Ronald Weekley, Jr. - Skateboarding Is Not A Crime

I just came from a rally for Ronald Weekley, Jr., the kid that was beaten by police August 18th for skateboarding on the wrong side of the street. In Venice, California. That alone should tell you how wrong it is, but watch the video below and see for yourself -



How horrifying to be there watching that still happen in this day and age! And how inspiring and chill inducing it was to be there this afternoon with a Venice community that CARES, and is demanding action.

Weekley Jr.'s skater friends were there, his classmates, his neighbors, the news, and people that had never heard of him before this despicable incident, came out in support on a gorgeous Venice afternoon, as cars of strangers drove by and honked their support.

The Police line is that the young skater was violating traffic code by skating down the wrong side of the street (who hasn't?), and then resisting arrest for this blatant crime (who wouldn't?!). Then it was somehow decided to have four cops beat him up. In broad daylight. In front of his home that he was skating back to. He has a concussion, a broken cheek, jaw and nose, and frankly, he looked a little like a Picasso painting today. For SWB. ("Skateboarding While Black", as one of the speakers said, and which appears to be so sad, but awfully true. Sorry, but you consider the neighborhood, the kid doing nothing anyone else doesn't do every day in Venice, and it really does look like his afro was his main problem. Which sickens me just to type). His father said that his son had thought he was going to die. In front of his home. For SKATING!

Weekley Jr's very well-spoken and unbelievably calm considering father, Ronald Weekley, Sr. addressed the gathered crowd and brought tears to my eyes with his considerate and heart-felt words. He clearly loves his community, and wants kids of ALL colors to skate safely in Venice. He said people have asked what the family wants, and it is simply to have their son's charges dropped (he had to spend a night in County without visiting a hospital first!) and the police officers that committed their own crimes against Weekley, Jr. identified and charged publicly. In other words, JUSTICE. Which IS what we want, and we do want it NOW, as the chant went.

Mr. Weekley, Sr. went on to say that they hold no vengeance, no hate, and they are practicing forgiveness, but "forgiveness in context". That's right. He asked for skaters around California (and the World) to join together to combat police oppression, and "Redefine what it means to protect and serve!" That got a round of applause, as did most everything everyone said. When they weren't crying.

Like I was when Weekley, Jr. took the microphone stand and cried himself as he very softly said, "Don't be angry at what happened ... Just help people that need it." What a special young man, that he already lives in a place of forgiveness, and himself is moving on to looking how to help others.

Obviously we have a big problem with police using excessive force in this country. It happens far too often to deny it. Now the press has it out that Weekley Jr. had warrants out for traffic misdemeanors  (that almost everyone in Los Angeles has also had), but who cares? Police can't tell you have warrants by looking at you, and warrants don't equal beatings, even in our antiquated law books. The Weekleys have retained Benjamin Crump to help them, the same attorney who handled the Trayvon Martin case. The Nation Of Islam were there today, standing in solidarity in their bow ties, and their Tony Muhammad reiterated that "This is not about color, this is about justice."

Al Sharpton called the family, and let them know that the whole nation is watching Venice now because of this. Venice 2000 and the Venice Neighborhood Council were both represented, and all claimed to be in it "for the long haul." Police need to be re-trained in cultural sensitivity, and as their Pastor, Horace Alan, of Westminster Baptist said, "We are ALL human beings ... and human beings need to be treated better than laws." Amen.

Ronald Weekley, Sr. took the microphone again in closing, and expressed his family's gratitude for everyone there, for this "Community of HUMAN BEINGS", and again said all they want is for kids to be FREE to live and play safely in Venice. Everyone wants that. For it to be the police themselves making that NOT the case is abhorrent, and Venice won't stand for it, I can tell you that. Over-zealous, over-steroided, over-whatever their problem is cops will not be tolerated here. Where skateboarding is definitely NOT a crime.

The press conference wrapped and one of the young skaters started up the Justice chant as Weekley Jr. was surrounded by press wanting more from him.

The chant evolved into "Peace From The Police!" as the group made their way down 6th Street, holding signs that read "Justice 4 Ron!" and the best one, "PEACE for Ron!" To quote everyone there, .... "YEAH!"

Overreaction

It's been a marvelous, glistening winter so far in Venice, hasn't it? There is no better place to realize this fact than at the beach each morning. We exchange smiles and waves with the regular people every day, all of feeling extra blessed/blissed, seen clearly on our faces.

Yesterday's glorious stroll was interrupted by total mayhem. The tractor sand mover things were out rumbling the ground beneath our feet, super noisy. This is a harbinger of spring, however, as they were plowing down the giant sand berms that protect the homes in winter. So bad/good.

Then the most gigantic yacht I've ever seen was parked out a little beyond the Venice Pier, belching smoke out its stacks and demanding to be gawked at. Obnoxious. (It's still there).


Heading back north, we were just about to cross under the Venice Pier when a LAPD chopper began flying low out toward the yacht. Were they terrorists? Were they drug kingpins? What was going on?!

Then cop cars began FLYING down the Venice pier, scattering pedestrians and fishermen as they sped past. I've never ever seen this before, and it was kind of alarming. Cops spilled out of their cars at the end of the pier, and we watched from the sand as a body jumped into the water. It was like watching the movie Falling Down.


The cops and the people lining the pier all stared down into the water as LAPD and Lifeguard boats sped to the scene, Firetrucks wailed their arrival, and stand up paddle boarders rowed up to get a better look. Through it all, the surfers kept surfing.

We began to get that the big yacht had nothing to do with the scene, and that someone was busted or fell. Whatever the case, as usual, it seemed that there were too many resources being wasted on one incident. Especially when I found out later via Yo Venice (we had to get a move on in our day) that it was all for an 80 year old man, in what seemed to be a suicide attempt. Sad. Both that he wanted to end it all, but also that such a huge scene was made over it, when it would appear to be a very private choice. If you had seen the speed that the cop cars raced down the pier with, you could only be happy that no one else was hurt, as the pier is not very wide at all. Super macho, LAPD. We're impressed. (The body I saw drop in was a tourist that jumped in to help rescue the guy. One guy seemed able to handle it all. One.)

I hope the elderly gentleman is ok, that his people have shown up to love him, and that he can find peace and privacy. I also hope we can all cool it with the overreaction to stuff these days, and save the drama for the big stuff.

Never a dull moment, Venice.



*Pics by Jennifer Everhart

The nature of Venice is on my mind a great deal lately ... through decades and changes, the Bohemian nature and spirit of the place has always managed to survive. There's been tough times all along the way for a good chunk of the residents, but the groove factor, and general desire for the well-being of people, place and planet has long trumped everything else. And I think it's really, really important that it persevere. So let's address a few lame things, and a few good ones for balance. My longtime friend and companion, my bike, Delores, was stolen last Thursday. From the inside of a tall fence at my brother's place on Horizon. The two bikes sandwiching mine were left behind, so clearly the jerk thief had good taste, but that's no excuse to steal from a probable neighbor. I get that times are tough. I'm unemployed at the moment. I have stress about gathering rent on a free-lance writer's iffy income. But it would never even occur to me to jack someone's bike, or anything else of theirs, for that matter. Delores was my main transportation.Whomever took her (Black, cool Beach Cruiser, Straw basket, Obama sticker on the back, Hinano's Girl on the front. This is a Bike Amber Alert. I want her back.), you have some rotten karma now, and Delores will most likely buck you off in my honor. I hope it hurts. You'll get yours. Once I started telling people that mine was stolen, a whole bunch more similar stories came up, bike thefts left and right, but also skateboards, money, even cars. I'm sure you've been kept awake in recent days by the hovering Police choppers too, (do they REALLY need to keep at it for three hours in the middle of the night? Questionable.) so it seems bigger crime issues are more prevalent these days as well. BOO! Criminals are losers, but they're unfortunately living among us, so be vigilant, dear friends and neighbors. Or just stop it, Criminals. Jail or worse can't be any more fun than the problems you're dealing with. Just saying. As I type this I'm wearing a t-shirt gift from my friend that says, "BE KIND". Man, if we could all just remember that, things would be so much better for everyone. Even Bike Thieves. The shirt came from a new neighbor, Propr, onAbbot Kinney Boulevard. Recently one of the owners had to be up on a ladder scrubbing graffiti off of their new awning. I get that people don't love having fancy new shops take over the area. Gentrification can be a real thief of a town's character, and it sucks when you can't afford the posher merchandise inside. I get it. I STILL can't go to Pinkberry - which I love - because I feel chains don't belong in Venice. But when people are trying to be good neighbors, and ADD to the spirit of Venice (which I think the guys from Propr really are attempting), it's a wrong message to send to deface their property. I've heard rotten stories lately about nasty fights and muggings with a 2 X 4 (for another bike). I've seen people yell filthy things to people about dumb traffic stuff. I've waited five minutes in the middle of a crosswalk on Venice without one person thinking, "Oh, another human being. Maybe I should let them cross". We seriously just need to, "Remember our humanity, and forget the rest.", as Einstein said. The people that don't want RV's parking by their homes, I also get. The people who live inside do need to be clean, noise-level appropriate, and respectful - just like any neighbor. Which is what they are. That is where the majority of them LIVE. There needs to be more compassion all around, ESPECIALLY when times are harder. We need each other more than ever. In Venice, of all places, this should just be understood. And it IS. By the majority of us. When you see the whole town come out for the Festival Of The Chariots, dancing and catching flowers, you feel confident that good will overcome evil.When you walk by your neighbor's house and there is a bag of her fresh produce hanging off the fence with your name on it, you remember that at its heart, Venice is a small-town vibe made up of like individuals, that settled here to soak up the beauty, both of the city and its people. Not to victimize one another, Man. When a new restaurant opens up in the neighborhood like Marla's (2300 Abbot Kinney, south of Venice), where absolutely delicious food can be had at super affordable prices, you realize that businesses can still care about their clientele, and not just rape them with hotel-style tabs and rude service, like some of the other new scene spots on the Boulevard have done. Again, we're all in this together. It's simply essential in a beloved place like Venice, that we heed the Golden Rule. Otherwise we become just another city, with crime statistics being more the news than the good works done by our fine citizens every day. So, in closing, let's just remember that we all love this place, no matter what our circumstances are, so let's stick up for each other, not stick each other up. Thanks a lot! Word. *check it out too at The Beachhead: www.freevenice.org