Wow. Turns out that Jamiel Shaw was an imperfect kid growing up in this screwed up City of Angels. Jamiel didn't grow up in my LA filled with pool parties, beaches and shopping in Century City. He grew up in the "drive by" areas of our city ... somewhere east of Robertson and before you hit downtown. You know, all those mile markers along the 10 Freeway where we used to get off to go to grandma's house, before grandma moved west of Robertson. La Cienega, Fairfax, La Brea, Crenshaw. Streets we cringe at when we have to get off there to go to The Grove or into West Hollywood for dinner at Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant. Neighborhoods we lock our doors, look straight ahead and pray that we hit Wilshire soon.Jamiel’s parents were raising him right in the wrong place. Is anyone shocked that he had gang ties? Can anyone growing up East of Robertson and South of Olympic not have some relationship with the gangs? Does any of this take away from the fact that a young kid, a promising athlete, was murdered by an illegal alien gang banger with BK (Blood Killer) tattooed behind his ear?
When kicking back in our $500 Lakers seats, or watching any pro-football game on TV (because God forbid LA actually get a football team to fill some arena that has yet to be built), we’re just looking at the lucky kids … the kids that escaped from the same types of neighborhoods that killed Jamiel.
How many other Jamiels are out there? Good kids just trying to survive in a city that is so unforgiving.
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