A man who stands up for Oakland by saying here 'life is worthless'
A man who stands up for Oakland by saying "Oakland. California. Here life is worthless."
There's a man in Oakland who literally follows crime scenes and other insults to his hometown and shares it with the world; not to embarrass his city, but to advocate for its resurrection. KTVU's Tom Vacar reports from Oakland.
Oakland, California - There's a man in Oakland who literally follows crime scenes and other insults to his hometown and shares it with the world; not to embarrass his city, but to advocate for its resurrection. The Spanish words spring out online, "Oakland, California, donde la vida no vale nada. Oakland, California, donde la vida no vale nada."
In English: Oakland. California. Here life is worthless.
"Oakland is very, very hard to live in. You know, all the problems. The city left us," said Gregorio Ramon, 20 years an Oaklander and frequent online commentator. He now has 72,000 Instagram and TikTok followers who watch his video commentaries documenting Oakland's crime online.
"Oakland never been like that ever before, never. You've got some problems but never like that," he says.
For almost two years, he's shown hundreds of crime scenes, burning or burnt cars, boarded up crime-ridden businesses, crazy driving, blight, trash and tragedy.
"And the city don't do nothing," said Ramon.
Despite that, he uses his social skills to promote some local restaurants, such as La Case de Maria, on 98th Avenue in East Oakland, right across the street from Bishop O'Dowd High School. He has become kind of a folk hero.
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"People, kids come in and show up and want a signature. That's the image that we need for Oakland; somebody to step up again," said La Casa de Maria founder Jaime Norberto. This gives local merchants a chance to do more business with a lot less crime pressure on them.
"We are here; that we support anything happening in the city in the good way. That we are here to provide not only good food, but also a safe environment. Twenty years in business, that tells you how good it is," said Mr. Noberto.
The restaurant's branded hoodies and tee shirts proclaim the "where life is worthless" mantra in order to create pressure on Oakland's leaders. Ramon addresses them directly.
"You have to do something right away because it like, no safe anymore," said Ramon. When that happens, Ramon dreams of changing the mantra.
"Oakland, California, where the city hears me, the city listens," said Ramon.
What Gregorio and Jaime and thousands of followers are doing is the very essence of democracy: speak truth to power. Expect results and, if not, change the power.