By Guest Commentary By Michael Beattie
I was recently reading a book called “My Ishmael” that I found very enjoyable in that it presented many different and unique views about the problems and situations that, although diverse and varied, we all must face at some time in our individual lives.
The situations may be totally different but the problems are usually very similar. Take, for instance, the extremely difficult and rare ability to tell the truth about a given situation without personal embellishment or opinion. Now take that one step further and let’s just call it an outright lie designed to make oneself look good in a situation where they were, in truth lacking. In other words, the ability to believe that something is true simply because we were told it was true by people we foolishly believe can only tell the truth and have no reason to lie. It may have been presented in such a way that we are led to believe that what were being told is the truth, or because we think that it just might be true.
Reality is usually distorted enough so that very few facts remain or are told. It’s usually mixed with half-truth and supposition, even outright lies designed, for what ever reason, to purposely steer us away from the facts. Police, government officials, and business leaders are usually the main culprits of this accepted through abhorrent practices. There is one thing that this country does extremely well and with great expertise — propaganda. Material disseminated by the advocates or opponents of a doctrine or cause. Unfortunately there are unwitting victims of this practice and nowhere was this truer than in the letter written by Ms. Jan Tousignant on Oct. 31, 2002 concerning the unfortunate death of Leticia Vasquez. Santa Monica Daily Press also was an unfortunate victim of the half-truths propagated by officials who reported this incident.
At first I was outraged that Ms. Tousignant actually had the nerve to blame the homeless people attending the feeding at City Hall for the murder of Ms. Vasquez. My first thoughts were that this was a woman who was just so full of hate that she was blind to reality. Her statement about none of the homeless lifting a finger to help made me so angry that I called her every name in the book and even made up some new ones just for good measure. After thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that this woman is just responding to what was reported and propagated by the SMPD. Unfortunately what was told and reported was just the usual lies and half-truths designed to make the SMPD look like true heroes and concerned servants of the public, while making the homeless look like non-caring bums who could care less about anything but their own personal apathy.
What I saw with my own eyes was a totally different set of events than was told to the Santa Monica Daily Press writer by the police department. You see Ms. Tousignant, the man who murdered Ms. Vasquez was not only accompanied by a social worker, who did nothing to stop the murder but cry, he was sitting on a bench away from all the homeless while waiting for his victim to arrive.
We all noticed him because the social worker just didn’t fit in there. After a brief conversation with his victim away from everyone else, he brandished a knife and proceeded to murder his victim. While this was going on, many homeless people rushed over to help and one homeless person was successful in disarming the murderer and taking him to the ground restraining him. Albeit too late, for the murderer had already stabbed himself and was almost dead. At the same time a few more homeless ran into the police station and interrupted their morning briefing to report this murder in progress at which time the police responded.
The homeless had already had the situation under control. One started to perform CPR on the murderer and then realized that the victim was more important. Then he moved to the victim and performed CPR for approximately 10 minutes with tears streaming down his face the whole time. He refused to stop until the woman who runs the feeding took him by the shoulders and told him over and over, “It’s too late, she’s gone.”
None of these facts were reported by the police and the truth was never told. As a direct result of propaganda, your belief was formed, and no doubt the beliefs of others also were affected. These are not insensitive and uncaring people that attempted to save the life of a victim of murder, Ms. Tousignant.
What we are told is not necessarily the truth, no matter who does the telling and especially when it comes down to issues that deal with homeless people or their impact and contribution to society. We are not animals, we are as human as you are with the same feelings and desires as everyone else and no matter what your personal belief may be. I am of the opinion that we all are important and each have something to contribute to this community.
Michael Beattie is homeless in Santa Monica and currently lives at Samohsel shelter.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 9, 2002. Read the original PDF.