The LA Times feels sorry for the Avenues gang.
One of my more popular posts is my April post on how the Times covered the Avenues gang: The LA Times has a secret crush on the Avenues gang!
A lot of looky-loos have been stopping by today, too, of course, because the Avenues and Drew Street gangs are on the front page again, and this time they’re not such heroes. The LAPD cracked down and arrested 28 of those poor guys. Here’s the Times this time:
Heavily armed police and federal agents stormed into a Glassell Park neighborhood Wednesday morning to wrest control away from a street gang — and loyalists with deep family ties to its members — that has in effect turned the sequestered swath of run-down apartments into rogue territory.
That’s a pretty good start. However, note the bolded description. When you read about a neighborhood painted as loyalists with deep family ties to its members, doesn’t that sound attractive? Perhaps a suburban enclave of LA, or one of those beach towns, with all those diehard volleyball players. Good people, in other words. And so these gangs are, in their hearts.
Photo of Latino Taming of the Shrew, by Bob Chamberlin, LA Times.
Last time, the Times writers defined the gang as resilient, powerful, and defiant: survivors, with loving neighbors. They’re definitely not as positive this time; I’m afraid they’ve gotten bitter, and that’s a sad thing to see in a journalist. The quotes they included from the Avenue homeboys and girls were understandable, but so darn negative: they described the police as “gestapo,” and they were frustrated by the show of force by the police and FBI, and doubted those pig bullies could change anything. Nobody on the street was happy the cops were cleaning house, and why would they be? Nosey parkers, those Feds.
Too, I notice a slightly different slant online as compared to in the paper, and this is because of the always powerful and terribly underrated photographs. The front page in the paper has a detective apraising photos of gang members. He looks a little mean to me. Inside, there is a photo of Patricia Gomez scolding police officers because her children were frightened by the early morning raid. Aah, that poor woman. She comes here from who knows where, just wants to be left alone with her druggy gang killer friends, and the police wake her up early. I hate that.
And the photo of the children, ah, the children. I don’t know how much English they understood, and they look confused – maybe bored, I don’t know – but it’s always touching to see children, even living in one of the scariest, dirtiest neighborhoods you’d never want your child to go in, isn’t it?
Online, there are additional photos of the police doing their jobs, and enforcing order. It looks to be more balanced! There are over 400 comments, and not everyone is sensitive enough to put themselves in the shoes of the gang-bangers. Sigh. I guess the LAPD and the rather sexy FBI has to clean up messes once in a while, but I hate to see a close gang like that lose touch with each other. Fist bump.
Donna Barstow
Griffith Park is the 2nd biggest park in the US, and I'm just the person to investigate it! I've lived here for over 25 years. I was part of the PROS Committee in Griffith Park Neighborhood Council and am on the Housing & Tenants Rights Committee in the Silver Lake NC. I'm in the LA Press Club, and you can find some of my articles in the LA Weekly and the Los Feliz Ledger. I'm a cartoonist for Parade Magazine, The New Yorker, LA Times, Slate, & most major media. Questions and contacts welcome.
18 Comments
niki.a
The guys from drew street will never lose touch they will have their ways of staying in touch. An no matter what the police do they will never loosen the avenues grip on the north east. An they just make big mistakes on arresting them cause all their doing is making the mexican mafia stronger. An alot of the times the cops get real violent with alot of the gangs members both in n out of the jail systems. They are beatend constently in the jails by the correctional officers and they are treated like shit. An the cops wonder why they get shot at in the streets or shanked in the jails and prisons.The cops get on their power trips an like to think that they are better then the rest of us. The reason why gang bangers ressist arrest is cause the cops get violent with them first,they start pushing and hitting them, and threating them and pointing guns to their head telling them their going to blow their brians out. This proves that the system is Fucked up. the cops wonder why gangs write FUK THE LAPD FUK CRASH UNIT!
3400 BLOCK
FUK THE LAPDx FUK CRASH UNITxFUK GANG INJUNCTINSx EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY REAL GANGS HAVE GANG INJUNCTIONS!!!
Sick Jekill Avenues
The Insane Avenues Gang Drew Street Eskeletos Will Never Die, No One Can Fuck With Us Not Even God! Fuck The LA Times Sloppy As Bitches,99 Cent Reporting! Insane Poltergeist Said It, what are you going to do about it,Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Fuck You Krizer gUINEA pIGS,hOPELESS lESS pAISAS,cACA pARQUERAS,And All You Chismosas Out There Hating On Us! cAs1
3332 Dst Sick Jekill Avenues
The Insane Avenues Gang Drew Street Eskeletos Will Never Die, No One Can Fuck With Us Not Even God! Fuck The LA Times Sloppy As Bitches,99 Cent Reporting! Insane Poltergeist Said It, what are you going to do about it,Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Fuck You Krizer gUINEA pIGS,hOPELESS lESS pAISAS,cACA pARQUERAS,And All You Chismosas Out There Hating On Us! cAs1 .fox 5 fags.
Anonymous
bunch of fags
gangs are for fags
all of you need someone by your side or a gun but if your all by yourself without a weapon you will get your sh kicked in by just about anyone who has ever been in a fight before. has a gang member ever been in a one on one fight and won or do you all just run and come back with people and weapons to solve your problems.
Insane Avenues
Insane Avenues loves la shady las vegas nv.What the f are you vatos going to do.F with us you are f with the best.Respect is everything,keep that in mind mother f ,i will kill for mines.Is it worth it to you.Avenues Drew Street! !
Insane Avenues
Mr Insane Avenues, Got your back La Shady LV NV!My opinion is the only one that matters.F what you think ,I only do what i think.If i like something and you dont so what,You will be forgot,Skulls do it better.My destiny is death,how many of you will i bring a long ?Avenues Vegas Click what you think we are just in Los Angeles(LoL)
SHADY
La Shady LV NV WILL ALWAYS LOVE Mr Insane Avenues LA
SHADY
SHADY LV WILL ALWAYS AND FOREVER BE WIT Mr Insane Avenues MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU AND ONLY ITS ALL ABOUT DREW STREET F ALL THE HATERS
natalie
yes what happen is what happen ok dont get in it
ESE DOPES 57 AVES
HATERS MAKE US EVEN MORE FAMOUS……..CALAVERAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lady chucky
t u did was wrong..avenues all the way
4AVES3
FUK THE GANG INJUNCTION CUZ THE VIOLENCE WONT STOP!!AND TO ALL U FUKEN PUNK A’S PIGS YOU KNOW ITS TRUE
wise
if you use your brain there will be no limit in the things that you can gain , why dont you guys go to school get a education and start making real moves instead of just killing each other like a bunch of animals …if you really hate the system ,change it ,become a politician and stop being so ignorant and living in flithy areas.
Mr menace
A’s up hoes down fuk the system can’t stop Los avenues
Avenues drewst pwgs ese menace
KNoodle
Watch AMERICAN ME.It’s the real truth and there’s a reason it pisses El Eme off.
Chris
What’s up to all the homies from the Ave’s! I’ve been gone from the varrio for over 15 years due to a deportation. Well, I’m trying to get a hold of a good homie I grew up with by the name of Carlos (dont wanna give up his last name here) aka wolfie.
If anyone from the Big Ave’s reads this post hit me up! Gracias & stay up!