By Robin Steely Santa Monica
This is the first time I have had time to write about the article writing about Mr. Sanschagrin since it appeared (SMDP, Feb. 2, page 1). I have to say “hats off to him.” He hit the nail on the head about the Pico neighborhood. I was especially encouraged by his statement that parents are 100 percent responsible for the behavior of their kids. Too few people are afraid to stand up to their kids, thus the kids rule; and that’s completely wrong.
I live next door to the Pico neighborhood, south of Pico Boulevard. I am afraid to walk out to the corner store at night by myself. I sometimes do it out of a need for something in a hurry, but I am looking over my shoulder and all around all of the time.
I have lived in the same place for 25 years and have seen very little improvement in the atmosphere. Parents and citizens must work with the police to clean up their neighborhood and, in some cases, it will require a little judicious paddling on the rear of a kid or two. (I know that is terribly politically incorrect, but my two boys grew up to be responsible men. I didn’t have to paddle them much either, as they got the picture pretty quickly. They were taller than I when they were 10 years old, so I got them civilized earlier than that.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 11, 2004. Read the original PDF.