Parker Center? Tom Bradley Center? Let's Name It After Chief Gates and Really Tick Them Off.

This is a letter I wrote to the LA Times on April 22nd regarding the name controversy over our the new Police Administration Building. The good people of this city now regarding Chief Parker as a racist. Read the articles:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/04/the-panel-of-civilians-that-oversees-the-los-angeles-police-department-voted-unanimously-this-morning-to-oppose-a-movement-in.html


And then the enlightened ones in the LA City Council of course pass the buck:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/04/parker-center.html


My response to the first article is below:


Once again, LA ducks behind the skirts of political correctness to be the world leader in sheer stupidity. I agree with former Chief Parks on almost nothing except to name the new building Parker Center. Why is this even up for a vote? I am reminded that the Police Commission was better with Caruso on it. John Mack, a well-documented LAPD hater, always gets his narrow-minded two cents. This from a guy who would likely prefer it if LAPD were disbanded altogether.

Lest we forget, the LAPD was somewhat disreputable and largely considered corrupt before Chief Parker took the reins. He established the formal training, maintained high standards and established police work as a profession with a defined career path. And for you MORONS out there, most if not ALL POLICE AGENCIES ARE PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. If we weren't, we would have no chain of command and anarchy would ensue.

You simply don't get it. Sitting here bashing us, not realizing that we should have 25K officers to adequately police this city in the way a New York or Chicago can. We are respected worldwide because of Chief Parker. So name it after Tom Bradley. A great man, yes. He never rose above the rank of Lieutenant and did everything he could to inhibit Chief Gates positive efforts in stemming the flow of gang and narcotics activity, but go ahead.

While we are at it, we (the officers) should rename the Academy in Elysian Park. The LAPD Parker Academy in Elysian Park. Why, that's no worse than LA Angels of Anaheim! If the police commission wants to vote on that...they can't. The officers league owns the academy and we can name it whatever we want.

Did you ever wonder why so few LAPD officers live in Los Angeles or why we all move away when we retire? Because we have had it up to here with being second-guessed by so many idiots who have never worn a badge, never served and never had to stand and defend anything.

So don't name schools after Thomas Jefferson; he owned slaves. Don't name a park after Harry Truman; he ordered the bombing of Japan. Don't celebrate Columbus Day; he helped subjugate Native Americans. Don't celebrate the positive accomplishments of historical figures; focus on the negatives but learn nothing from their mistakes.