Police brutality taints celebration
The police’s aggressive actions at the conclusion of the
UCLA-USC game were an embarrassing mark on UCLA athletics.
During what should have been a celebration of an amazing win,
the police at the Rose Bowl aggressively sprayed pepper spray, hit
people with batons and threw people to the ground.
It is understandable that the police did not want people to rush
the field. On the other hand, they could have simply intimidated
people into cooperating by simply stationing policemen with batons
at the bottom of the stairs of the student section.
The decision to spray pepper spray into the first few rows of
students at random was a poor choice.
Many innocent people in the stands had to cover their eyes in
pain even though they were not planning to rush the field.
The actions of the police were embarrassing and completely
unnecessary.
To attack innocent people ““ myself included ““ was
unacceptable and a shameful end to an amazing moment in UCLA
athletic history.
Chris Fong, Third-year, history
Parking problem needs real solutions
As a long-time resident of Westwood Village, I took interest in
a recent Los Angeles Times article concerning apron parking
(“A Dukakis win in Westwood,” Nov. 30).
I think visiting Professor Michael Dukakis has exaggerated the
hazards of apron parking.
It also saddens me that he has chosen to use his political
muscle on such a trivial matter.
I can imagine how Dukakis, as a part-time resident and newcomer
to Westwood Village, would find apron parking irritating,
particularly since he has access to on and off-campus parking
spaces.
In contrast, long-time residents of Westwood Village have
learned to accept, adapt and cooperate to manage the parking
shortage.
All good public policies include viable solutions.
What is to be done to deal with the many hundreds of lost
parking spaces in Westwood Village?
His team of student activists offered ideas such as more metered
parking spaces and paid permit parking.
This then begs the question of where. Just about everywhere in
the Village is metered or permit-only, with few exceptions.
Dukakis glibly proposes that the local residents should shed
their cars and “take the bus.”
This is hypocritical of Dukakis. It demonstrates just how out of
touch he is with the situation and with the community.
If he truly feels that local public transportation is the
panacea for parking shortages in Westwood Village, then he should
lead by example.
I encourage Dukakis to relinquish his UCLA faculty parking
space, sell his vehicles and use public transportation exclusively
when he’s in town. I encourage his team of student activists
to do the same.
Cord Kirshner, UCLA staff
Columnist makes apt assessment of UCPD
I respect the balanced viewpoint Tristan Reed presented in his
column, “Focus should be on police mind-set” (Nov.
22).
In light of the Taser incident at UCLA and the recent actions by
police in New York and Los Angeles, communities across the country
need to confront the issues he raises.
Law enforcement officers have the trust to judiciously apply
force. Community members are the check on officers stepping beyond
the bounds of their duties and abusing their power.
When a community can no longer check its own law enforcement, it
faces the potential for results such as the L.A. riots.
The law grants police the power to apply force to a much greater
extent than the average citizen. If we find that police are abusing
that power, we should encourage our political leaders to use their
influence.
It is part of our way of life, and our system of government,
that when we discover abuses we can effect change to stop them.
Mana Moriarty, University of Hawai’i at Manoa Law
School