Commentary:
By Tezozomoc
Elected Representative of the South Central Farmers

South Central Los Angeles, CA, April 14, 2006 – At approximately 10 pm on Tuesday night (April 11, 2006) a grey unmarked sedan, license plate “4KWR891,” was observed flashing a spot light on the South Central Farmers camping at 41st and Alameda, where they have been doing nightly vigils to prevent destruction of their community farm. The automobile contained three individuals dressed in plain clothes. The automobile was observed circling the community farm. Members of the South Central Farmers went outside to investigate. They were confronted by the driver of the automobile who had drawn his weapon and pointed it at an unarmed teenage girl who was present with her father. One individual identified himself as Council Man Dennis P. Zine from the 3rd district. He was also identified as such by members of the South Central Farmers, who have been going to City Council twice a week for the last three years.

Tuesday night Mr. Zine also declared to Fernando Flores, Co-Chair of the South Central Farmers’ Support Committee: “I am going tomorrow to the Council and tell them how I was treated here.” The next day, on Wednesday, our 13-year old Farmer’s daughter gave testimony about the incident. Mr. Zine was not present in Council chambers during the Farmers’ testimony. However, he entered Council chambers late and then broke protocol and civility by berating the young girl, her brothers, and the women that support the South Central Farmers. Please hear the testimony for yourself:

http://la.indymedia.org/uploads/2006/04/scfvszine.mp3

On April 13th, 2006, Mr. Zine’s office put out a press release proclaiming that he would not be able to support the struggle of the South Central Farmers because, “I am outraged at the baseless lies which are being put forth by the South Central Farmers and will be unable to support their cause given their use of harassment as a tactic to gain media attention," Zine states.

Please see Mr. Zine’s press release:

http://www.lacity.org/council/cd3/cd3press/cd3cd3press14237074_04132006.pdf


Commentary:
We, the South Central Farmers, are extremely disappointed that Mr. Zine has withdrawn the possibility of supporting the South Central Farmers. We are also disappointed that over the last three years that we have been going to City Council he has not expressed any interest whatsoever in what he would now chose to deny us in retaliation for his own lapse in judgment under cover of night. We have been looking for the possibility of educating the City Council on the successes of the South Central Farm and the positive asset it has become as a model for a more just and sustainable urban policy for all Los Angeles.

Mr. Zine has chosen to take a retaliatory and pre-emptive position against the South Central Farmers, and their supporters. He is denying us the chance to make ourselves known to him. All Mr. Zine had to do is admit committing a “FOJ,” that is a Failure of Judgment. As an elected official I have made FOJs. I had to admit them and correct and apologize for them. All that we were asking from him in the City Council Chambers was for Mr. Zine to own up to the FOJ and apologize to the community as a demonstration of respect to the stakeholders of the 9th district.

Mr. Zine has used his failed effort to intimidate and harass the Farmers as an excuse to deny us our voice in City Council chambers. His provocative actions reveal a mean-spirited streak of anti-democratic tendencies, a despotism that seeks to control others through intimidation. A democracy must be judged by the degree to which it is inclusive and respectful, in which policies are made transparent and under the light of day. Democracy does not work well when any one feels they can just come unannounced in slow moving cars, training spot lights on people, with guns drawn in the middle of a dark night.


Instead of owning up to this FOJ, Mr. Zine chose a line of defense similar to that of the officers that beat Rodney King. Let us be reminded that on March 3, 1991, four police officers beat and arrested King while some twenty other law enforcement officers stood by and did nothing. When, “The judge imposed relatively light sentences of thirty months in prison, departing from the seventy to eighty-seven months mandated by federal sentencing guidelines. The judge justified the lower sentences on the grounds that the victim's misconduct contributed significantly to provoking the offense…”[1] In his press release Mr. Zine’s has chosen this line of justification.


Perhaps it is the ability of the South Central Farmers to successfully protect the community farm that gives rise to Mr. Zine’s harassment and provocation. The South Central Farmers did not go into Mr. Zine’s district. The South Central Farmers did not drive around in an unmarked grey car in Mr. Zine’s neighborhood flashing a spot light into people’s premises. The South Central Farmers did not pull a weapon and point it a 13-year old unarmed girl, without identifying themselves as Police officers.


Let us make further corrections to Mr. Zine’s statements: “…while driving through in an unmarked police car, we were nearly struck by a white sport utility vehicle. This vehicle proceeded to tailgate our car as we drove through the area. Out of concern for our safety, we pulled our vehicle over to the curb.”


As we declared to Sergeant Kelly and Sergeant Palka, from LAPD Internal Affairs Group Administrative Investigation Section D: As the driver of the white Suburban did his usual night watch round of the community farm he observed a suspicious grey vehicle spot-lighting the Farm. This drew his attention and as usual procedure we take down the plates and call them into Newton street division, in cases where people are littering or dumping trash. The cars were driving very slowly and Mr. Zine’s car was never threatened or “nearly struck.” The white Suburban pulled up next to the grey car when it stopped. Immediately, the driver opened his door and pulled a gun on the occupants of the white Suburban. Our press release never stated that Mr. Zine pulled the gun as he claims in his press release. We did state: “They were confronted by the driver of the automobile who had drawn his weapon and pointed it to an unarmed teenage girl who was present with her father.” No one stated that it was Mr. Zine.

Mr. Zine further states in his press release that, “This was my intention - to visit the farm without fanfare - and to see firsthand where the site is located and how it is utilized. This was my first visit to the location.” We have been fighting for three years to bring awareness to this issue and inviting Council Members to visit when we are working or doing other activities at the farm. Plenty of fanfare is due! We deserve the same respect that Mr. Zine has shown for other community stakeholders. People like James Callison (LAFD Firefighter/Paramedic); and Don Cocek (Deputy City Attorney). There is no need for clandestine operations. You cannot see anything in the darkness; you cannot meet any of the community members under the cover of night. Community farms are best visited during the day time hours as any self-respecting farmer will attest.

We would like to remind Mr. Zine that as a member of the Los Angeles City Council Public Safety Committee he is just as responsible for the Rampart scandal that has already cost City taxpayers well over $150 million dollars. The LAPD is under a Federal Consent Decree to, among other things, monitor excessive use of force or coercion. As part of this consent decree, the LAPD must closely and accurately monitor citizen complaints, and we would like to add, we have filed one against reserve officer, Zine. Per our preliminary information from Newton Street Station, reserve officer Zine was not assigned to do reconnaissance on the farm, yet he made several passes around the property in an unmarked car and left his LAPD business card, not his City Council card with a farm organizer.

We, additionally, hope that Sgt. Kelly and Palka’ Internal Affairs report will not merely be a Rodney King Verdict white-wash of what possibly could be abuse of power under two colors; one, under color of authority as an LAPD police officer and the second as abuse of authority under color of authority of a Los Angeles City Council Man.

In Los Angeles we need angels of hope, amnesty, empathy, and equality. We do not need “Angelinos of Retribution”. This is the role that Mr. Zine presented when he publicly humiliated a 13-year old girl who went to testify about her traumatic experience in a dark night in South Central Los Angeles.


[1] Garcia, Robert, The Rodney King Legacy and a Testament of Hope, http://www.clipi.org/publications/articles/rodneyking.html

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CONTACT:
Fernando Flores
South Central Farmers’ Support Committee
(909) 605-3136
southcentralfarmers@yahoo.com

www.southcentralfarmers.com
_____________________________________________
Southcentralfarmers mailing list
Southcentralfarmers@electrolandia.com
http://www.electrolandia.com/mailman/listinfo/southcentralfarmers

As usual - missing important details.

I almost sided with the complainants (farmers) until I finished the first paragraph of this article. It typifies most “stories” I have read about law enforcement contact – I gotta look better so they will look bad, and as such I will get something out of it - hopefully some cash. Don’t forget to leave out important details like what you did to initiate the contact.

The part that kills it for this article is right at the beginning - "They were confronted by the driver of the automobile who had drawn his weapon and pointed it at an unarmed teenage girl who was present with her father." Any reasonable person or someone just arriving here from Mars would have to ask, “Why were they (farmers) confronted by the driver and why did this person (driver) subsequently point a weapon at a young girl?” I was “lost in translation” at the mention of the vehicle’s license plate number. The author was so specific (apparently) as to note the exact plate number but left out apparently ten minutes worth of detail between seeing a bright light to a pointed gun. Wow. But please leave out everything else and definitely incite public rage by mentioning, “…unarmed teenage girl who was present with her father.” Let’s see - “…unarmed teenage girl” – sounds good and, “…with her father” – sounds better.” When you have nothing better please appeal to the sensibility of every God fearing mother and father out there, and especially when the story already has ten million holes in it.

There is no mention whatsoever of what model the car was (probably a typical Ford Crown Victoria unmarked police car) and what actions the “farmers” took upon noticing a “suspicious” vehicle. Why was the vehicle suspicious? If unmarked and shining a bright light, might it be the police? What actions did the farmers take to insight the plain clothes (weren’t any of these people covered in some type of police garb) officer to point a weapon? I am left with a bunch of questions.

I really don’t think police officers by nature “start” conflicts. The Rodney King incident is a perfect example. I watched people run around for weeks parading about how this black man was beat by the pō-lice (that’s how they pronounce it), yet I never saw one story covering how this poor man led police on a 110 mph chase while drugged up, effectively putting the rest of the motoring public and the officers in jeopardy. I won’t rehash the final traffic stop where the ex-con (http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/kingarrests.html) King refused to comply with officers. It has been glorified many times over and just as here, many times missing the facts. Unfortunately many may argue, somewhat justifiably, the LAPD Rampart Scandal set the tone.

Wake up people. Most law officers are probably down to the bone humans just like the goofy people they are sworn to serve. “Serve” probably does not imply “slave.” I have a few friends in law enforcement and they appear to be people deserving of the same courtesies and respects as bus drivers, transients, or nurses. The next time you believe a law enforcement officer has without due cause given you grief, contact your local police station, and request a ride-along during dark hours. Take about 4-hours out of your menial life and visualize how these people put their grief and hardships aside for about 10-12 hours everyday to help people they will never know cope with problems these people generally created themselves.

If you still have reservations, learn a lesson from the high school student who stormed out of class and ran to her counselor’s office to complain about a teacher yelling at her, causing her to cry. The counselor asked the student, “How many teachers do you have to listen to every day?” The student replied, “I guess six. Why?” The counselor responded by explaining the facts of life since the girl’s parents obviously were too busy to. “Each of those teachers must listen and respond to well over one-hundred and eighty students each day, and because of that none of the teachers has time to complain about it.” Apparently floored by the obvious, the girl stood up, wiped her face, and left the room.

Nuff said!

The fact that Zine is 'in' the City council, is testament to our failure..

I don't know 'why' Boxer and Feinstein support him, but this should be a warning to us all! - They cannot keep rigging elections forever, and when the day comes where we will be 'heard' again? Don't forget - cause we never will.