 |
HOME |  |
SCHEDULE | |
PROGRAMS | |
KIDS & FAMILY | |
LOCAL | |
SUPPORT KCET | |
ABOUT US | |
SHOP KCET |  |
| About Us | Contact Us | |
 |
|
 |
          |
|
|
 |
 |
||
|
|
Life & Times Transcript
03/24/06 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- An Orange County city tackles a tough question. Should local police enforce federal immigration laws? Allan Mansoor>> I want to make sure that, if someone does commit a major crime, they are in fact deported after they do their time. Coytl Tezcatlipoca>> "I know that this is not about gang violence or whatever. This is you being a racist pig! That's what it is about! Val Zavala>> And then, animal cruelty is a crime, but should we take cops off the street to fight it? These stories and more next on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val Zavala>> Should cops also be immigration agents? Should a police officer check the status of people they arrest? Well, that's the question that is causing quite an uproar in the town of Costa Mesa that has a sizable Latino population. Roger Cooper takes a look at both sides of this heated debate. [Film Clip] Roger Cooper>> The Costa Mesa Police helicopter returning from a routine patrol over the city. But down on the ground, things are far from routine for Costa Mesa Police these days. The department finds itself at the center of a heated debate. Police officers are expected to protect and serve. Here in Costa Mesa, some officers are being given additional duties. They are among the first local police in the nation being asked to help enforce immigration laws. Under a plan that passed the City Council, some Costa Mesa police will get federal training from ICE, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These local officers would then be empowered to check certain felony suspects they take into custody to see if they're in the United States legally. If not, the officers would alert federal officials. John Hensley>> Well, one of the things that we need to get very clear to the public is that we're talking about individuals that are in custody for serious felonies. Roger Cooper>> It falls on Costa Mesa Police Chief John Hensley to implement the City Council's immigration project. John Hensley>> We're not talking about misdemeanor crimes or infractions. We're talking about criminals that pose a significant threat to our public safety. Roger Cooper>> This move into local immigration enforcement has been spearheaded by Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor, who is also a deputy with the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Allan Mansoor>> I felt the need was there. There's been an outcry from the public. They want their laws enforced. They expect us to enforce the law. But also it's false for the public to expect or assume that, if someone breaks a law and does time in the county jail or in prison, that they're automatically going to be deported upon completion of their sentence if they're here illegally. ICE just does not have all of those resources, so I want to make sure that, if someone does commit a major crime, they are in fact deported after they do their time. Roger Cooper>> But in Costa Mesa, which is almost a third Latino, the mayor's plan has immigration rights activists up in arms, including Coytl Tezcatlipoca. Coytl Tezcatlipoca>> Si, yes, definitely (laughter). I think, you know, if we don't stop it here, if like people don't take action here like, you know, it's going to spread all over. That's the way I see it, so that's why I think I'm putting all my energy into this. Roger Cooper>> Christopher Blank is with Neighbors For a Safe Costa Mesa. Christopher Blank>> For the city of Costa Mesa then to take on the role of trying to be immigration agents just doesn't make any sense. What that ends up being, then, is primarily symbolic and we think it's the wrong symbol for our city. Roger Cooper>> Student activist, Daniel Rudisill, agrees. Daniel Rudisill>> I don't like it at all. I think it creates a rift between the police department and the community and specifically the Mexican and Central American communities. Roger Cooper>> Chief Hensley says many of their fears are unfounded. John Hensley>> Well, I want to say this very clearly. We are not going to be doing sweeps. What seems to be the prevailing attitude in a lot of the neighborhoods is that somehow we're going to be out conducting sweeps on people of color because of, you know, they're seeking work on the street corners or for petty crimes. What I want to say to the folks out there is that we're only talking about people that are currently in custody on a serious felony. Roger Cooper>> This is not the first time Costa Mesa has taken the lead on a controversial immigration issue. Last spring, the council voted to close the local day labor site after some argued that it encouraged hiring illegal immigrants. >> "Yes, our next speaker, please." Roger Cooper>> Now tensions over the police plan which passed by a close three to two vote have boiled over at City Council meetings. Members of the Minuteman Project, like Steve Nelson, have shown up to support it. Steve Nelson>> "This isn't about race. Try to look behind your little whiteness or your blackness or your brownness. This isn't about being a proud Chicano or, you know, a white racist. It's about the crime that's being committed against American citizens in our country by people who didn't come through the proper channels. If you're here illegally and you're a criminal and you're victimizing people, see 'ya." Roger Cooper>> Tempers flared when activist Tezcatlipoca spoke up saying the council's move is not really about crime. Coytl Tezcatlipoca>> "I know that this is not about gang violence or whatever. This is you being a racist pig! That's what it is about, okay? Allan Mansoor>> "Sir, if you would please stop with the verbal --" Coytl Tezcatlipoca>> "-- you are. I'm calling things the way they are. You are a racist pig and that's sick!" Allan Mansoor>> "If you're going to get out of line, we're going to ask you to leave." Coytl Tezcatlipoca>> "I'm not getting out of line. You're getting out of line!" Allan Mansoor>> "Sir, you're time is up." Coytl Tezcatlipoca>> "It's not up!" Allan Mansoor>> "And, again, the focus tonight is on the crimes, the major crimes. It has nothing to do with sweeps or anything like that." Roger Cooper>> Using police officers to enforce immigration law is even controversial among law enforcement. Orange County Sheriff, Mike Corona, for example, is for it and is working to train two hundred deputies in immigration enforcement. Costa Mesa has modeled its program after Orange County. But it's a different story in Los Angeles where Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton told the Los Angeles Times that they are solidly against local officers enforcing immigration law. They say it would take resources away from other crime-fighting and damage the trust between police and immigrant communities, trust that has taken years to build. But Costa Mesa's police chief says those issues can be managed. John Hensley>> We're going to do our best to explain what this program is and what it isn't so that those that are just trying to raise their families and send their kids to good schools and live the American dream are not going to have anything to fear from us. We're only going to be dealing with the most serious of felons. Roger Cooper>> But student activist, Daniel Rudisill, fears police immigration enforcement will discourage people from reporting crime. Daniel Rudisill>> Why would someone feel comfortable talking to an INS agent? If there was a crime committed and if you're an illegal individual, why would you go speak to an INS agent? Because it will be a police officer/INS agent. Roger Cooper>> Chief Hensley says there's one crime he wants to exclude from the immigration program. John Hensley>> My biggest concern is that the victim of domestic violence would be afraid to come forward, so I'm going to recommend to the City Council that that be one crime that would be excluded from the serious felonies as an example. Roger Cooper>> And then there are those who say the plan is not about immigration or crime-fighting, but politics. Duane Roberts>> A lot of this is just election year gimmickry. If you carefully examine some of the politicians that are involved in putting forth this proposal not only just here in Costa Mesa, but elsewhere, you will find not only are they close friends, but they're also either seeking re-election or running for higher public office. Roger Cooper>> Long-time Costa Mesa resident, Jean Forbath, believes this issue has divided the community and is taking her city in the wrong direction. Jean Forbath>> It makes me very sad because it's kind of like déjà vu all over again. I'm very said that Costa Mesa is getting a national reputation of a city that is xenophobic and trying to build walls instead of bridges. Roger Cooper>> Some activists have called for a boycott of some Costa Mesa merchants to begin in sixty days unless the council stops the local enforcement program. With immigration becoming a hot issue nationwide, many will be watching Costa Mesa to see if it represents the wave of the future. In Costa Mesa, I'm Roger Cooper for Life and Times. Announcer>> Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, plus transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org, scroll down the page and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> Should police spend their time rescuing animals or solving crime? The growing popularity of shows like "Animal Cops" has spurred the LAPD to jump on the animal bandwagon, but is it a good use of resources? Hena Cuevas went along with the newly-formed Animal Unit of the LAPD. Hena Cuevas>> Bulletproof vests are something new for Los Angeles's Animal Services. These officers are part of an elite new Animal Cruelty Task Force. Animal Services officer, Daniel Pantoja, says having the Los Angeles Police Department with him is opening a lot of doors. Daniel Pantoja>> You knock on the door and people hear, "LAPD", and they say, "Oh, my God." Hena Cuevas>> The joint task force between the LAPD and Animal Services was created to fight animal abuse. Walt Hampton>> It's never been done before where the departments work together like this in fighting crime. Hena Cuevas>> On this morning, the group is investigating a possible cockfighting operation. From outside, Detective Walt Hampton can see cages in the back yard, but not if there are any birds. After a few knocks from Detective Linda Ortega, the door opens. Linda Ortega>> "I'm with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Animal Cruelty Task Force. We're also here with Animal Services. We got a complaint about your roosters, so we wanted to check out your birds." Hena Cuevas>> With the homeowner's permission, the group goes into the house and makes its way to the back yard. There they find dozens of cages of chickens and roosters. Linda Ortega>> "Are you fighting the roosters?" >> "No." Linda Ortega>> "No? How come their combs and waddles are trimmed?" >> "Like those belong to a person. I'm taking care of them." Linda Ortega>> "You're taking care of them? >> "For a few days, yeah." Linda Ortega>> "Well, they have their own cages, so it looks a little bit more permanent than a few days." Hena Cuevas>> It's not illegal to own and raise birds. What is against the law is to raise them for cockfighting. In that sport, bets are placed on roosters that violently battle each other until one of them dies, and the officers suspect that's what this man has been doing. Assistant Chief Sharon Papa started the Animal Cruelty Task Force last year after someone asked her why Los Angeles didn't have an Animal Unit. Sharon Papa>> I went to Chief Bratton about it because I definitely saw the correlation. Any time you have someone that abuses animals, there's a link with child abuse, domestic abuse, and there are numerous studies that show a lot of serial killers start out torturing animals and abusing animals and then graduate on to crimes against people. Hena Cuevas>> But it wasn't easy because it required pulling resources from the already understaffed LAPD. Sharon Papa>> We took two detectives from other assignments in the department and that's huge to do that when we have a lot of violent crime in the city to dedicate two detectives to animal cases. You know, you have to make sure it's worth your while. Walt Hampton>> "You know, it looks like there might have been an arena here. Did you ever fight them here?" Hena Cuevas>> Detective Hampton comes from Internal Affairs and Detective Ortega from Homicide. Five Animal Services officers complete the group. It's hard to believe that a city the size of Los Angeles didn't have an Animal Cruelty Task Force. Boston, Chicago and San Francisco have them and, according to the LAPD, they're hoping to expand the six-month pilot program to try and determine what kind of correlation there is between harming an animal and going on to commit a more serious crime. Linda Ortega>> Animal cruelty has been found to be a precursor for crimes against people. It's found to also go kind of hand in hand with family violence. So if the animals are being abused in the home, children or spouses may also be abused as well. Hena Cuevas>> And the officers fear that kind of abuse may be going on in this apartment. A few weeks ago, a neighbor reported that a man had flung one of his cats against the balcony railing and breaking its jaw. The cat was seized and the man sent to jail. Because another cat is still in the apartment, they're here to seize it to make sure it's okay. After explaining to the owner what's going on, the team emerges with the cat in tow. And like other animals they've rescued, it's taken to a shelter where it's kept until the case is resolved. [Film Clip] Linda Ortega>> We've had several felony filings for dog cases. It's a little bit harder to get one for a cat. In the case that we've been handling today, we're really hopeful that this will be our first felony cat filing because of the horrible abuse that this cat went through. Hena Cuevas>> Their first successful conviction involved a four-month old German Shepherd puppy caught in the middle of a domestic violence dispute. Linda Ortega>> These are just some of the injuries that she had from the blistering. Hena Cuevas>> And you mentioned that this was taken two weeks after the burning? Linda Ortega>> Yeah, these are after, so the blisters have, in some cases, popped and are in the healing process. Hena Cuevas>> According to Ortega, the puppy was dunked into a tub of scalding hot water by a man who was trying to get back at his girlfriend. Linda Ortega>> During the course of the investigation, we also found out that the suspect in the case had also tazered the puppy's genitals so that her genital area was severely swollen and inflamed. Hena Cuevas>> Felony charges were filed and the man was sentenced to three years in prison for abusing the dog. For Animal Services officer Pantoja, not every case is malicious. Daniel Pantoja>> People get pets and they put a collar on them when they're a puppy and they never change the collar and the collar starts imbedding into their skin and it just starts getting infected. Hena Cuevas>> Both the detectives are experts at investigating crime, but they say it's still hard to see what some people can do to their animals. Linda Ortega>> It's very hard. It's very emotional. We try to keep our emotions out of it because you can get really angry at what some of these people can do to their animals that they're supposed to be loving and taking care of. Walt Hampton>> You've got to kind of separate yourself and remember all the time that you're a law enforcement officer. You're not sent here to judge. Hena Cuevas>> Back at the house with the birds, it doesn't take long for the officers to find more damaging evidence. Daniel Pantoja>> "What are these?" >> "They're like gloves." Daniel Pantoja>> "Gloves? For what?" >> "For sparring." Daniel Pantoja>> "For what?" >> "Sparring." Daniel Pantoja>> "For sparring?" Hena Cuevas>> The little gloves are used on the rooster's feet to practice fighting without hurting each other. They are then replaced by razor-sharp spurs which this man also happens to have. Walt Hampton>> He's actually fighting the birds. I mean, it was evident when we walked in the house. In plain sight, he's got the magazines. He's got magazines in there of cockfighting. Some of them are in English and some are in Spanish. He's got the trophies up there. So he's flaunting it, you know, that he's a big bird fighter. Linda Ortega>> "Put your hands behind your back." Hena Cuevas>> The man is arrested and taken to jail. He will have to go to court to explain all those birds. But according to Hampton, it's not just about protecting the animals. In the case of cockfighting, he says, there's potential harm to children who watch it. Walt Hampton>> You know, it doesn't seem like a real big deal. You get little kids watching it and the birds are going at it and the blood's flying all over the place, you know. It like desensitizes them, I think, about the violence, especially the dogs. Hena Cuevas>> He's talking about dog fighting. Just like the roosters, dogs, mostly pit bulls, are trained to aggressively fight each other to the death. It's a bloody sport. Hampton says they haven't been able to bust an actual dog fight yet, but they have found fight dogs in deplorable conditions. Walt Hampton>> During the summer, we went to this one location. There was no water, no food and the dogs, the first thing we did was give them some water and they wouldn't stop drinking. There were pit bulls. Some of them were pregnant. Some of them were injured to the point where they really needed medical care. Hena Cuevas>> They had to be euthanized, the same fate for these roosters. Walt Hampton>> That bothers me, but I know there's nothing else we can do with the roosters. We can't house them. So what I'm trying to do is get out here to let everybody know that you can't do that here in the state of California. Hena Cuevas>> And with stricter enforcement, maybe one day the sign on the boxes they use will hold true for every case they handle. I'm Hena Cuevas for Life and Times. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val Zavala>> When it comes to African-American women and their hair, it's about a lot more than just style and beauty. It's about class, race, politics, fashion, passion and even pain. Well, all that and more is captured in a new book called "Queens". Vicki Curry talked with its author, George Alexander. George Alexander>> Hair in the black community, hair for black women, is a huge topic. I think hair is big for all women. When it comes to black women, it's like they spend a lot more time in the salons, a little more time and money straightening their hair. I think we live in a global culture that kind of values long, straight and silky hair, so black women genetically have to sort of do some extra things to make their hair -- I mean, genetically they're disadvantaged, so therefore they have to do some artificial things like straightening and perming to get that sort of like global beautiful look. Vicki Curry>> So you decided the best way to explore this topic was to talk to women themselves and have them tell their stories? George Alexander>> Absolutely. Just like my first book, "Crown", where the women told stories about their hats, we thought it would be good to hear directly from the women and have them tell us their own personal hair journeys from the first time they got a press, the decision to cut their hair off or do twists or just decisions that really affected their lives around here. You find so many really interesting stories about reaction from their families in terms of when they got twists or decided to get locks and the dating scene. How men are reacted. You know, it's really interesting because hair can be a personal decision, but it then affects your entire life. Your workplace, dating, family life. I mean, hair is a big way we present ourselves to the world and it's also a way people judge us and make decisions about who we are regarding our politics, regarding our career path, our goals in life, our class. People make really big decisions about us just based on our hair. So I think the decision to change your hairstyle becomes a big decision, bigger than perhaps you even think. Vicki Curry>> So how did you and the photographer go about putting this project together? George Alexander>> Michael Cunningham and I started the project in salons in Harlem and Washington, D.C. and going to hair shows like the Bronner Brothers show in Atlanta. We went to a big hair show over in London and then we also went over to Ghana, West Africa to a hair-braiding school over there. So we really just tried to bring in as many women as possible to give a really diverse perspective on black women and their hair. It really was a fun experience because every woman has a similar story, I think you will find. It's been a really eye-opening experience, a sort of very enlightening experience for us. Vicki Curry>> What are some of your favorite stories and favorite images from the book? George Alexander>> Oh, I have so many favorite images from the book. I love the cover because it's Latice Graham, eighty-two year old at the time in Harlem, and she swims every day. She learned to swim at sixty-four and she keeps living and living and having fun and staying in shape. I think she's represented sort of like the mother of the book. She's one of my favorites. Some of the images from Africa as well, because of the interesting braiding that they do there. One's called Bolga braids, sort of like a basket. Not a basket, but it looks like a basket. I mean, Americans would say, "Oh, she has a basket on her head." (laughter). To them, it's not a basket at all, but it's sort of like it's hairstyles that women wear during a special ceremony and things like that. I think hair takes a really big meaning for them in terms of harvest festivals and things like that that really speak to their culture. That was fascinating for us. Some other favorites, when people were really honest with us about what it meant to the family. When Harriet Cole, who's a syndicated columnist and author, talked about wearing twists and coming home to a father who was a very successful African-American judge and the first black state senator in the state of Maryland who's very conservative. His view of the world was that, the more conservative you present yourself, you know, the more successful you can be. He did not like the idea of wearing these twists in her hair, but her decision was to do that anyway. Also, the fantasy hair. We had these crazy hairdos that you see in hair shows and competitions. Jennelle Byron is sporting the "Twin Towers" from the World Trade Center designed by Veronica Forbes in Harlem. Really fascinating. She was inspired to do it after 9/11. She'd lost customers from her salon in the attacks and just felt really inspired to just do something in tribute to New York. The time that these stylists put into, first of all, conceptualizing these designs on their heads and then actually putting them together with hair is incredible to see it come together. Vicki Curry>> What are some of the other fantasy hairstyles that you guys included? George Alexander>> We have Purple Passion. It's another design by Veronica Forbes and it's worn by Tisch Sim. It's sort of purple and gold and really beautiful. It's kind of the Mardi Gras Carnival type of feel. I think Veronica is a master. She's really a master of this whole fantasy thing. That was her dream to do hair beyond just the everyday type of stuff. So she is one who brings so much to it. Vicki Curry>> One of the people you included, the first one in the book, is a descendant of Madame C.J. Walker. She was the entrepreneur for hair products and hair styling for the black woman. Tell me about this woman that you included. George Alexander>> Yes, the woman we included is A'Lelia Bundles who is the great-great-granddaughter and the biographer of Madame C.J. Walker. She's a wonderful woman who was willing to share her story. We thought she was so important. If you're going to do a book about black women and their hair, you have to have someone, the descendant of Madame C.J. Walker, and she had a wonderful story to share with us about getting an Afro for the first time and what that meant to her family. Her father was the president of Summit Laboratories which made hair-straightening products and, for her to want to get an Afro (laughter) was sort of like not really aligned with what her father's company was all about. Vicki Curry>> Because of the time it takes for black women to do their hair, it's a big cultural thing in the salons. It's a big part of their social lives. Tell me what you learned about that. George Alexander>> You know, black men sort of laugh about the fact that black women, your mom or your sister, spend a lot of time at the salon, or your girlfriend is always at the salons. They go and they spend so much time. But what we learned was that the salon is so much more than just a place to get your hair done. It's a place where you exchange stories or you gossip or you learn about new jobs, where you learn about what's happening in the world, what's happening in the community. It's a place where black women really go to bond. After talking to some of the stylists, particularly Sonja who was in Washington, D.C., she says she's learned that it's so much more than hair. Hair is really secondary. It's really about having someone focus on you. You know, what I learned about African-American women and their hair is that it's so important to them. It's really part of their souls. I think it comes down to something they take so personally. It's part of their spirit, in a sense, and it's a beautiful experience in terms of learning about it. But it's also an experience I continue to learn more and more about. Each person has a story. You start talking to someone about their hair and you start learning a lot of things about how they see the world and some of the experiences they've had or bad experiences. I mean, hair just opens up a gulf of conversation. So that's what I think is a culture, politics, so many things. I feel fortunate to have done this. Vicki Curry>> George Alexander, author of "Queens: Portraits of Black Women and Their Fabulous Hair", thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us. George Alexander>> Thanks so much for having me. Val Zavala>> And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Sponsored in part by:  | |
|
Home | Features | Arts | Health/Science | OC Edition | L&T Blog | Archives | About Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use |