Duck !

By Marc Garman

2/5/10

A lot of people have been talking about Harold Cabral, the Vallejo city worker who was severely beaten after confronting a group of youth who had thrown stones at his backhoe as he was driving past the corner of Broadway and Nebraska. A lot of discussions have centered around whether he made a wise choice in getting out of the cab, and whether he is at fault for not following city policy. I cannot say for sure what the final conclusion will be.

I can however speak from personal experience with regards to how youth, apparently from nearby Vallejo High School, menace passers by, because I was involved in an incident on the same corner.

Approximately a year and a half ago I stopped at the very same Tesoro gas station pictured in the now famous surveillance video that shows the attack. While filling up my vehicle I noticed a group of teens at the corner. Didn't think much of it at first. Then I heard an increase in the hum of conversation coming from the corner. My back was turned at the time—putting in fuel, etc. but I felt a slight tension as I realized, from the corner of my eye, a number of eyes watching me. Garman, you must be getting paranoid.  I told myself and went back to cleaning the window.

“Oooooh!” I heard the crowd jeer. I turned my head quick. A projectile was streaking for me. FAST. One hell of a pitch too. Quick—move--SWOOSH--NEAR MISS. I could feel the air displaced as a full, unopened soda can narrowly missed the 'ol coconut.

The can splattered open when it hit the pavement gushing orange soda. That sure woulda hurt if it smacked me in the brain pan. And then the victory dance started as the little group celebrated their boldness strutting and congratulating each other loudly. I could feel my anger welling up, but I hadn't seen which one of them had tried to brain me with artificially colored refreshment. I'm gonna teach these little f*****s a lesson.

I opened the back door of the truck and pulled out a four foot long steel wrecking bar I had been using on a project earlier. Wrapping one hand around the hooked end and resting the cold steel in my other hand, I raised the implement over my head and screamed “You wanna piece of me you little f*****s!!!!!!!!”

They laughed. The sight of a middle aged man in a funny hat losing it was too much. They taunted, “Ooooooh!!!”  (What will the little man in the funny hat with the with the cro-bar do now?)

I ran at the group with all I had, swinging four feet of steel over my head screaming my loudest “Aaaaaah !!!!!” war cry. (Really hope they don't still have the surveillance video.)

I ran as fast as I could. The kids scattered, dispersed, ran in all directions, taunting as they retreated, laughing and strutting. The little man in the hat was pretty funny.

I stood there puffing, the tip of the wrecking bar dragging on the ground. There was nothing more to do, so I went back to my truck and drove back to work. I probably should have reported the incident to the police, but I didn't because I couldn't identify the perpetrator, and fortunately, nobody was hurt. Maybe I felt a little sheepish about going all cro-bar caveman and whatnot too.

In retrospect, the whole incident was dumb. I had wanted to put some fear in the hearts of a bunch of delinquents who had done something dangerous and stupid. I responded by losing my temper and doing something equally dangerous and stupid. I never actually planned to hit anyone over the head with a steel bar, but rather wanted to scare them. Bottom line is that it could have ended really badly. Probably for me.

So, don't judge Harold Cabral, or anyone else too harshly for acting in the moment. It happens in these sort of circumstances. So easy to analyze from the sidelines after the fact.

Big picture... Are we going to put up with this sort of behavior from our youth, or anyone? And, what will we as a society do about it?

This problem is larger than Vallejo. What can be done to stem the current of violence in Vallejo and in America as a whole? Do we pass tax measures to add more police as we let our schools fail? America already has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Prisons are a lucrative business to be sure. Public schools are not.

Is a police state the answer? or do we need to face the real issues and look at the decay of our society from within. Why are our youth turning to violence and criminality ?

The United States Government saw fit to bail out the banks and car companies, and yet we are laying off teachers.

America has become a place where cars and greenbacks are more important than children.

We can decide to --DUCK !-- or we can start facing the really hard issues. The choice is ours. Think about it.

Comments

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Anonymous   |February.08.2010 actually marc was lucky Vallejo not so much

city employee   |February.07.2010 Marc: You are lucky they didn't pull out a gun and murder you.

South-East sider   |February.07.2010 Quote from Westside: I think a boycott of the gas station is a good idea; taking money out of people's pockets has a way of getting them to make changes. If everyone who frequents that station were to draft a letter explaining why they will no longer be buying gas there and hand deliver it, I bet it would make quite an impression. What impression do you want to make? Was it not this business and its cameras that documented the incident? Do you want fences and gates installed at this business and be buzzed in to purchase gas? The merchant is afraid, he basically said so in an interview. Frankly I would not be surprised to hear his business was vandilized since he spoke out, non-gender or non-race specific. I do not patronize the station, I do not even live in the area and avoid traveling between Valle Vista and Tennessee from apx. 2 p.m. on, mainly because of the students dragging across the street and people hanging out in the area. You are calling for a boycott of this business and not of the other contributors to the "blight", why?

Good Job Garman   |February.07.2010 http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_14352671 Man dies of gunshots, two stabbing victims. Screw the Public Safety. You are beautiful marc garman, your handy work of completely ruining our city is all coming together! You must look in the mirror and feel great. All because of hate for the devil henke. He's gone, but the V is now the Bay Areas Detroit. Take the Credit and Congrats Garmen YOU DESERVE IT

Another Anon   |February.06.2010 Hey Skip. You must be the oldest person in the world. Glad your free now.

Anonymous   |February.06.2010 Enjoy the fruits of your labor VIBers! Its going to get worse Becareful what you wish for, you reap what you se... Wait I could go on and on. Just enjoy and take credit where credit is due, Crap I can't help myself. PSU loses, Citizens lose, Lawyers, Consultants, and Marc Garman website WIN Big!

skip   |February.06.2010 remember slavery ?? we do !! and everyone will continue to be held accountable. If whites would stop helping Hispanics and Asians things like this wouldn't happen. the violence that happens is justified!!

matthew   |February.06.2010 why do people have to drag other issues into this situation. there was an attack my a mob of high school students om a city worker. while the city worker might not have followed city rules, these young adults should not have attacked and beaten this guy. This was a hate crime !!!! If it was the other way around there would be protest out in the streets

Ex-Vallejoan   |February.06.2010 I am feeling bad about abandoning Vallejo; I had to admit I am no longer up to the unending struggle to keep it safe for all of us. White kids from Benicia brought my block down--the Britton video brought back what they did to me. The police were afraid of the family lawyers so I was advised to stay inside my house! Neighbors got to know one another and started to work together but it took a parole check to get the hooligans moved out (you shouldn't know the words "mama" called me.) I've chosen a neighborhood with lots of ablebodied men who served our country and feel a responsibility towards widows and the elderly. The kids at the nearby school aren't perfect but know they will be held accountable for their actions. We are painfully aware how quickly it will all fall apart if we let down our guard and let the bullies move in. When Osby came to my door during the campaign I asked him if he had lost his mind: we're the same age and share memories of other horrors through the years. He knew it wouldn't be easy. My first thought when the news said "city worker" was "Thank you Mr. Henke"--Vallejo's bully-in-chief. The list of people who are party to this deterioration of common decency is incredibly long. Each time one of us turns our head and keeps on driving, we add our own name. We get so tired. The K-Mart property is a monument to the blind eye turned to the basic needs of a working class community. The kids know "no one" cares. I hope you all have the stamina and wisdom to look for what is working and strengthen and maintain it. Sadly, It will require lots of unpaid volunteer time. Stay healthy!

West side   |February.06.2010 This problem is bigger than Vallejo, but we have to start somewhere. Think globally, act locally. I think a boycott of the gas station is a good idea; taking money out of people's pockets has a way of getting them to make changes. If everyone who frequents that station were to draft a letter explaining why they will no longer be buying gas there and hand deliver it, I bet it would make quite an impression.

Shay58   |February.06.2010 To the poster "Huh": What's the common ingredient "among Richmond, Oakland and other cities with high crime rates": They all have good and decent people as their majority. That is what you mean, right?

Huh   |February.05.2010 Shay, huh... please tell me what the common ingredient is among Vallejo, Richmond, Oakland and other cities with high crime rates? Sorry, but I don't see Walnut Creek or Benicia having these problems.

Innes   |February.05.2010 I think people who send their kids to private schools are wusses!

ANONYMOUS   |February.05.2010 SHAY/58: Quit being overly protective. You know what Robinson said was correct. If men of other ethic backgrounds attempted to talk to thes AA youths, they would be verbally or physically attacked and you know it. Now if there were more of another ethic group talking to them, then they would act differently or we would end up with a race riot and you know that is true also. I believe Robinson was offering a solid idea, AA older men should talk to the young AA youths that are hanging out, mainly for the benefit of our nationality and quit blaming govenernment, schools or society for owning them anything. You get what you deserve, not what someone will give you. Just think of his idea and don't take it as a racial slur, but as an idea to better our racial itegrity. And this is from a AA elder.....so there??? and by the way, why not publicize the junveniles that were arrested tonight. I would like to know if they and their families live in my neighborhood, so I can protect myself. There isn't any law against it to the best of my knowledge.

Shay58   |February.05.2010 Robinson - Instead of telling black folks what they should do - YOU get out there and do something! Black people didn't play a big role in ruining our city and tearing our economy down. I am tired of everything that has gone wrong in Vallejo being blamed on black folks! If you want to help our children - and I mean all our children who are equally being impacted by violence - stop pointing fingers! Schools are being closed, city services have been slashed to ribbons, our streets look like hell - and you're surprised by violence in our streets? Go out and find some of these black men you talk about - and may I suggest you also find good men of all races who care and honestly want to help.

Robinson   |February.05.2010 It is Friday, Feb 5. I drove down Nebraska Street this early evening, just before sunset. Driving by El Dorado Street, there were 3 young black men--probably high school age--standing on the sidewalk. One was on a cell phone, and all 3 seemed to watch my vehicle attentively. This scene was at once intimidating & enthralling. I wondered what it would be like to WALK past these 3 punks rather than to drive by as I was doing. Almost made me want to park the car, get out, and walk back past them. Here's what SHOULD happen. A group of adult BLACK men should walk by little groups of black punks like this--perhaps black men with grey hair, but certainly black men older than 30. And THEY should engage these guys in conversation, ask them what they are doing, why they are wasting time standing around on a street corner. Are there any adult black men in the vicinity of Nebraska & El Dorado? In the vicinity of Vallejo High School? In the vicinity of that Tesoro gas station? And if so, would they do what I suggest?

Observer   |February.05.2010 I agree with Marc that the problem is bigger than Vallejo. Welfare, Section 8 and other government programs were developed with the best of intentions. African Americans more than any other group suffered from social and economic justice issues and we're reaping the results of poor social policies with a community that is dysfunctional on many levels. We learn ethics primarily from our parents. We learn to work and earn what we get. We learn to defer personal gratification while we work our way through schools and seek higher levels of education. The kids that committed this violent act against a city worker are not being inculcated with morals of personal responsibility and good character. Many come from a family that has been on welfare for generations with absent fathers. There is never any excuse for violence and we're long overdue for some tough love.

On Fire   |February.05.2010 I agree with those who decide not to spend money with businesses that don't care about the community and keeping it safe for their customers. If you open a business and let it become over run with drug dealers and criminals, then you don't care about your customers safety or the community. Why do we continue to support their businesses? I am all for supporting our local businesses. But I also shop where the owners are good neighbors to the community they depend on.

momster   |February.05.2010 you are correct FK. People go to places they feel the safest. Hence the reason there is poor enrollment at Vallejo's public schools. Parents want their children to be safe. Now if these juveniles will provoke and attack an adult, just think what they probably do to their classmates and teachers. Loitering laws curfews dress codes. Back in the 70s and 80s my father was a little league coach at North Vallejo for years and my mother was a teacher's aid at Widenmann. Both my parents were strict. My father was a very strict coach. If a ballplayer was late, he had to run laps. If the ballplayer missed practice, he did not play regardless of how good he was. My father made them address him by his last name, because he said; "i'm not your friend, I'm your coach." One of the toughest kids from the Crest use show up for all of my father's practices. He wasn't even on the team. When my father lost a kid, he picked this really tough kid to be on his team. This kid end up being one of my father's most loyal followers. We were the only non-black family that got a free pass to enter the Crest. To this day men who use to be coached by my father walk up to him and thank him for being the way he was toward them--strict. these kids need tough love not liberal love.

Fe Khalstirrer   |February.05.2010 ANONYMOUS: I think CURIOUS' decision not to use that Tesoro station makes perfect sense. My take on his/her one liner is that he/she is concerned about safety. I didn't read "boycott" . And call names like "small ignorant brain"? I'm responding because I agree with CURIOUS and feel slighted by your remarks. There are dozens of gas stations in Vallejo. Why tempt fate? Doesn't it make sense to be concerned about your personal safety and avoid sticky situations? If I feel safer getting gas elsewhere, I'll go to the other gas station. That doesn't mean I have a small ignorant brain.

Firebug   |February.05.2010 Not your best work Marc (but I liked it), but you do expose the human frailties that all of us share. That corner has always been like that in the 11 or 12 years I have lived here no matter how many Police we have had. Shortly after I moved here the Vallejo School District passed a bond called Measure A. For those of us that own property in Vallejo it shows up on your tax bill, as a general obligation bond. This Bond was passed before proposition 55 was passed in 2000-2001 that forced public entities to put in writing exactly the projects it would spend the money on. Current Board member Hazel Wilson was on the Measure A oversight committee, before she was elected to the board. Since this was a pre-prop 55 bond, a memo was written with the voting documentation that was developed to sunshine where the money would be spent. To date money from Measure A was spent on Corbus field (documented in old Vallejo news.com) that should not have been spent. For example equipment was purchased in colors that were Vallejo High colors yet other High Schools also used the facility and the equipment. Measure A money was also used by the State Administrator to help finance the renovation of the current district office on Mare Island. I do not believe the majority of school board for Vallejo schools has the ability to give proper oversight to additional taxpayer revenue. Hazel Wilson is an excellent example of that as her tenure on the oversight committee and being on the board when it was job to provide oversight to the superintendent and staff that bankrupted the school district. In my opinion the fact that nearly 7000 voters saw fit to re-elect three term incumbent Ms. Wilson leaves me questioning does our community really understand that there are problems in our school district. Mr. Kenneth Brooks wrote an excellent example of re-electing incumbents several years ago, and the theme was this why would we expect change when we keep electing the same leaders over and over? Answer? At least 7000 voters think the school system is fine here, and until we can convince them that all is not well I am reluctant to throw money at the Vallejo schools boondoggle.

Someone Else   |February.05.2010 When punks are acting as you describe, they are trying to get a rise out of you, to get you to expose yourself in a way that it will make it easier to rob you. It may not be pre-meditated but that is what they are doing. Maybe I'm just lucky and am not quick to anger, and judge people by my personal standard. Keeping your head down is the biggest part of staying safe. I've had to deal with mentally ill people in my day, and knowing how to diffuse a situation is part of my being. The gas station has some responsibility here, if this has been an on going problem. They need to make their customers feel safe and they are clearly not bothering. I'd take one look at those kids loitering and get my gas some place else. There are ways to get rid of kids without calling the cops. This isn't a police problem - this is a result of poverty and crappy schools. Even if we get these cretins off the street more will take their place. The kids in high school now have been through the Vallejo school system during its worst years. We failed them, now they are failing us.

Anonymous   |February.05.2010 Thank you Marc - and as you and CRAAAZY point out, more police won't solve this problem, unless we get enough police to line the streets near the highschool as kids leave for the day. And even then the kids can just go somewhere else to vent their energy in destructive ways. Have you been to the Century Theatre when there is a movie popular with teenagers? When we did have a full police force there was a series of incidents where some people (highschoolers?) were throwing rocks into the plate glass windows of the houses near Vallejo High. The point is, we need real solutions. These kids are this country's future, these and all kids. How is it after prop 13, funding for schools has gone down down down and yet the Public Safety Unions, Prison Guards, (and most government employees but these two groups have a hold on the market) enjoy an incredibly lucrative salary/benefit/retirement package? And I think the PSUs/Guards like it this way, the worse off we are, the more they demand we pay them, so that they can go home to their fancy towns far away from us and our problems. And as the ugly news leaks out into the world about these crimes, the perspective held by the world of Vallejo gets so skewed. No one from the outside sees the beauty that exists side-by-side. And so who wants to live here? Except the n'er-do-wells who don't care and can find cheap housing or a voucher as people of means decide to throw in the towel and get the bleep out. I'm not going anywhere though. I don't consider myself "stuck in Vallejo".

Common Sense   |February.05.2010 In this day and age, even flipping off a passing car can land you six feet under. You don't know what is going on with the person that you are dealing with, or the group of kids that are acting like thugs. One thing for sure, if you go on the attack, you better be prepared to deal with the consequences. Whether that be you running off the thug or getting you rear end thumped. While there is no excuse for the kids that ganged up on the man, this could have been avoided. Someone has to be the adult in the situation and a grown man jumping out of the backhoe and charging a group of kids is setting himself up for trouble. I have lived in a couple of cities where we had neighborhood bullies/thugs and drug dealers that tried to intimidate the people who spoke out. I've had my times that I acted like a crazy person because I was at my limit but in the end, I left it to the police to handle. Working with the people in your neighborhood to watch out for each other and being aware of your surroundings is the best prevention. Having more police would make people "feel" safer but it would not have prevented the last two crimes. The proof is in Richmond and Oakland who have spent large sums of money hiring more police. Their crime rate has not decreased. The murder rate is still climbing. If more "higher paid" police are the answer, why isn't it helping those cities? As to the businesses on Nebraska and Broadway, they complain about the kids, but they also cater to their business. They have allowed the thugs and drug dealers to hang around their businesses for years. When people complained and tried to get them to clean up their act and keep the kids out during school hours, the business owners say it's not their problem. So I say okay, I won't spend any of my money in those businesses. As long people don't insist that business owners that seem to draw problem people (liquor stores)and have them hanging around the area, then we will have the issues like Nebraska and Broadway. If we stop spending our money and supporting bad business owners, they will either get the message or go out of business. It a store owner that has refused to clean up his act, goes out of business or moves out of town, I say that's not my problem. Everyone, including the people who want to do business in Vallejo has to get involved and help our city.

Anonymous   |February.05.2010 I'm going to keep going to that gas station. I for one will not let these thugs dictate what I do in my city. I won't hide in my house with the curtains drawn because Chief Nic is inviting every criminal in the Bay Area into Vallejo. I'll stand outside and defend my right to a safe and enjoyable city.

Anonymous   |February.05.2010 Wow, when I went to school at VHS;the neighborhood was a pretty good one. My father's neighborhood use to be nice--During the holidays, it use to be known at "Candy Cane Lane". There use to be floods of visitors. The neighborhood is not so nice anymore, just two weeks ago there was a shooting in his driveway. He called me pretty shakened about it. Sorry this had to happen to you Marc. I think Vallejo schools have been neglected for a long time. I have to God daughter who dropped out of Vallejo High and home-schooled because she felt unsafe at the school. A very close friend of mine grandson was jumped by a bunch of youths at school. The misfits never got suspended. The child who was jumped left Vallejo school district b/c he felt unsafe. My God daughter and my friend's grandson are third generation native Vallejoans. They are good children who would not pick a fight with anyone. VCUSD has failed to keep the good students safe.

ANONYMOUS   |February.05.2010 CURIOUS; Your decision makes absoulutely no sense at all. What in the hell did the gas station have to do with this issue? Just a business, trying to make a living, pay taxes and provide a service and you are going to boycott them? Small ignorant brain you have. Are you going to boycott Safeway, because they had two purse snatchings in their parking lot? are you going to quit going to the Empress because they have thugs in front of their theater? You should double your usage of the gas station, so these punks realize they cannot intimidate us, the more "good citizens" that support these businesses, will eventually chase away these bums.....Think about it, the station did not cause this situation, unless you are one of those that says it is because they supply junk food for the students? Maybe we should close Vallejo High, at least that will get the students out of there???? Lets put the school in your neighborhood or next to your business (which I doubt you have one)...get real. Oh you may want to quit going to Sac's as they cater to people who shoot at ice cream vendors??? You really make no sense....

Inigo Montoya   |February.05.2010 My addiction to seafood, particularly dungeness crab, sometimes brings me to Soul Tran across the street from Briton's. Yep, it's pretty scary down there, with all those pharma reps hanging around the corner. I should probably stop at Harbor Freight and get that giant tire iron. I don't carry my sword all the time.

curious   |February.05.2010 Thank you I will never use that Tesaro gas station.

CRRAAAZY   |February.05.2010 Great letter Mark. At least you didn't run the punks over (maybe you should have). I know a lot of people are carrying concealed weapons in Vallejo now (myself included). I refuse to let me or my family become a victim of the idiots in Vallejo. The cops can't be everywhere in the best of times, let alone now. It is only a matter of time before the wrong person is attacked and some of this vermon is eradicated on the street. That may be what is needed to slow this down. Unfortunately, when this does happen that is when the Mayor will be outraged and possibly attempt to get off his ass and do something. He seems much more concerned about the gay folks in Vallejo than he does the criminals victimizing the city. I am not sure what "God" he prays too, but I doubt any God would approve of this Mayor's priorities or leadership.

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