Friday, December 24, 2010

Memorial for Guy Jarreau, jr.


Guy Jarreau’s mother kisses his picture on a memorial poster. She says her son “came to me this morning,” saying, “Yours is the voice I have always carried since I’ve been your child. Now you need to speak for me.” – Video frame: YO! TV

Guy Jarreau Jr. memorial video from New America Media [http://vimeo.com/namvideo]. –
[http://vimeo.com/17904899]
Video: Ann Bassette, Malcolm Marshall and Paul Billingsley

201-12-24 "The Mehserle effect: Vallejo shooting tests era of police accountability" by Kevin Weston

[http://newamericamedia.org/2010/12/the-mehserle-effect---vallejo-shooting-tests-new-era-of-police-accountability.php]
Kevin Weston is director of New Media and Youth Communications at New America Media and, for the past 10 years, director and publisher of YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia. He can be reached at kweston@newamericamedia.org.
---
December 24, 2010 Vallejo, Calif. –
In the Bay Area, the veneer of police impunity seems to be thinning even as high-profile cases of police shooting unarmed Black men – in Oakland and nearby Vallejo – continue to occur.
Aftershocks following the killing of Oscar Grant III by ex-BART transit officer Johannes Mehserle have shaken up the landscape of police and community relations in the Bay Area. The age-old idea that, when it comes to Black males, police could get away with anything is being challenged.
Mehserle’s trial and guilty verdict, though probably only partial justice – he’ll do about a year when it’s all said and done – may have opened a crack in the blue shield of silence that has protected police from ever being held accountable. Grant was killed in front of a 21st century audience.
The scene of Grant being shot in the back by Mehserle is seared into the public memory, because it was virally-enhanced, and things have changed for the better – in the short term. Weeks after Mehserle was sentenced to two years for involuntary manslaughter in the slaying of Grant he was denied bail. It was a miracle that the Alameda County District Attorney even filed a case against Mehserle. And that is the difference between now and years past. Inside actors – officials sworn to uphold the law – are questioning suspicious police-involved shootings more than ever before.
Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts made headlines recently when he asked for a federal investigation into two of his officers involved in the shooting death of an unarmed East Oakland barbershop owner. The same team of OPD killed an unarmed woman in 2008. And, as if to underscore this budding new era of police accountability, officials in Oakland – including the newly elected mayor, Jean Quan – participated in a meeting designed to address police brutality recently hosted by the NAACP.
Now, the case that could break the trend or add full moon energy to the movement for justice involves a 33-year-old Black man, community activist, student and mentor who was gunned down in a lonely alley in Vallejo, Calif. Guy Jarreau Jr. was shot and killed by a Vallejo Police Department officer Saturday, Dec. 11, in the early afternoon.
He had lived in Vallejo eight years after coming from New Orleans. According to eyewitnesses interviewed by New America Media, Jarreau had his hands up facing the officer who shot him twice. “I didn’t hear no warning, no nothing,” said Martin L’Esperance, a witness and friend of Jarreau. “We were shooting a video on Sonoma, walking back and forth with the cameras. Guy was with us. He was security for us. He was there watching us, directing us – telling us what we should do in the video. The cops just pulled up on us, told him (Mr. Jarreau) to stop – everyone was walking away. He (Mr. Jarreau) walked into the alley. The cop just came onto the sidewalk, pointed into the alley and shot twice. “After that they told us all to get on the ground. … They handcuffed us all. We was like, ‘Is he ok? Is Guy ok?’ And a cop said: ‘I don’t give a f––k if he lives or he dies.’ That’s what the cop said. Then he said, ‘If you say something else, we’ll shoot you too.’ … Guy didn’t have a gun,” said L’Esperance.
L’Esperance and other eyewitness accounts contrast with the Vallejo Police Department’s story [http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us/uploads/547/1011469-1.pdf].
According to an official press release: “Officers arrived on scene at 3:01 p.m. and observed the suspect flee into a nearby alley. The officers confronted the man, who was now holding the firearm. In self defense, the officer fired on the suspect, striking him at least once. The suspect was taken via air ambulance to a Bay Area trauma center, where he was later pronounced dead.”
According to witnesses, Jarreau lay on the ground for close to 45 minutes before he received help. Time will tell whether or not the Solano County district attorney will look at this case with the scrutiny it deserves. If officials do act, Vallejo will join Oakland, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans in pursuing justice by holding police responsible for their actions. It is a moment of momentum for accountability that Black communities across the country should welcome.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Typical comments against Guy Jarreau, jr.

This is a small selection of comments posted at [http://www.topix.com/forum/nascar/TBJA9CK97JOFQPR5L], and are provided here in the order they were posted, for archival purposes only.
Note, this archive was created when the archivist saw a comment by "Real American" which advocated more street executions by Vallejo Police, and saying that "those pants-dragging ni99ers need to be put in their place." However, later, when this archive was being prepared for posting, this comment was erased. Another comment posted by "Real American" is still there, claiming that the witnesses are being watched...
Realize, then, that the website's administrators are allowing intimidation tactics but erasing posts containing profanity, a selective censoring...

Kim, Redwood City, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Transparency is key here.
Now they say as I originally said
2 shots fired
I heard yelling before which I said sounded directive, police.
No helicopter
Unmarked cop car

Great Day in Vallejo, Oakland, CA, Dec 17, 2010
The credibility of the pants dragging bleeding hearts in NO GOOD, again.
Have a great day everyone.
One less criminial to scare Vallejo residents.
Ho ho ho

Double D, La Crescenta, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Good shooting Tex! and it only cost the City $2.00 in amunition. Court dismissed!

NRA Life Member, Oak Harbor, WA, Dec 17, 2010
Good Job VPD!

JamesMac, Napa, CA, Dec 17, 2010
we got him on video... Yoooohooo thaks vpd for keeping us safe from crazy gunslingers.

Native Vallejoan, Vallejo, Dec 17, 2010
SOP! Standard Operational Proceedure! The cop followed through with his training. No lies, no deception. Case closed!


Hmm, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
"Also, police Thursday said that other than the officer there were no other eyewitnesses to the shooting. That contradicted the initial police department account, released Saturday, indicating that more than one officer confronted 34-year-old Guy Jarreau in the downtown alley where he was shot."
Thank goodness the police got their story straight, finally. This transparency thing would be a lot clearer if we could see through it.

Clarke Johnston, Vallejo, Dec 17, 2010
What part of the helicopter landing elsewhere are you having a problem with? Dang it. Do us all a favor
Don't vote.
Don't have kids.
Watch the videos. Your man isn't a role model, he's a chump. Straight up.

Angry Citizen, Stockton, CA
Dec 17, 2010
I think VPD could of handle this situation in a totally differnt approach....not to say I knew the victim and he was no where near what you ignorant ass folks have to clearly say about him...VPD are soo trying to cover up for the mistake they clearly made... AND YESS THEIR WAS WITNESSES!!!! I so hope the victims mother hires a civil rights lawyer to sue the hell out of VPD for injustice and killing an innocent man who was just out there advocating for these unpriviledge youths... Cause honestly not all african american men are criminals!!! Get ya facts straight folks :-P

Cedric, Oakland, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Oops! A fly in our Liberal oatmeal! Now what path do we pursue?
Personal responsibility for being stuck-on-stupid is many times hard to accept!
I am glad that the officer wasn't hurt, inspire of the Mayor and Clowncil trying to reinvent Vallejo.

Wanglow, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
"underpriviledge youths", that's a good one. Don't work, don't study, feast on TAXPAYER junk-food and alchohol, stay out until 3 am then sleep until 1100, never have to face a mean foreman or job deadline, or bad weather or horrible commute, hang around all day long in front of liquor stores and phony "barber shops"; yeah, that's a REAL TOUGH life for these poor zombies. In a few years they will all be "underpriviledged adults", gee, I wonder why?

Willaim, Oakland, CA, Dec 17, 2010
I don't care about racial profiling. You know, sometimes it is good we are racially profiled, because the God's honest truth is that 99 percent of the people that are robbing, stealing, killing these drivers are blacks and Hispanics," said Mateo, who is Hispanic and has a black father. [http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/taxi_big_fair_to_profile_0QVhd88HvjGJbruypDUj2L]

Wanglow, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Ok, and thank you for being fair. I don't know what "facts" you are refering to but you CANNOT name ANYTHING I have ever posted that was untrue. I call 'em as I see 'em, regardless of "race". I have NEVER threatened harm to anyone, never wished ill upon another person undeserving or used profanity in my statements. I constantly write and work to end the democrat-created welfare system which has ENSLAVED generations of our American citizens and doomed them to a life of poverty, crime and disillusionment, without even Hope for a better life. Work is the ONLY Salvation a free-born Man has and by providing JUST ENOUGH free services to barely subsist on this political scourge has altered the course and Promise that this American experiment was created for. Please get off the defensive race issue and focus on the CAUSE of OUR most serious problems and work to change it. Excuses don't pay the bills.

Bout Time, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Angry Citizen wrote: "I think VPD could of handle this situation in a totally differnt approach.... [for complete quoted post, please see it above]"
What is the number on your NAACP card? Burris would take this on for free and sooner or later Sharpton and Jackson will be in town. Burris = Slime, Sharpton = Liar, Jackson = Jackwagon. Nice bunch of folks that you people look up to.
And no there was no witness you idiot.

They will never change, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Angry Citizen wrote: "I think VPD could of handle this situation in a totally differnt approach.... [for complete quoted post, please see it above]"
No they are not....But this one was and thats the point. You cannot keep on pointing the finger at someone else. When someone does something wrong they have to pay and in his case he paid with his life. Don't run around waving a gun around because you will get shot. You think you are tough or a bad (a)ss with a gun but your not, someone or many innocent people are going to get shot or killed. Like in Sacramento a innocent woman got killed because the IGNORANT black guys shot at each other at the barber shop. They all had guns now go figure....it's the life style you live so guess what? You will go down.

Clarke Johnston, Vallejo, Dec 17, 2010
Angry Citizen wrote: "For you 2 quickly judge and dont even know this dude it's really sad that there is still ignorant ppl like your self in this messed up corrupted world... CHUMP!!!"
All I need to know comes from the video. I can and am making a judgement, based on HIS behavior within that video. Don't like it? Tough. He holds the gun like a thug, and threatens the camera like a punk. I'm not ignorant, just informed, unlike yourself. I've not quickly judged, I've sifted through four days of "don't judge and he's a nice guy" from posters like yourself.
Watch the video. If he acted in this manner with the police, so be it.
Guy said he didn't play. Well, it appears that the Vallejo Police don't play, either.

THE KLAN, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Angry Citizen wrote: "I think VPD could of handle this situation in a totally differnt approach.... [for complete quoted post, please see it above]"
"not all african american men are criminals" true, but most of the crimes are being done by them.

case closed, United States, Dec 17, 2010
Angry Citizen wrote: "I think VPD could of handle this situation in a totally differnt approach.... [for complete quoted post, please see it above]"
the person you say you knew obviously brandished the gun otherwise no one would have known or reported he had one. I seriously question the decision making ability of someone to irresponsibly handle a deadly weapon in that manner.
I also question the thought process of someone who would defend the subjects action. HE WAS CARRYING DEADLY WEAPON! What about that is hard to understand? QUESTION: how else should have the police handled It? Should the police have presumed the subject was not going to them shoot at them? Mabey then we would be having a funeral of police officer...would that make you feel better?
How about calling how it us and saying that the subject made a very poor decision as soon as he got up in the morning, and continued a string of poor decisions until it ultimatey ended up in his own death.
We all choices to make...and the subject made his. Life goes on...at least for those of us choosing not to carry pistols in our pockets.

Black People, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Angry Citizen wrote: "I think VPD could of handle this situation in a totally differnt approach.... [for complete quoted post, please see it above]"
Just about 98% in Vallejo. Go figure. Take away your black criminals and VAllejo is almost crime free. Wow, what a thought. Get rid of Vallejo city council and you are 100 % crime free

Grant, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Here he is carrying around a loaded pistol....and they say hes a role model...hmmmmm? sounds like a piece of trash

Dirty Larry, Vacaville, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Angry Citizen wrote: "I think VPD could of handle this situation in a totally differnt approach.... [for complete quoted post, please see it above]"
So if you did not know the victim, why are you making a comment.
They say the "VICTIM" has been on the department for about ten years. I am sure the "VICTIM" is educated and has a family. The "VICTIM" probably is a typical down to earth guy or gal who makes everyone smile. The "VICTIM" gets up everday to put on a bullet proof vest to protect the citizens of Vallejo. I wish I knew more about the "VICTIM," in my eyes he or she is a hero. To the "VICTIM" thanks for your dedication to the community.
Now for the "SUSPECT."
A one-way ticket from New Orleans,$280.00
An ugly stripped shirt, Free from the Goodwill
An education from Napa College, Free from taxpayers
An ugly gun, Free, most likely stolen
Five bullets,#2.50
Getting center pounched in the chest by a .40 cal, PRICELESS

what a joke, Oakland, CA, Dec 17, 2010
This is what happens when the youth of Vallejo try to do something productive!
They were filming a video against violence! And for that the Police shot and killed a wonderful man!
This case stinks and it needs to be investigated by an independent citizens council.
These gun slinging cops are killing innocent people left and right.
Oscar Grant and Derrick Jones in Oakland. Richard Poccia in Napa. And now this gentlemen!
Shame on you police!

Juan Burris, Vallejo, CA, Dec 17, 2010
Kim wrote: "Transparency is key here. Now they say as I originally said 2 shots fired. I heard yelling before which I said sounded directive, police. No helicopter, Unmarked cop car"
You are a (s)tupid ugly woman. This is not in my nature, but we are all tired of your stupidity. Get a clue. This man had a gun, and was killed because of it. It's as simple as that. I assume you are saying that he never pointed a gun at an innocent person before the police came - thus the 911 tape is made up. I assume you are saying that the man (JARREAU) wearing the same striped shirt in the video is holding the same gun the police found on him- that too was made up. This same bloody shirt was found in the alley which you witnessed, correct?
You are probably a good person. You are probably just very lonely and depressed right now huh? You should be depressed, you are an ugly woman inside and out. One only needs to look at your youtube video with Guy JARREAU'S mother. Get a life Kim...do us a all a favor! Everyone should search the youtube and Guy JARREAU to see your ugly ass - the one wearing the jacket with "Kim" on it.

VV Resident, San Francisco, CA, Dec 17, 2010
(Until Thursday, police had declined to discuss in any detail what has over the ensuing days become a controversial officer-related shooting. Police had contended that information would be released after investigations were conducted by the Solano County District Attorney's Office and department officials.
But Park said that after "rumors" circulated that Jarreau, originally from New Orleans, and a Napa Valley College student, had been unarmed when he was shot, police decided to release more details.
"We wanted to be more transparent, and show he was in possession of a gun," Park said.)
By caving in and letting this information out....It showed insecurities. Stand your ground VPD.

Thankful, Walnut Creek, CA, Dec 18, 2010
GOOD JOB VALLEJO POLICE!:)
At least the stupid guy died rather than brought to the county jail where he'd be fed by our tax dollars and then probably re-released into society where he'd father many more children, in which all 5 of his baby mommas would ask for child support. All the while he'd irritate the rest of Vallejo, as he illegally crosses the streets...slowly... in his baggy pants while talking really loud on his cell phone.

crow2k5, Vallejo, CA, Dec 18, 2010
Ive known Guy for 8 years & he was not a thug or a criminal, he was a great person, kind, loving, he would go out of his way to help someone. This is a tragedy. I know there is more to this story & i hope the truth comes out. I do not believe Guy pointed a gun @ a police officer. R.I.P. my friend & let the truth be shown, you will be missed... Guy Jarreau Jr...

Juan Burris, Vallejo, CA, Dec 18, 2010
Here is the link to this ugly (a)ss woman - acting for the camera! We are all very tired of you!
Everyone look at this pendeja and see it for yourself! http://www.youtube.com/watch...
AND NO I AM NOT A UNION THUG OR ANY PART OF POLICE!
Just a tired concerned citizen, tired of enabling these thugs to wear their pants passed their ass while talking on the phone, yelling in the store, being total inconsiderate etc. etc. etc... while we make excuses for them, choosing words such as DISENFRANCHISED,racial institution etc...etc.
By the way, did we see the video of him HOLDING THE GUN WITH THE SAME BLOODY STRIPED SHIRT He was shot wearing .... THE ONE THE POLICE ALLEGEDLY FOUND IN THE ALLEY!- WHO IS THE MALCOLM X LOOK ALIKE with him....PATHETIC!

Fight City Hall, Vallejo, CA, Dec 18, 2010
crow2k5 wrote: "Ive known Guy for 8 years & he was not a thug or a criminal, he was a great person, kind, loving, he would go out of his way to help someone. This is a tragedy. I know there is more to this story & i hope the truth comes out. I do not believe Guy pointed a gun @ a police officer. R.I.P. my friend & let the truth be shown, you will be missed... Guy Jarreau Jr..."
I am sure he was a great guy to someone, but you don't have to point a gun at someone to get shot. Just hanging on to a gun and running or just not dropping it justifies shooting. Next time you run after someone with a gun, don't shoot them until they shoot at you, ahahahhahahahh I will come to your funeral. This is not a TV show or movie. You pants dragging punks never learn

crow2k5, Vallejo, CA, Dec 18, 2010
He knew those teens, they were making a music video, i talked to them, those same teens made & are going to make more tribute videos for Guy on youtube. He wasnt a danger to anyone. if you guys really knew him, you wouldn't be posting all these hateful comments, he would tell youths pull your pants up, be proud, dont be a thug, be somebody... He made a bad judgement bringing a gun to the video shoot & it cost him his life. millions of ppl own guns & they are not all thugs & criminals...

VVV, San Francisco, CA, Dec 18, 2010
I agree. The police are already contradicting their story. I do not believe a word they are saying, and neither should anyone.
The police in Vallejo are killers.
The people posting on this forum are racists, psychotic, and ruining Vallejo by treating the youth as criminals. I know for a fact that many of these sick people hang out on the stormfront website for white supremacists. I watch you.
We need to stand up against these bigots, take back our town, and restore justice!
Justice for Oscar Grant, Justice for Derrick Jones, Justice for Richard Poccia, and Justice for Guy Jarreau.

Mothman, San Francisco, CA, Dec 18, 2010
So I guess the thing to do is question the honesty and verbally bash those officers that have stayed on to work the streets of this city. Through bankruptcy, city councilwomen threats to come after them, half the number of cover officers, lack of show of support from citizens, no hope of future bargaining in good faith, lower pay, less benefits, no chance of promotion, and no light at the end of the tunnel. Crime is arising in our City and we are doing a great job of pushing those that want to stay and help out of here! What a concept. What an embarrassment.

VVV, San Francisco, CA, Dec 18, 2010
The thing to do is to question the lies we are being told by the Vallejo Police!
The thing to do is to stand up to the scum posting racist, vile, and disgusting remarks on this site!
The thing to do is to rise up, as a community, clean out all the scum like the ones posting here, and take back our town!
We are sick of the police killing people! And we are sick of the pieces of trash over taking this forum with this racism and bigotry! Its time to take out the trash.

QUICK FIX, Vallejo, CA, Dec 18, 2010
We need for people to be assured that every confrontation with police will be done legally, and if a citizen happens to get murdered by the police it should be recorded. There is more than one reason that a cop killing another human being should be recorded. Other than that it is evidence for the particular incident, it also will give people (who ever is involved) a first hand look at what the situation we give police permission to kill citizens actually looks like. Please read up and press our council and our police department to look into these cameras they can wear. Check it out http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34620212/ns/techn...

Real American, Vallejo, CA
Any so-called witness to the so-called killing needs to know, you are being watched.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

How the media is exploited

Vallejo is an isolated city, sometimes considered to be "eastbay", but nested within the end of Napa Valley bio-region. We're stuck here with many, many types of people getting by. The most beautiful people of like mind can be found among the natives, who see petty differences as material masques, and who look for the common thread.
This is also the land of the "violent", "ghetto", "rap" standard of "hip-hop", of violent "hyphy", mass drug suicides of a generation. This is the land of the "thug", and fellow Napkins of Napa Valley can't stand being here. I know. They say Richmond has a meaner attitude, and I know because we all been there. Richmond also has a rich and powerful side too, as does Oakland, and elsewhere those "sovereign elite" live amongst the people...

You got to know history for it's own sake, because when the need comes, it comes, and those that live say it's because their ancestors chose survival. If the history of Eastern Europe has taught me anything, "communist" and "christian" alike, it's that the different "power-cliques" still use the same whipping slaves to unify the majority. Of course, the idea of "violent black men" is accepted by the North American monopolized media in any metropolis without question, because they "gotta whip 'em up!" to get those ratings, and such crude caricature is overplayed to another degree, because we all know the image of the violent Black man, our neighbor.

If the Vallejo Police Department gives the monopolized media photographs showing Guy Jarreau, jr. behaving like a violent black man, these media groups will report the photographs as typical of who Guy Jarreau, jr. was, without the usual context reserved for anyone else in Vallejo who "don' act poor".
Oscar Grant, Derrick Jones, Martin Cotton, hundred or more in Kalifornia during past 10 years, literally executed in many instances... Black, White, Latino... Northbay, Eastbay, Socal...
The following photographs were given to the monopolized media [they are the only suckas who would never have asked about Guy Jarreau jr., the Man] by an authority at the Vallejo PD, and it's a certain ratings booster.

"Guy Jarreau", the image:
Who is this other guy? What are they up to, huh? I know they aren't thugs.
This Man is not a thug!!! This is a typical man from the community of Vallejo. He changed his life through Jesus, came clean, worked with folks without homes, attended Napa Valley College where he also was employed...
The photographs were extracted by Vallejo PD from a video created during the time when Guy Jarreau, jr. and friends were producing an anti-violence video, and segments of which portray sarcasm about the typical violent attitudes so pervasive among minority youth, hence the gun.
It is not the gun described by the 9-11 call. It is not the man described in the 9-11 call.
So who is this Man vilified in the press?

No matter what, Vallejo is an extreme community composed of 13 or 14 different gangs representin' 9 different nations flowing in a town with connections worldwide. This is no joke, read between the lines, we are ALL in this together as a community, and Vallejoans know themselves to be FAMILY because we all know eachother.
We all understand what Vallejo PD has to do to protect themselves, but something is wrong, as of here. Like some fascist dictator in Latin America, the monopolized media played the tune called by the authority, and now folks are being triggered to snipe at fellow Vallejoans, as can be typically seen on any comments section in an online article about this incident.
As a native, we all know those extremists are the power in certain hoods. We know. And, here it is. This process of fascism in the community is now becoming reminiscent of the business used by Ku Klux Klan and their ideologically affiliated groups throughout the San Pablo bay area, from Napa Valley to Diablo Valley. Remember how these kinds of extremists used the lynch laws all around the USA? Castration and death, or paralyze for life the Black men accused of "rape" when it was no more than a flirt. They claimed it was "Community Justice by the Conservative Citizens Council", do a wikipedia search, because this is real history, a tradition from the KKK to the CCC right here in the Northbay, to vilify a good man in the media. It's the nature of the beast, and it's Another Man Down!
The facts show the unfired weapon was far from the body indicating it was thrown, did not match the gun described in the 9-11 call, and that nobody was actually ever threatened by Guy Jarreau, he was not threatening that officer!!!

Folks, people in Vallejo are folks of all races, and sometimes, a diverse group of citizens assemble in broad daylight next to the farmer's market to display their guns openly. Liberal journalists would say these were "gun nuts", but these fine citizens assembled specifically to exercise their collective right to bear arms LEGALLY for the cause of personal safety. Right On! These people held their civil rights gatherings throughout 2010, just like people do everywhere in this Libertarian state of California, including Oakland and at gun shows.
The Vallejo PD gave them absolutely no shuffle for this display of firepower, so close to alot of liquor establishments and banks, because this is the kind of thing typical in Vallejo, and it's fine to display this kind of constitutional knowledge. As far as I can figure, everyone knows someone who carries a weapon while walking around most of Vallejo. We natives know extreme things you out-of-towners won't understand, except the Oakland natives.

This is what drew the line for this fellow native of Vallejo. I hate pointing out dangerous truths, but I know what's up, and for this I seek guidance in my culture, and in my personal culture I CELEBRATE KWANZAA, and my history...
Therefore I know what follows.
UMOJA is Unity, a principle held closely by thousands of Vallejoans, including the author of this post, celebrating it during Kwanzaa ever year, no matter what my race might be, because here I live amongst many races and they are my people, and this is my culture, where we exist side by side.
IMANI is the principle we hold that in faith we shall be guided by a still yet unseen hand despite great odds, with community providing UJIMA, another principle of Kwanzaa telling us of the community responsibility to work together for our betterment, through NIA, the principle of purpose.

Some friends are talking about a common purpose to spark the dream for justice for Guy Jarreau.
It is now too much.
Community!
Rise. Stand tall. This man is of us all.
2010-12-16 "Vallejo Police Release Tapes of 911 Call in Officer Involved Shooting"
Copyright © 2010 by Bay City News, Inc
[http://www.fugitive.com/archives/33014]
Vallejo police released an audiotape today of the 911 call that preceded a fatal officer-involved shooting on Sonoma Boulevard on Saturday afternoon, as well as video footage shot by the victim’s associates that shows the man with a gun.
Police shot 34-year-old Guy Jarreau of Vallejo once in the chest shortly before 3 p.m. when he allegedly interfered with a 911 call for assistance, police said. He died Saturday at the John Muir Medical Center.
In the 911-call audiotape, a man told the police dispatcher that a group of about 15 young men were in front of his tattoo shop at 2118 Sonoma Blvd.  He said the group was videotaping something, and the oldest man in the group flashed a gun at him as he left his shop. He then told the dispatcher the man had the gun in a front pocket of his jeans. The caller said the weapon was a revolver, which he described as a chrome gun with a black handle. Parts of the audiotape are unintelligible because of a buzzing sound. Responding officers arrived at the scene and tried to detain the group, but one man walked south on Sonoma Boulevard, police Sgt. Kenny Park said. When an officer called out to the man, later identified as Jarreau, he allegedly ran into an alley in the 2100 block of Sonoma Boulevard just north of Florida Street, Park said. The officer lost sight of Jarreau as he turned a corner, and when the officer turned the corner, Jarreau was facing him as he approached, Park said. “It was apparent the man was trying to draw a gun from his pocket, and that’s when the officer recognized the threat to his safety and fired his weapon,” Park said.
Park said Jarreau had a criminal history in Louisiana. Police also posted a short video on the department’s webs site www.vallejopd.com, of Jarreau brandishing a revolver allegedly recovered from the scene of the shooting. The site has a picture pulled from the video that shows Jarreau with the gun, plus three still photographs of the weapon. The footage appears to have been shot an hour or less before the shooting and was taken by Jarreau’s associates.
Park said the blue-steel revolver seen in the video and in the still photos is the same revolver recovered from Jarreau’s hand at the shooting scene. It has a white pearl handle grip. The revolver contained five live rounds, police said. The video only shows Jarreau, and there is no sound.
The officer who shot Jarreau has not been identified. Park said he has been on the Vallejo police force for about 10 years and is on paid administrative leave. There were no witnesses to the shooting, and police are encouraging anyone with information to call detectives at (800) 488-9383, Park said. Vallejo police and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting.
Video #1: [http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us/uploads/547/Movie_0001.wmv]
Video #2: [http://www.ci.vallejo.ca.us/uploads/547/VPD1014469.mov]