Are Liberal Activists Missing in Action?

Host:

Warren Olney

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The recent string of high-profile killings has City Hall politicians accusing each other of failing to deal with gangs. A former Westside activist who now lives near the Santa Monica Freeway says too many people are more concerned with children in Africa than children in downtown LA. How come? What could they do if they wanted to?

Statistically speaking, gang-related killings are down this year in LA. But as LA Times columnist Steve Lopez points out, “it doesn’t feel like that.” One recent high-profile victim was Jamiel Shaw—known as “Jazz”—a 17-year old high-school football star with no gang connections and a promising future. He was black, and the police think he was killed by Latino gang members. The apparently random shooting occurred in the West Adams district, which straddles the Santa Monica Freeway. He was shot in a neighborhood that’s mixed both racially and economically.

Guests:

Sydney Weisman: Publicist
Jill Leovy: Writer, Homicide report blog at the Los Angeles Times
Jim Rosenfield: Brentwood based developer, mentor for Big Brother
Khalid Shah: Executive Director of 'Stop The Violence, Increase The Peace'; Chair of the Regional Violence Prevention Coalition

Underwriters

Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.

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