Get Yourself Out

More Reasons Why L.A. Can't Fight Its Fires

Yesterday, I talked about how DEI, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ideology, has played a major role in the chaos of the fires in Los Angeles.

Today, I want to share some more revelations from this ongoing disaster.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I think that’s especially true when exposing incompetence. So, I’ll let the visuals do some of the talking and share insights along the way.

Let’s dig in…

Identity Over Duty

First up, we have Kristine Larson, the LAFD’s first lesbian chief of the DEI Bureau. As I mentioned yesterday, she makes about $400k leading this bureau. Her job? Rooting out bigoted firefighters.

Now, I’ve done some research into Larson. Turns out, she’s not exactly the fire-rescue type. Take a look at this clip from a 2019 promo for a show about firefighters where Kristine basically brags about not being able to do a fireman’s carry.

Here's the transcript, in case you can't believe your ears:

You want to see somebody that responds to your house, your emergency, whether it's a medical call or a fire call, that looks like you? It gives that person a little bit more ease knowing that somebody might understand their situation better.

"Is she strong enough to do this? Or you couldn’t carry my husband out of a fire?" To which my response is, "He got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire."

So, apparently, it’s not her job to save men from fires because "they got themselves in the wrong place."

This is victim-blaming people she’s supposed to protect. Plain and simple. And keep in mind, Larson isn’t just anyone—she’s one of the top people in the LAFD.

Is this why the fires aren’t getting put out? What are we, the simple DEI-un-infused folks, supposed to take from this? Probably that the LAFD isn’t just about fighting fires anymore—it’s about smashing stereotypes... even if it means your husband perishing in a fire.

Now, if I’m being totally frank, Larson probably couldn’t carry someone’s husband out of a fire if her life depended on it. But even then, it’d probably be on him for not keeping up with equity-based fitness standards.

Side note: What's all this nonsense about firefighters needing to “look like” the people they're rescuing? I always thought anyone watching their house burn down would want the most capable firefighters, no matter how they look. Clearly, I need to get with the times.

Crisis Communication Crisis

But with leadership like L.A.'s, can we really be surprised by any of this? Take a look at this recent clip from Mayor Karen Bass—who, while not installed through DEI (the voters made that choice)—perfectly represents the intellectual rot now gripping L.A.’s upper ranks.

Here’s the gist:

Right now, if you need help, emergency information, resources, and shelter are available. All of this can be found at URL.

Yes, you got that correctly. Need help? Just go to "URL." Apparently, whoever wrote her script expected someone to insert an actual website address. But nobody did, and more tellingly, Bass didn't even notice. Like a well-programmed robot, she read right through it, showing all the awareness you'd expect from someone who sleeps soundly while her city burns.

Remember, this is the same Bass who slashed the fire department's budget by $17.5 million to fund programs for illegal immigrants—while somehow finding money for gay choirs, trans cafes, and social justice art.

When you’ve got leadership like this, get ready for some big snafus. In fact, we just had a big one yesterday.

Around 4 PM local time, someone—probably another DEI hire—sent out an emergency alert to everyone in Los Angeles County, telling them they needed to evacuate. We’re talking millions of people. If you’re in the area, you probably got one of these yourself.

The alert, of course, wasn’t meant for the entire county… just certain parts of the city. Unsurprisingly, it caused a lot of panic and confusion. Luckily, someone—probably not a DEI hire—caught the mistake and sent a follow-up message clarifying it was an error.

Stellar work, guys. You've given the nation a masterclass in crisis mismanagement.

I could keep going on about other things... like Governor Gavin Newsom’s response or that time he pretended to talk to the President (just to dodge fire victims)... but you get the point. L.A. and California are a mess. We all knew it, but it’s just unfortunate that it took a crisis of this magnitude to truly show just how bad things are.

That's it for today. Stay safe, and have a good weekend!

Lau Vegys