night before. They looked at me in surprise, "yes,how did you know ?" , as I proffered the twenty. They thanked me, it made my day. Telling my own teenaged daughter that night , she knew the girl cashier, she could only comment what a dumb girl she is.....but the lesson was learned.
Does this not occur to people anymore ? Do they think that Obama is in the clouds somewhere ? At least we ought to educate them as to where the money comes from.
Edited on September 13, 2012 at 8:17pmJun '11
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
In this neck of the woods, we aren't South Central but everyday, the headlines blare about another shooting, another robbery, another shooting.
A high mofah attacking a woman and gnawing on her head.
A 14 year old shooting another 14 year old and the parents help hide the evidence.
All out shootings every other night in the Section 8 projects.
A 90 year old woman being duct taped to a chair in a home invasion (what gangster would need to duct tape a 90 year old woman in order to subdue her?).
A Sunday night bar night where 3 people are shot and two are killed.
And this used to be the Heartland.
But I comfort myself by remembering: I help to pay their cell phone bill, their cable TV bill, their medical assistance, their food stamps, their police visits, etc.
It's just awesome, this entitlement state. Just wonderful. Can't wait to see what happens if Jimmy Carter gets a second term.
Oct '10
Re: A Neighborhood Stimulated
Add this. Not long ago, the rear door of an amored car came ajar and a bag of money fell to the street. An older black man retreived the bag, called the police, then took the bag to nearby bank to which the money belonged.
Note that all the bank personnel thought he was nuts ! They then refused to provide the honest fellow with any reward for his honesty.
At least until the Press published the story. What does that speak to ?