At about 10:30 PM last night, forty or fifty high-school age kids descended upon the Whole Foods store across the street from my apartment. Most of the kids stood by and watched as three or four used a trash can, a store sign, and rocks to smash the windows of the store front. Three security guards quickly came out of a side entrance with guns raised at the crowd. They yelled loudly and repeatedly to back up. The group moved away but did not leave the scene. One or two resumed breaking windows on the other side of the store. It was a tense five to ten minutes before a police van arrived, causing the crowd to immediately disperse.
The scene reminded me of my mischievous days in high school, when the freshman soccer team went out and toilet papered a neighbor's house before a big game. I thought the same sort of thing happened last night, with the kids using the verdict of the Mehserle trial as a similar excuse to stir up trouble. We both picked out a clear target, leaving the other stores, residences, and cars relatively unscathed. But when someone with authority showed up, we scattered. Who knows what we would have done if the neighbors hadn't woken up and unleashed their dog on the soccer team, or if the police hadn't shown up at Whole Foods last night?
It is sad to witness the destruction of property, but it's even more sad to see people bury their heads in the sand. When the news media announced that the verdict was to be read yesterday at 4 PM, the responsible workers of our city left Oakland in droves. Since then, much of the city has been shut down, due to a collective fear being spread from the top down. But, the best thing for this community is to come together and to face our troubles collectively. How can we run away from the kids that we are supposed to care for and teach?
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