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"Bill Murray .. a life unfolding" (in three parts)
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Dear LA Community Policing Friend:

Over the past 20 years or so, and certainly since I founded Los Angeles Community Policing in early 2002, I have answered questions about my motivation for my activism and for creating this forum.  Back then, when I announced that I'd launched LACP as my response to 9-11, it was not unusual to be asked "What are you running for?" when I introduced myself to a politician, a public official, a fellow activist or a member of the law enforcement brass.

My answers seemed to confuse many, as I'd reply my sole desire was to be of service, that I've had no political ambitions whatever, nor was I planning to request any financial support from any group or individual directly related to the issues I might eventually cover.  Some folks were frankly stunned by this unexpected answer, and many more distrusted me, at least for a while.

Over time, however, as LA Community Policing and now the radio show "Community Matters" have grown, I've come to enjoy a reputation as a trusted leader and advocate, as someone to take seriously, as a person who is simply genuinely concerned with encouraging the community to see and accept a certain responsibility to take actions that will improve public safety and the quality of life.

Now many in Los Angeles recognize the black baseball hat with the white letters "LACP.org" as being worn by someone sincere in their interest to be of service, to give back, to participate in any number of crime prevention, self-governance, and neighborhood improvement issues. And we've recently branched out beyond our original LA regional efforts to cover many important topics that are National in scope.

Few have known my personal story to the degree I will now be revealing it. Feeling it could cause them additional pain, I'd deliberately decided years ago that I would hold back this narrative until after my parents had died. And now they have.

I have shared this story before, privately and in small groups, whenever it felt appropriate, but frankly most of my family and even my closest friends have never heard this before, and certainly not in such detail.

So, starting with the "Community Matters" radio show this past Monday (episode # 63) and Wednesday (episode #64) I have decided to publicly reveal my past.  I'll conclude the topic with a "call-in" show on Friday, 10/16/09 when I'll answer any questions and encourage comments.

This email today is sent to you so that you'll first have an opportunity to listen "on demand" to the two already archived episodes .. the stories I told on Monday and Wednesday.

I hope over time many people will participate with me by calling in on our dedicated phone line .. 646 / 595-2118 .. by joining the chat room we always run during live shows, or by writing me at the personal email address I've provided below.

My motive is simple. I hope it will help explain my passion for helping the weak, abused, underprivileged and most vulnerable members of our society. I hope it will impress some that I do, indeed, know what I'm talking about. My personal experiences will no doubt shock some, scare others and disgust a few.

I also recognize that once the bottle's open there's no putting the genie back inside, so I hope my willingness to be as honest, open and revealing as I am will be understood in the spirit in which it is intended.

Because if by doing this I can assist one family .. or one youngster .. from avoiding the terrible things I have lived through in my childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, then telling my story publicly will have been worth it.

In the end I hope you'll see this for what it is, a story of hope, of a triumph over some of the worst personal experiences one can have, and of how the human spirit can be resurrected to become useful, productive and meaningful.

I hope you'll agree with my premise that some of the worst things that happen to people, the sickest secrets of our lives, the things we expected would drive people away from us, can, if seen in the right spiritual light and dealt with in a healthy way, become the very gift of our lives instead, and the best things we have to offer.

As my life unfolds, and my spiritual journey continues, I understand that I am not done growing over this. I hope never will be. But I also feel perhaps uniquely qualified to understand and address issues important to us all.

May God bless you, and may God bless America.

Thanking you for making a difference in our community, I am,

Yours in service,

Bill
Bmurray3rd@aol.com

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