I was president of Union Rescue Mission years ago. One day I was walking toward the mission entrance and maybe 30 yards from the mission entrance. I saw a ring of Los Angeles police officers around a homeless man who was down on the sidewalk . The police were hitting and kicking the elderly guy.
I walked into the ring of policemen and stood in their circle. The young policeman next to me put his face about two inches away from my face and angrily growled at me “Do you want some of this too?”
I did not back away from his face. I just held steady and reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out my President Union Rescue Mission card.
By this time Mayor Bradley was chairing our committee our fund raising for our new building. and as it happened I had been on the news a lot which had given me some clout on the street.
The Policeman backed away immediately and said ” Oh I am sorry sir” The group of policemen then helped the man up and he limped away. Sometime later the homeless guy saw me and said “I liked that the President of the Mission stopped and helped me.”I was flooded with good emotion. I felt authentic I guess is the right word.
George Caywood 