Symbolic Siege : Activists Urge Clinton to ‘Invade’ South-Central Once Peace Is Established in Haiti

The idea seems to be working in Port-au-Prince.

So a group of community activists urged President Clinton on Tuesday to “invade South-Central Los Angeles” and attack problems that are causing suffering for residents.

“We have all of the horrible things happening in Haiti happening right here--murders, homelessness, unemployment--and what is seen by some an an oppressive police force,” said Dr. James Mays, a leader of a coalition called Unity Survival Action (USA) for South-Central Los Angeles.

“As soon as former President Carter has a shower and a shave, he should bring Colin Powell out here and talk to gangbangers and criminals and tell them they’re coming to reinforce the police.”

Mays, a 51-year-old physician who operates three South-Central medical clinics, acknowledged that the invasion call is largely symbolic.

But he says he believes that things are out of hand in South-Central and that National Guard troops may be required to “get things under control.” Mays said the federal crime bill money for additional police officers “isn’t going to change anything. The police are too far behind--L.A. is already such a snake pit.”

Officials in Los Angeles and Washington were surprised by the “invasion” call.

A White House spokesman said late Tuesday that Clinton had not received the request. “It sounds like they’re demanding help from local officials,” the spokesman said.

City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents a portion of the South-Central area, applauded Mays for drawing attention to the problem but added: “I don’t think a military solution is appropriate for an urban crisis, nor do I think that’s Dr. Mays’ intention.”

A spokeswoman for Mayor Richard Riordan said the issues raised by the coalition are serious. But added, “We certainly don’t agree with the Haiti analogy. We don’t think invading South-Central is a constructive idea,” Noelia Rodriguez said.

A spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, whose 2nd District includes South-Central, agreed.

“There may be some problems in South-Central, but it may be a little bit of a leap to jump to Haiti-type references. We don’t have a dictator here, for example,” aide Fred MacFarlane said.

But Mays and others in his coalition charged that their neighborhoods are often dominated by outsiders who do not always have the best interest of locals at heart.

“It’s almost like the powers do dictate to us here in South-Central,” said the Rev. Phillip Miles, 41, pastor of Lively Hope Community Church where Unity Survival Action members met Tuesday night.

“We constantly call upon City Hall and the Board of Supervisors for more money for homeless shelters,” Miles said. “They tell us, ‘We can’t help you.’ Then we read that the supervisors have $1.2 million in discretionary funds they’re sitting on.”

Mays--whose community work has ranged from creation of a walk of fame called the Watts Promenade of Prominence to formation of a mentor group called Adopt-a-Family--said the nation’s humanitarian efforts should be focused at home.

“We’ve got to clean up our community of crime and violence and let older people out of the prisons they have to live in after dusk. They cannot drive nice cars for fear of being ‘jacked. They can’t withdraw money from the ATM. You can’t jog with your Rolex watch on,” he said.

Mays suggested that Carter, who negotiated an agreement with Haiti’s military leaders over the weekend, could also “use some of his Southern gentleman’s diplomacy” to improve relations between blacks and Latinos “to make them realize it’s in their best interest to work together to avoid a possible future clash.”

After that, he said, Clinton should initiate a kind of Marshall Plan to help finance the long-term turnaround of South-Central--similar to efforts that “rehabilitated Germany and Japan” after World War II.

“We need help,” he said.