SMC BUNDY CAMPUS As the FBI and Los Angeles police were downplaying an unsubstantiated claim that Al Qaeda planned to target shopping malls in Los Angeles and Chicago this holiday season, residents and college students gathered here Thursday night to discuss ways in which they can respond to threats to their security.
Sponsored by The League of Women Voters and Our Voices Together, the “Safer, More Compassionate World Forum” addressed preparedness and public safety, but also perceptions of the U.S. abroad and how residents can become “global citizens” that show compassion and understanding for other cultures.
“We have to do some serious thinking about what we want the face of America to be,” said Dr. Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein, a SMC political science professor who served as a panelist for the town hall forum that drew roughly 40 people. “I fear the U.S. continues to be viewed by our peers as being more militaristic and less compassionate … It’s clear that people have issues with the U.S.”
Other panelists for the forum included Santa Monica Fire Chief Jim Hone, Santa Monica Red Cross Executive Director John Pacheco, Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council Member Dr. Jody Priselac and Deputy Police Chief Phillip Sanchez. The forum was moderated by former City Manager Susan McCarthy.
Since terrorism can take many forms and can be carried out by an organized group or an individual, it is difficult for law enforcement to capture those who are looking to do harm, which is why residents need to be “hyper vigilant” and be on the lookout for suspicious activities, Sanchez said.
It was a resident who informed police in 2003 about three Middle Eastern men who were allegedly taking pictures of the Santa Monica Pier’s infrastructure. A search warrant was served and video confiscated, but no formal charges were filed, Sanchez said.
However, the incident so close to home did make more people aware of the dangers that are out there and generated increased surveillance of the pier and additional security measures, such as security cameras.
“We really have to develop a culture of security and make sure that everyone is involved, including community members,” Sanchez said. “You’re the eyes and ears, the vanguards of this community, this region. The more you are involved, the greater our resolve will be.”
That said, residents should not target specific groups of people, but instead focus on suspicious activity.
“Your curiosity should not be ethnic-based, but activity based,” Sanchez said.
Fire Chief Hone gave a brief presentation on the city’s ability to respond to a disaster, be it man-made or natural. He also informed residents about Homeland Security funding and how the grant system works. He said that Santa Monica has received $5 million in no-match, Homeland Security funding; money that has been used to upgrade communications and purchase equipment such as hazardous materials suits for first responders.
Pacheco, with the local Red Cross chapter, said many families are not ready for a disaster.
“If you had to leave your home in 20 or 30 minutes, how prepared would you be?” Pacheco asked.
When disaster strikes, there is very little time to prepare, Pacheco said, which is why it is good to have a kit prepared ahead of time that includes a battery-powered radio, contact information, copies of birth certificates and other important documents, a first-aid kit and extra clothing.
Families are also advised to establish a meeting place in case members are split up during an evacuation.
It is also good to learn CPR, Pacheco said, and disaster assistance response training so that people can better handle injuries to a loved one.
Being prepared at home is just as important as being prepared at work.
“So many people here in Santa Monica are commuters who may not be able to get home in the event of an emergency,” Pacheco said. “It is wise to develop a disaster preparedness plan for your work just like you do at home.”
Gathering supplies is the easy part; the hard part is changing the way in which people perceive the U.S., said Jesswein, adding that he’s worried about the anger many people abroad feel towards the U.S. He believes more Americans need to become engaged in politics so that they can create a society that is more compassionate and has credibility on the international stage.
The U.S. “has become an empire” that says one thing and then does another, Jesswein said. While U.S. leaders say we support democracy and freedom of speech, the country is friends with Pakistan, whose non-elected leader has just declared martial law and has clamped down on public demonstrations.
“The U.S. is suffering from a credibility issue,” said Jesswein, who believes one can tell a lot about a country by how it spends its tax dollars. “We are now living a life of fear and we are taking our limited resources and putting them in a place {the Iraq War] that does not bring us any benefits.
“We need to be taking care of each other and we’re not able to do that.”
Chief Hone said compassion for one another should be paramount and not something that only occurs when disaster strikes. He said terrorists don’t discriminate and use any tactics at their disposal to create fear and division.
“Why is it that compassion only comes as a reaction to an event?” Hone asked.“We need to have that in front of the event.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 10, 2007. Read the original PDF.