Sidewalk Address
Los Angeles City Hall’s towering reflection on the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters’ expansive blue-green glass rectangles is a reminder of iconic landmarks built to standby each other. The marvelous institutions seem to ask each other how do I look today? The transparent viewpoint of the city and civic plaza provide police employees with an ever-present visual bond to the public they serve. The intricately designed badge has a number identifying a name. The name has a heart; the condition is in question because they’re not all uniform. The heart of the LAPD Headquarters moves about along the catwalks of each exposed floor.
Nazareth Haysbert of Haysbert Moultrie LLP in a well-tailored suit takes the floor. He delivers the ‘Sidewalk Address’ to a corral of news reporters and cameramen. The mobile news vans have hoisted their satellites to the highest point. The microphone stands holds each news agency’s branded microphone like a colorful paint palette.
Most refer to these legal announcements as a press conference; however, when lawsuits against the police department are filed, the suing parties are only allowed to stand on the sidewalk. In this case, it’s 100 West 1st Street’s sidewalk in front of the drought tolerant garden.
Nazareth Haysbert firmly stands as a counterpoint to the excessive force used by officers against Samuel Calhoun Arrington. One news camera is intentionally framed in the left panel. His law partner James Moultrie to his left and Aurelia Cleo Battle, sister of Samuel Calhoun Arrington to his right both stand in solidarity for Arrington. Love is present.
The ‘Sidewalk Address’ is for the defense and protection of Samual Calhoun Arrington who for years merely had a sidewalk address when the LAPD officers confronted him numerous times.
On Sunset Avenue and Ocean Park Walk, the Venice Beach Boardwalk, a cell phone video captures the violent incident during the prime heat of the day. Before Arrington was surrounded by a platoon of LAPD officers, he found a spot on the edge of the boardwalk to place his folding chair, where the mineral-rich sand sediment begins its pathway to the Pacific Ocean. That’s half the battle when going to the beach for rest and relaxation among the stretch of flea markets filled with transients, tourists and artists. He found some real estate and bronzed under the sun.
The sentiments of onlookers intensified as the LAPD attempted to enforce the rule of law upon Arrington, who is homeless and mentally disabled. The physical struggle splintered architectural cube’s blue-green glass as the outlook became distorted from the protection and service they swore to uphold for the citizenry of Venice Beach.
The large brown umbrella laid on its side with no grace found in the sun or shade. Will our hearts heal between the strong and weak? All these incidents, man, it’s looking bleak. Self-rules and rigid regulations. If the Savior Christ could speak on these streets so that the soul windows could have a high-definition resolution rooted in the truth and love we’d be filled with God’s presence. He is the one who serves and protects.