Blueprint of a true man: Randal Simmons

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kids10feb10,0,94191.story

Slain SWAT officer was hero to children

Vans of the Glory Kids Ministries make the rounds without the group's founder, SWAT officer Randal Simmons, killed in a standoff.

To many children who have so little, Officer Randy meant so much. He brought them bicycles at Christmas. He took them to Dodgers games and McDonald's. He got them new shoes for school. He invited them to day camp for a swim and slipped their parents money for groceries.

Nearly every weekend he visited lower income neighborhoods from Carson to Watts to South-Central, as part of a church group he founded -- Glory Kids Ministries -- to steer youngsters from gangs and toward the gospels. He helped a mom weather her battle with cancer, and his influence on children often rubbed off on the unruly adults in their lives.

And now he was gone.

For the first time, the Glory Kids vans made their Saturday pilgrimages without Los Angeles Police Officer Randal Simmons, 51, who was shot to death Thursday during a SWAT raid in the San Fernando Valley. The Glory Kids volunteers tried to explain to the likes of Machealle Corswell, 12, how it could be that Simmons would no longer dress up as Santa for their holiday celebration, or shoot baskets with them on the playground, or treat them to the USC-UCLA football game.

"He was like an uncle to me," said Machealle, who could not stop crying. She was among three dozen children the Glory Kids crew met with at Scottsdale Townhouses in Carson. "When I heard about it on the news, I didn't want to talk to anybody," Machealle said, echoing the anger and confusion expressed by other children who had been in Simmons' orbit.

"It's not fair," said Tommy Newsome, 12, who stared watery-eyed across the Scottsdale basketball court. "I called him my hero. He was going to take us to the skate park next week."

The Glory Kids team Saturday set up loudspeakers at Scottsdale, played a quick round of Jesus-themed "Simon Says" with the children, gave them balloons and said it was OK to cry.

More than anything, they stressed that Simmons would not want them to lose faith.

(continued, do read the whole thing, if you have a heart you'll need tissues...)

***
I blogged about him when this happened. What a terrible, terrible loss.

*sigh*

The greatest good that can come from this is if thousands of men, especially Afro-Americans like officer Simmons, step forward to do the same that he did in their own communities. People often ask how to be a good Christian, and how to be a good man. Well, here is the blueprint. Copy it.