Great Things Happening With Vegas Heat
It has been about two weeks, since, I have been able to do anything that write in the text box for the title of my blog; therefore, everything, I wanted to say, I had to say in abbreviated fashion, but I still had huge titles. Hopefully, those of you who don't like reading long ass blogs, were grateful for the vacation from my verbosity, and those of you who love the longer, verbal assaults, will as least get a buffet dinner today, rather than just a little snack. I have missed writing my blog the way I have for the last year and a few months, so we will see if I can still remember, how I used to do them. Okay, just to get you up to speed on my travels, since, last week . . . I started out in Missoula, Montana, because I wanted to be in that city for the new grand opening of the Poverello Homeless Shelter, which, I am glad to report from first hand witnesses, that they absolutely love it, couldn't be happier, and whomever made the plans, designed the building, and did so with known needs in mind did an excellent job, and there was even a Christmas tree gracing the dining area, for the one meal that I got to eat there, other than the celebration for the opening.
You Have Heard of the Street Lawyer . . . Well Now, You Know a Street Stylist--What an Inspiring Story!
So many times, where a person lives, makes all the difference on how they behave, and I think there will be a marked upswing in the attitudes, personal feelings of safety, and needed care, that amazing changes, will happen, and hopefully many people who stay there, either for a few days, for for the 45 day transitional housing allowance, or more long term residents, like the vets, many will be able to say, you transformed me . . . Along the lines of behaving better, based on where you live, or under what conditions, you find yourselves in, there was a great article in the Law Vegas Review Journal, about a high end, hair stylist, from New York, who for the last two years, almost every Saturday, hits the streets in search of homeless people who need hair cuts. In the article, Mark Bustos, found a homeless man, who also had HIV or Aids, who was living in a homeless shelter, and he volunteered to cut his hair. After the styling hair do, the man, said, You still got it baby . . . and he went on to state, that he felt like a King!
Mark Bustos, started cutting his friends hair, in his parent's garage, so his friends could pocket the hair cutting money, their parents gave them. He went on deciding to make a living, and ended up being a really great stylist, probably because he started his profession at the ripe young age of 12 years old! But, he often charges up to $150 per hair cut, to top end clientele, so he really knows how to make people look stunning. After cutting one man's hair, the guy looked in the mirror, and said, I wonder if anyone is hiring? Mark, never saw the man again, on the streets, and hoped, that was due to being inspired by his new, hair cut, and a good one can do that much for you. Other hair stylists have tried to join Mark, and tag along, which is prefers, so roll alone, and tells them, just get out on the streets and do your thing, many have joined in the effort, once they get over the fear of dealing with, bed bugs and boogie men! Lol! They really are not that scary, you just need to get to know them, many have had amazingly interesting lives, and just see things a bit different that your average Joe and Jane, who prefer to play it safe, and get your old 8 to 5, jobs.
SOMEONE HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR COOL . . . MANY ACROSS THE NATION JOIN EFFORTS TO MAKE PEOPLE LOOK & FEEL GOOD!
Along this line, there are also stylists in Kalispell, Montana, who volunteer to cut kids hair before school, and it seems to me, while I was down here in Vegas, there was a similar thing happening down here, I remember seeing some kids, coming into the Nellis Blvd, McDonald's, were I can get free refills, on a Diet Coke for a buck, so always tempting, but several kids came in right before school started, and they were styling for sure, coolest hair cuts, I had seen! And a group of hair salons, stylists, and photographers, volunteered, to do hair, make-up and take free family photos, so people could have some great pictures of their families, to commemorate the Christmas Season of 2014 . . . I think, this happened in Missoula, and it seems, that they were inspired by someone, and that may have been, Mark Bustos, actually? Kudos to all of you, there really is nothing that makes you feel better, than a really nice hair cut!
Vegas Police, Doing it up Right--Community Policing, Piloting Shirt Cameras, and Working with Faith Leaders on Policies that will Guide Police Interactions, Rather than just the Cops' Words
Now these are some pretty impressive statistics, dropping crime rates, by 75% in as community, with the nick name, the Baby Ghetto! Under the mantra of No More Room for Violence, one of the toughest communities in Las Vegas, officially called, Sierra Oeste, police, neighbors, parents, and kids, celebrated, a one year challenge to clean up the image, the mistrust, and outright fear, of the people who lived there, too afraid to come out of their homes before, holding a BBQ dinner. If anyone is a somewhat, regular reader of this blog, or may have read my kind of sarcastic blog, last August, when my cousin overheard on the radio, that the cops were sponsoring citywide, neighborhood BBQs, and my reaction, was, yeah, like, run if they say, now what was your name again? LOL! I thought, I am so sure, that anyone is going to voluntarily go have dinner with the cops . . . perhaps, at Christmas, you might let your little, pre-pubescent teens, Shop with a Cop, but I wouldn't trust them! LOL!
Well, apparently, law enforcement worked some magic, in the Baby Ghetto, and it worked! The year long initiative transformed a crime ridden community, to place where people feel comfortable, even welcome the cops presence there, it is like a new community, one that has no more room for violence, and it is working, domestic violence is down, assaults, sexual assaults, robbery and property crimes, now that is the way to transform all communities across America. One of the really great things about our federalist system, is that is seems, that most good ideas, come from the ground up, then spread, statewide, moving from state to state, as cops from around the country, meet, share their success stories, as I am sure this will be, both as a success, and as a story to be told, and ideas to be shared with other struggling communities, giving everyone ideas of what to do with a lack of trust, that is rampant, in all walks of life, not just on the streets.
I remember being here in August, and is was hotter than hell, in fact, the bottom of my running shoes, would heat up, just walking a block or two down the street, that my feet were literally being cooked, in my shoes, for about an hour after any short walk . . . the reason, now, that I have black shoes on top, with white soles on the bottom. But I remember, reading this sign on the buses, and the streets, that said, Vegas heat is nothing to mess with, or something along those lines, and I applied that to their cops, rather than the sun . . . sounds, like they are taking a different approach, citizens should not be afraid of law enforcement, and having some face time with them, talking with them, and working out problems, can really help. And that is just what is going on here, again, in Vegas . . .
Faith Based Community Leaders Helping Cops Make Policies
One of the most prominent groups of people, and the most effective, in controlling the crowds, and demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, was the members of the community clergy. As confrontations between cops, militarized and protesters happened, often faith leaders, with the trust and respect of the community, either stepped in, circled the protesters, protecting them from direct blows, or worked to keep the agitated, youth, working for good, rather than looting, stealing, and acting out, looting and burning stores, homes, or overturning police cars. So this is a very critical part of the community to pull into the decision making bodies, to help write, work on, and agree to a strategy, that will work, in local communities, that differ in make up, backgrounds, and value systems, that the police, don't have time to find out about, that make a huge deal, when getting to the street mentality of the community, or changing things on the streets.
Las Vegas cops, got several community grants, to use to pilot their use of body cams, and to work on the policies surrounding the use and implementation of the cameras, and the faith based leaders told the cops, that is was imperative, that they help to write the policies, that cops use. It is a proven fact, that the more skin you have in the game, the more you will work to make your ideas happen and work. There were several great pictures of this meeting taking place. From the looks on the faces of both the cops, and the clergy, there were exchanges of information that was unknown, or not understood, prior to the meeting, with perplexed looks on their faces, I am sure, that each side will better understand the workings, to issues, and the challenges, of making this pilot plan work, and how educational. We need policies, not police, to determine, the order of the day, the dictates, justice for all, fairly and evenly meted out. The faith leaders, said, once they know what the expectations of law enforcement are, the community churches, can work with the youth, and educate them, so there are no more losses of life, and everyone, will know, before hand, what is expected, and what the outcome will be, if a, b, or c happens, leaving no one guessing, what the policies are . . . so good!
The focus on policies, take policing to a new level, one of professionalism, immunity, protection for both the cop and the suspect, or person being stopped, detained, or questioned! This takes away, the element of arbitrary and capricious justice! One size, fits, all, and application of the law, is married to science, if you will, and those strategies and policies, that appear to work the best, within the framework of the law, as codified, either by constitutional or statutory laws, can be carried out with uniformity, colorblindness, and fairness. And I think, that is about all anyone can expect. With cops having to make hair-triggered decisions, they need, something concrete, some training, that will kick in, that has become almost part of them, like Miranda rights, have of the past, something that protects all parties, and makes the exchanges between cops and community, clean, with uniformity and order, that can be relied upon, carried out, firm but fair . . .
Comfort is the Killer of Creativity
This last week, David Choe, a renowned painter and Facebook multi-millioniare, came to play in Las Vegas, and enjoyed himself to the point of excess, which is the order of the day, in this town referred to as Sin City, but the man, made some pretty astute comments, that caused me to stop and think, and it might help you also, when you get a bit down . . . he said, My best work came from rejection, hatred, getting dumped, and living in miserable conditions. When he drops $250,000 on a single hand of Poker, or whatever his gambling choice of the day is, remember, that when all is said, and done, he chooses, to live in a small, shabby apartment, so he can remain at the top of his game. There is no magical formula for success, or creativity to spring from, and for pure genius to come out of all of us. We are where we are, we take it from here and go forward, with whatever it is we are dealing with as a person, a city, a state, country, or world . . . We are meant to do amazing things!
If You Are Still Bitching & Moaning about the Cost of Obamacare--STOP SMOKING!
Smoking costs burden our healthcare system--of every $10 spent on healthcare in the U.S., almost 90 cents is due to smoking, that is from a study coming out of the Center for Disease Control . . . we are all in this together! We all need to do our part to keep costs low . . .
Good News or Bad News?
Cops collected 4,000 plastic weapons and toys they collected from children who were asked to exchange toy guns for other toys and sweets . . . just FYI.
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