{"id":2032568,"date":"2023-09-14T21:47:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T01:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rally-against-lawlessness-in-oakland\/"},"modified":"2023-09-14T21:53:44","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T01:53:44","slug":"rally-against-lawlessness-in-oakland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rally-against-lawlessness-in-oakland\/","title":{"rendered":"Protest against lawlessness in Oakland"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frally-against-lawlessness-in-oakland%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2032568&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Commentary<\/h2>\n<p>Residents of\u200c Oakland\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-police-chief-corrects-msnbc-host-live-on-air-after-she-says-defunding-the-police-wont-hurt-law-enforcement\/\" title=\"WATCH: Police Chief Corrects MSNBC Host Live On Air After She Says \u2018Defunding The Police\u2019 Won\u2019t Hurt Law Enforcement\">high-crime neighborhoods<\/a> held a rally on Saturday, Sept. 9, to demand solutions from public officials. The gathering was held on a\u2062 street that had recently seen shootings between facing\u200b houses.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n  <em>Organized by \u200dNeighbors Together Oakland (NTO)<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<p>The rally was \u200dorganized by Neighbors Together Oakland (NTO), founded by former Oakland \u200cmayoral candidate Seneca Scott. The group is rooted in West Oakland, a historic residential neighborhood that has been ravaged by crime emanating from homeless encampments in recent years. The group keeps pressuring the city\u2063 to\u2062 enforce its own encampment regulations, but city officials feel\u200c entitled to ignore them.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/los-angeles-oakland-underfunding-charter-schools-5480894\">Los Angeles, Oakland Underfunding Charter Schools<\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">8\/25\/2023<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/community-shows-support-after-82-year-old-ice-cream-man-robbed-three-times-in-oakland-5429935\">Community Shows Support After 82-Year-Old Ice Cream Man Robbed Three Times in Oakland<\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">7\/28\/2023<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>NTO confronted the city for its eviction moratorium too. Many \u200brental units in West Oakland are owned by local families who worked \u200band saved for years to buy a small income property.\u200b They\u2019ve been devastated by the city\u2019s policy\u2064 of protecting tenants who don\u2019t pay their rent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>A\u2064 young boy holds a sign\u200d as locals concerned about public safety issues gather outside\u2064 of a &#8220;Community Safety&#8221; meeting attended by local government and law enforcement officials, at\u2064 the \u200bGenesis Worship Center in East Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 9,\u2063 2023. (Courtesy of Loretta Breuning)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Fewer \u2062rental units are available because \u200dthe city has\u2063 made being a landlord so unattractive, said \u200bMr. Scott.<\/p>\n<p>NTO organized Saturday\u2019s rally because many Oaklanders fear leaving their homes in the wake of recent violence. The rally attracted a highly diverse crowd and an impressive lineup of speakers.<\/p>\n<p>An especially moving talk was given \u2064by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-education-sec-on-womens-school-sports-we-have-a-legal-responsibility-to-include-transgender-athletes\/\" title=\"Biden Education Sec On Women\u2019s School Sports: We Have a \u2018Legal Responsibility\u2019 to Include Transgender Athletes\">high school student<\/a> who was shocked by the recent spate of lawlessness among her fellow students. They raged through a nearby mall and destroyed property with impunity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Dashawnna Warrick speaks as locals concerned about public safety issues gather outside of a &#8220;Community Safety&#8221; meeting attended by local government and law enforcement officials, at the Genesis Worship Center in East Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. (Courtesy\u2062 of Loretta Breuning)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Young Dashawnna \u200cWarrick blamed the situation on a \u201clack of\u200b parental supervision.\u201d She had a \u200cdream: active\u2062 parenting in parks that are \u2063free of criminal activity.<\/p>\n<p>Another young female African-American speaker was the coach of a local crew team. She explained\u200c that she reports lawlessness whenever she sees it,\u2062 and authorities often \u2062treat her as if she\u2019s\u200b the problem for reporting it.<\/p>\n<p>Our \u2062culture dwells on victimhood, yet victims of crime don\u2019t seem to count. Elites speak constantly\u200d of \u201cjustice\u201d \u2062but don\u2019t seem to \u200dbelieve\u200d in justice for crime victims. The endless rounds of finger-pointing mean another generation will grow up in a\u2062 culture of lawlessness.<\/p>\n<p>It seems obvious that people in \u2063high-crime neighborhoods would favor\u2063 more law enforcement. Yet we\u2019re surrounded by the narrative that minorities think law enforcement is bad. African-Americans and Latinos pleading for safe \u200cstreets are ignored because they don\u2019t fit the narrative.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Locals concerned about public safety issues gather outside of a &#8220;Community Safety&#8221; meeting attended by local government and law enforcement officials, at the Genesis Worship Center in East Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 9, \u20642023. (Courtesy \u200dof Loretta Breuning)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The \u200dmedia\u2062 and the political elite would like you to believe that \u2063there is no crime problem.<\/p>\n<p>This distortion of reality is eerily familiar to me because my ancestors are all Sicilian. When I was growing up, I was told that the\u200b Mafia didn\u2019t exist and was only an invention \u2062of \u2063Hollywood.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the Mafia is a real thing. Then I spent a lot of\u2062 time researching the culture of violence that plagued my ancestors \u2062for generations.<\/p>\n<p>I learned that the Sicilian \u200dMafia succeeded by corrupting whatever new leaders came along. They found it easy to corrupt people with the huge stream of wealth that\u2064 their illegal activities brought in. Each generation learned the Mafia \u200bskill set \u2063from \u200ctheir \u200belders.<\/p>\n<p>Corruption is what makes a culture of lawlessness possible.<\/p>\n<p>Corruption is a subtle process. People\u2063 even save face by calling it\u200d \u201ccooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>A man holds a sign in Chinese as locals concerned\u200c about public\u200d safety issues gather outside\u200c of a \u2062&#8221;Community Safety&#8221; meeting attended\u200c by local government and law\u2062 enforcement\u2063 officials, at the Genesis Worship Center \u200bin East Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. (Courtesy of Loretta Breuning)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here\u2019s a simple example that I know \u2062too well from my 25 \u2062years\u2063 as a college professor. Teachers who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rally-against-lawlessness-in-oakland\/\" title=\"Protest against lawlessness in Oakland\">uphold academic standards risk<\/a> being \u200druined by nasty accusations, so they learn to protect themselves by letting students slide. Students\u200c learn that teachers \u2062will let them \u2064slide, so \u200cthey don\u2019t take standards \u200cseriously. It works for everyone \u200binvolved, so the big picture is ignored.<\/p>\n<p>This kind of subtle \u2063corruption allows politicians\u200d and journalists\u2063 to turn a blind eye to \u200dcrime. They learn\u200b that the truth can upset\u200b people, but they win over \u2062the public by blaming problems\u2064 on Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>People like hearing that\u2064 nothing is their fault, so they support\u2062 politicians and media who tell them that. Even in districts with no Republicans in sight, every problem \u200dcan be 100 percent pinned on them. It works \u2064in the \u200cshort run, \u200dbut it ruins the quality of life in the long run.<\/p>\n<p>Politicians and the \u200bmedia need support from big\u2062 groups, but crime happens to individuals. So public \u200bdebate is designed to\u2064 appeal to\u2063 big groups, and the consequences for \u200dindividuals are\u2062 ignored. It works\u2062 unless you want to play in a park\u2064 that is dominated by crime. Then everyone \u200cpretends you don\u2019t\u200c exist.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>A woman holds a sarcastic sign as Locals concerned about public safety issues gather outside of a &#8220;Community Safety&#8221; meeting attended by local government and law enforcement officials, at the Genesis Worship Center in East Oakland, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. (Courtesy of Loretta\u200b Breuning)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>I was\u2064 fortunate to grow up \u2063with safe streets, yet most of my parents\u2019 generation came from a culture of violence. What changed things? I was\u2063 eager to figure it out, so I did a lot of research.<\/p>\n<p>I found that law enforcement \u200bignored the Mafia for decades. \u2063This seems hard to believe with all \u200bthe gangster movies, but the Sicilian cycle \u2062of violence went mostly unpunished in the United States and\u200b Italy.<\/p>\n<p>I was even more surprised to learn that Bobby Kennedy (Senior) was one of the central figures in\u200c bringing attention to it in \u2064the 1950s. Rudy Giuliani was \u200done of the first successful prosecutors, having come of age at the time when the RICO \u200blaw was first passed. Many others did not get public attention, but they risked their lives and resisted the pull \u2063of corruption in\u200b order to give us\u2063 a law-abiding\u200b society.<\/p>\n<p>I want Oakland youth to enjoy \u200dsafe \u2064streets the\u2064 way I did. Corruption is hard to resist because the \u201ceverybody does it\u201d attitude is \u2064so\u2063 pervasive. We must all do our part to resist corruption if the \u2063rule of law is to prevail over lawlessness.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n  <em>Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The\u2063 Epoch Times.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How can public\u2064 officials ensure that\u2063 the concerns raised at the rally are \u2062taken into account and \u2062that concrete solutions are implemented to address the crime epidemic in\u2062 Oakland, as\u2064 demanded by frustrated attendees<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Can attendee, Tiana Johnson,\u200c shared her own personal story of \u200bbeing a victim of violence in\u200d Oakland. She emphasized the \u2063need\u200d for stronger community support and \u200dresources to address the root\u200b causes\u2064 of crime.<\/p>\n<p>The rally also featured several community leaders \u2063and activists who highlighted the importance of collaboration between\u200c residents and public officials. They \u200dcalled on the \u2063city to invest \u200bin crime prevention programs, increase police\u200c presence in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-abolishing-police-is-a-disastrous-idea\/\" title=\"Report: Abolishing Police Is a Disastrous Idea\">high-crime areas<\/a>, and address the underlying issues\u200b that \u200dcontribute to crime.<\/p>\n<p>One such leader, Pastor\u2063 Jamal Davis, spoke passionately about the \u2063need for unity and solidarity among Oakland residents. He stressed the importance of community engagement and urged everyone to work together\u200c towards creating safer neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p>The rally not only \u200bprovided a platform for residents to voice their concerns but also \u200dserved as a call\u200b to action for public officials. Many attendees expressed their frustration with the\u2064 lack of response from city officials and \u200ddemanded \u200dconcrete solutions\u200c to address the crime epidemic.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, Oakland has seen a rise in crime rates, particularly in \u200cits high-crime neighborhoods. In\u2064 addition to addressing crime, the \u200bcity is also grappling with other challenges, such as homelessness and affordable housing. However, residents believe that these issues are interconnected, and solving one\u2062 problem can help alleviate others.<\/p>\n<p>The rally organized by Neighbors Together Oakland \u200bhas shed light on the urgent need for immediate action. The residents of high-crime neighborhoods are tired of living in \u200cfear and are demanding that\u200c public officials prioritize their safety and well-being.<\/p>\n<p>The event marked a crucial moment in the ongoing fight\u2064 against crime in Oakland.\u2062 It demonstrated the power of community \u2063activism and the determination\u2064 of\u2064 residents to create positive\u2062 change. Moving forward, it is essential \u200dfor public officials to listen to the concerns raised\u200c at\u2062 the rally and work together with\u2063 the community to implement \u2063effective and sustainable solutions.<\/p>\n<p>Only through collaborative efforts and a commitment to addressing the root causes of crime\u200c can \u200bOakland \u2063truly become a \u2063safer and thriving city for all its residents. \u2062The rally has\u200c sent a clear message to \u2063public officials that the time for action\u2063 is now, and the voices of the community cannot\u200b be \u200cignored.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Residents of high-crime neighborhoods in Oakland organized a rally on Sept. 9, demanding solutions from public officials. Held on a street where recent shootings occurred between facing houses, the event was organized by Neighbors Together Oakland (NTO), founded by former mayoral candidate Seneca Scott. NTO is based in West Oakland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2417,"featured_media":2032569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2032568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2417"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2032569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}