When Will It Stop! RIP Dewey Tucker

I wrote earlier this weekend about Oakland's first homicide of the year. Soon after we experienced our second, followed by the freeway shooting on Interstate 80.




My condolences go out to the family of Dewey Tucker, as his career as a bass player had come to an end fatally. Tucker, who toured the world with Lauryn Hill and had also done work with Bay Area hip hop group The Coup, will be truly be missed.



I can't describe how depressing this week has been. A man is gunned down in front of his wife and young children, another stabbed by a woman, and finally Tucker been gunned down by semi-automatic handgun in what CHP believes at the moment was a random incident.



This week serves as an example, that the issue of violence isn't just an Oakland thing, b rather a dark cloud that is currently enshrouding the entire Bay Area.



It really does seem like there's no value on human life, that people who believe violence is the answer.



Where did we go wrong? Where were the warning signs that society was heading in such a destructive direction, One that takes hundreds of life every year all over the Bay Area?



Families torn apart by senseless homicides, parents having to bury their sons and daughters even before someone does the same for them.



I can't imagine what the families of Dewey Tucker, Alvaro Ayala and the Oakland stabbing victim which resulted in our second homicide of the year are going through this week.



It must be difficult to cope with the loss of their love ones. Especially when it seems like these murders will get the same treatment from law enforcement and the media.

First Bang Of The Year

So Oakland has it first homicide of the year. 2009 opened with the now highly publicized Oscar Grant shooting. While in 2010 the victim was Alvaro Ayala, who was shot and killed Sunday night in front of his wife and two children. Ayala who was only 28 years old was killed by an armed robber who had originally attacked his wife. His 5-year old daugther and 10 year old son witnessed what must be a very traumatic experience. But also were victims of another senseless shooting, a problem that neither our Mayor or the police can't control. Last year Oakland total homicide rate was only 100. Far lower from previous high like 1992's 172 or 2008's 124 homicides. But just because the number are slightly lower doesn't mean the problem is any closer to being solved.








Four of the 100 homicides from 2009, were OPD officers that were gunned down in cold blood. In what was the darkest moment in the history of the city and it's department. The major issue not the number of homicide but rather but lack of respect and concern for human life. It's understandable that in the current ecomomic times, that survival is everyone's number one goal. But when harming others and taking innocent lives becomes the response to the hardships is when something needs to be done. Almost all this senseless murders go unsolved, their reported on the news stations and thats all. While the residents seem to be tight-lipped when it comes to assisting the police in solving these crimes.







Putting more police officers on the streets, or tougher gun laws help but won't solve what seems to be a internal problem inside these indivduals. Who don't value their own lives, or the lives of their neighbors and fellow Oakland citizens. Its truly depressing, where did we go wrong Oakland? What will the future be like for the next generations? Will there be anything left of this city?