Anniversary of the Murder of Jamiel Shaw II

[Ole Glory]

Copied and Pasted from the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Meeting March 2, 2010. Public Comments:
The Shaw Family and Friends:

SUP. MOLINA, CHAIR: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DR. CLAVREUL. ITEM NO. 24 AND 28 ARE BEFORE US. MOVED BY SUPERVISOR KNABE. SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR YAROSLAVSKY. IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, SO ORDERED ON THOSE ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. THAT, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING COMPLETES THE AGENDA.

WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT WISH TO ADDRESS US ON PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M GOING TO CALL THEM UP, IF THEY'D COME UP. I'LL CALL FOUR PEOPLE UP AT A TIME. IF YOU'D LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. COULD WE LIMIT PUBLIC COMMENT TO ONE MINUTE? ALL RIGHT. THERE'S BEEN A RECOMMENDATION THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD LIMIT IT TO ONE MINUTE. SO IF YOU'D STAY WITHIN THAT ONE MINUTE, WE'D APPRECIATE IT.

WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH ANITA SHAW FOLLOWED BY JAMIEL SHAW. ALTHEA SHAW. AND JESSICA CORDE. IF THEY'D JOIN US, PLEASE. MISS SHAW, IF YOU WOULD BEGIN?

[Ole Glory]

Anita shaw: Yes. First i would like to say thank you for letting us be able to speak here today. And i have a prepared speech that i have i wanted to say. First and foremost i would like to take the time to thank the los angeles county board of supervisors for allowing my family and myself to speak here today.

Two years ago today our life stopped. And nothing has been normal since that day. With that i am saying that because that's when my son was murdered while i was in iraq. With that said, i am here to help anyone that i can to prevent this from ever happening again. The system that is supposed to protect the citizens of los angeles is broken and must be repaired.

In 2003, a memorandum of understanding, m.o.u. 287-g was created for guidance regarding the use of race by federal law enforcement agencies dated june 2003. Participating of los angeles county sheriff's department personnel will performing several immigration enforcement functions, first and not limited to interrogation in order to determine probable cause for immigration violation. The authority and power to interrogate any alien as to his rights to be in or remain in the united states of america. Bless you.

March the first, an illegal alien, known gang member of the 18th street gang was released from los angeles county jail. He served 180 days for a 245 pc, assault on a peace officer. On march the second, that same person gunned down my son, jamiel andres shaw, ii.

My time is expired.

Sup. Molina, chair: That's all right. Go ahead. Continue.

Anita shaw: Okay. He was only 17 years old. And as i said, i was serving my country at the time and was rushed back as quickly as possible because i was in baghdad, iraq. My question is: Why? Why did this have to happen? If the m.o.u. Was doing what they were supposed to do, the guy wouldn't have had killed my son. That's all.

Sup. Molina, chair: Thank you, ms. Shaw. Jemiel shaw?
Anita shaw: Yes. Jamiel andre shaw, ii.

[Ole Glory]

Sup. Molina, chair: Followed by althea shaw.

Jamiel shaw: Good afternoon.

Sup. Molina, chair: Good afternoon, sir.

Of course, my name is jamiel shaw. Like anita said, we're still stuck on march the second. I still don't even believe it happened. I wake up every day three or four times a night and don't sleep anymore just thinking about my son all day, all night. And it's just consuming my life and we just don't understand the nonchalant attitude that this is no big deal and it's been two years, get over it. You know, we still don't even believe it happened.

We've had plans for my son. You know, we've -- we thought we made it, you know. He was getting ready to go to college. He was getting recruited from rutgers. He was getting recruited from pete carol gave him a tryout. Stanford was looking at him. He was really doing what he's supposed to do. Never been arrested. Wasn't in any gang. No gang database. Never suspended from school. And when you go through all this, you expect good things to happen. And when it doesn't, it really throws you, it really throws you a curve.

And when you come to people and you ask them to help us, my son was murdered on the same street that i was raised on. We moved into that house in 1970. And i was nine years old when we moved there. And my son was born, we brought him home to that same house. I played on that same street that he was murdered on. We have to walk by that spot all day long, every day. It's not fair. And what i want to ask you guys right now is just put yourself in our shoes. What would you do? What would you do if your son, you daughter, your husband, wife was walking home and they were murdered, shot dead in the street? I was there. I heard the gunshots. I ran outside to see my son laying there dead.

I still can't believe it. Bullet hole in his head. All of his blood in the street. And then we come to people every one thinks well it's not politically correct to talk about that and it's controversial. But we didn't ask for this, you know. We have people coming to our country to experience the american dream, and they're giving us an american nightmare, you know, it's a nightmare to wake up to see pictures. [applause.] to see pictures of your son in his bedroom and two years later, the same way. Shoes sitting there and his toothbrush. It is so debilitating to have to live like this and to see that no one really cares.

We know there are people who care, but no one is willing to step up. The politicians, you guys are the ones that we depend on. I'm a constituent. I pay taxes. I've been working since i was in the tenth grade. I've always tried to do the right thing. I'm not perfect, but i tried. And when we come to the people who are supposed to help us, the politicians, and you get nothing but it's too controversial because he was murdered by an illegal alien.

I mean, that's not fair to us. I have a 10-year-old son that asks me every day why did jazz have to die? And i have to hold him from crying. Everybody in my family is crying every day. No one's the same. And we feel like we're being let down because we have to fight for -- we have to fight just for our kids. You know if you would be in that same position, like i said, put yourself in that position. Picture your child laying there in the casket with the future that was just ready for him. Picture your mother, your father and you would understand where we're coming from. And if this doesn't make you want to be different or try to do something, then nothing will.

I mean we are seeing murders every day. Everyone is seeing it on tv. And what's being done? Nothing. People think it goes away with time.

Sup. Molina, chair: Mr. Shaw, do you want to start summarizing, please?

Jamiel shaw: It gets worse. I'm sorry for going over. It's just, we're dependent upon you guys to do something besides talk. We're past that. And i thank you for hearing me out. I know i went over. And just thank you again.

[Ole Glory]

Sup. Molina, chair: Thank you, mr. Shaw. All right. We're going to stay with the one minute from this point on. Althea shaw followed by jessica corde. If i could have sydney stinnett join us as well as jim gilcrist. Ms. Shaw.

Althea shaw: My name is althea rae shaw i would ask for a little over with one minute.

Sup. Molina, chair: I'm going to ask you to stay within one minute if you could.

Althea shaw: I was wondering when they were talking about the impact release of inmates from state prison: Our supervisor walked out. I didn't even hear you ask one question. Everyone was asking questions. You went to sit down and it was like your social hour. We call your office, we are your constituents. You don't return calls. We can't get through. And then you want to -- they'll say okay, well send an email. That's not right.

I remember we talked to you before you were running for office and you said well i wouldn't want my son to be associated with something as controversial as special order 40, as if we do. And it's not right. And i believe that you guys are ignoring us. There's a way to get this on the agenda.

There's a way to talk about 287-g. There's a way to do something. But i don't believe it's right. A lot of you are saying well your case is in litigation. Well we were here in may 2008. We were not in litigation. But then it was over. Now we're investigating your case.

It's like you guys don't want to do right. And the most shocking thing for me through all of this is that we have judges giving probation and parole to criminal aliens and you guys don't want to do anything about that? That's no concern for you? Shouldn't that count? Public safety, you all said your mission is public safety.

If your mission is public safety, you guys are failing your mission. Because people are still dying on the streets. You said, ridley-thomas, well maybe i can do something with some kind of legislation. You did nothing. And you're still ignoring us. Why? Why are you ignoring us?

Sup. Molina, chair: Ms. Shaw, your time is up. Ms. Corde. Excuse me, miss shaw, ma'am, ma'am, miss shaw, miss shaw.

Althea shaw: And you wouldn't even let us ask questions, why?

Sup. Molina, chair: Miss shaw, miss shaw? Thank you. Miss corde?

[Ole Glory]

Jessica corde: My son was murdered april the 17, 2009 by a minimum of 12 latino gang members. He happened to be the only black at a party.

I want to know why are there known nigger killers, because that's what they called themselves, the nigger killers. Why are there known nigger killers in our communities that we know nothing about and we're sending our kids into these communities and we're not getting a public notification of where it is and is not safe for them.

I don't know the immigration status of those people. My concern is there's a cry for justice and a cry for racial harmony. I need for us to be able to sit in place and be able to have a way to bring the division amongst these races together because the division has become very deadly.

My son was chased, beaten, shot, stabbed and robbed by a minimum of 12 gang members, 10 are in custody right now. I don't want to blame it all on gangs because nobody cares about gangs, who cares about gang members? Nobody cares about gang members but their family and their friends.

But when we're talking about racism on a level such as this, somebody has to be held accountable. They said kill the nigger, kill that nigger while they were killing my son. He was only 18 years old. He weighed 146 pounds and died at the hands of a minimum of 12 latino known gang members.

They called themselves the nigger killers. Had we known that there was an area, a geographical area where we could not have been, my son would not have been there. We lived in chino hills. He was murdered in pomona. I just want to know is there ever going to be a policy.

Sup. Molina, chair: Ms. Corde, please summarize your comments.

Jessica corde: Excuse me?

Sup. Molina, chair: Summarize your comments. Your time is up.

Jessica corde: What time is that?

Sup. Molina, chair: Just summarize your comments, ma'am.

Jessica corde: I have nothing else to say. Only god knows. God loves me.

Sup. Molina, chair: All right. Thank you. Could we ask mr. Wesley profit to join us as well as walter moore? Sydney stinnett? I'm sorry? Mr. Moore had to leave? Okay.

[Ole Glory]

Sydney stinnett: I'm sydney stinnett and i'm feeling disappointed, sad and disgusted that on the two-year anniversary of the murder of jamiel shaw, ii, the board of supervisors refuses to call for an investigation of the practices regarding the release of criminals who are illegal aliens.

And i said the word illegal aliens, not illegal immigrants. There's a difference. There's no such thing as an illegal immigrant.

Jamiel's mother was in iraq protecting our country. Anita shaw was safer there than her son was here in america.

Our youth, who are legal residents of the united states, are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to public safety.

It appears to be that this is the case. Please, please, please make jamiel's law an agenda item and better protect our youth and communities.

[Ole Glory]

Sup. Molina, chair: Thank you. Mr. Gilcrist?

Jim gilcrist: Hi, i'm jim gilcrist, founder and president of the minute man project. We are a multiethnic, immigration law enforcement advocacy group.

First thing i want to do is thank this deputy here. Because of him we are a civilized society and tens of thousands of others like him in law enforcement in california.

I'm here to recognize with the jamiel shaw family, to recognize the second anniversary of his untimely death. Instead of being here to recognize his 19th birthday, and a kid who went from high school into rutgers college on a football scholarship, this problem of illegal immigration, illegal immigrants killing our citizens crosses all borders, all races, all colors, all creeds. And it's time it stopped.

And i would encourage you to -- my time is over. Thank you very much.