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Written by Angel Sevilla
Dec 17, 2009
It took me a while to get around to writing this article, partly because I’m a student and its final’s week, but mainly because I’ve been taking care of my friend all week.
A week ago he was assaulted after leaving a bar in our very familiar gay district on Second Street — not just assaulted, damn near killed. He had been drinking and was unable to defend himself. He ended up getting hit on the back of the head with the end of a pole, resulting in a chunk of his skull being knocked out of place. His entire body is in pain from the multiple kicks he received once he was on the ground. He can’t really bend over because his back hurts too much, and he can’t lie down because a patched-up hole is in the center of the back of his head. The clothes he wore that night are covered in blood.
This is not OK.
Why did this happen?
I also have been mugged on Second Street.
About three summers ago, two guys asked me for a cigarette. I politely told them that I don’t smoke, and apparently that’s not what they wanted to hear. I wasn’t shaken up by the fact that I walked away with a black eye and some other bruises. I was shaken up by the fact that no one seemed to have seen what happened.
Where are the police officers?And what the hell is wrong with these people who feel like it’s OK to just run around knocking people out?
Are there not enough police in Milwaukee to patrol the bar areas? I always see plenty of patrol cars circling Fourth and National when all the Bradley Tech kids get out of school each afternoon. I know that’s because a lot of the kids like to start trouble, but the crazy gay-bashers out hiding in the dark are just as bad, if not worse, because crazy fuels their hate.
When I was assaulted I called the police to report the incident, and they put me on hold for 15 minutes. I ended up just walking to the police station on Fourth and Lincoln to make a report in person, because for some twisted reason that was actually faster than calling on the phone.
I’m at a loss, because I usually always have something to say, some idea or suggestion of how I think things might be fixed.
This time, though, I’m left pretty speechless. I’m a pretty firm believer in preventing a problem before it occurs, but how do you prevent ignorance?
How do we prevent black eyes and cracked skulls?
How do we prevent hate crimes that can very easily lead to someone’s death?
I want to know what police and city officials can do to work together in preventing things like this from happening again.
I realize that Milwaukee is a very messed-up city and that the police have a lot to deal with, but my job is to give my 20-year-old gay opinion, and my opinion is that they aren’t working as hard to keep us safe at night as they are to keep some other parts of town safe during the day.
I’m not implying that it’s because we’re gay, or accusing anyone of treating us unequally, I’m simply stating that there’s a problem here.
I don’t have the answer this time, but maybe someone reading this column does.
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