We’re back! The team that put together the old Grapevine Press has returned as the new “Vineyard Press.” I hope you like it. If you’re familiar with our former publication, you’ll know that at heart, I am an editor and publisher who happens to be a city councilman.

I’ve always wondered what makes us the men and women that we are. What makes a hero? What makes a villain? When do we decide to follow the counsel of kind role models, and when do we succumb to all that is contrary to the golden rule? Did we ever know the golden rule? When, and under what circumstances, do we lose our integrity? Did we have integrity to begin with? Are we born with some innate sense of right and wrong, or must it be taught to us? Are some humans weaker than others, more brutal than others, or more sensitive than others?

I’ve always believed there was a place reserved in heaven for all the animals of the earth. Maybe it was brought on by my fervent hope that my own pets would find a permanent, happy home. You see, growing up in the military necessitated constant moves. Dad was not the kind of man that brought animals on long trips. Our hearts were broken many times as we left our pets in the hands of strangers. I’ve wondered many times what happened to our dogs. They gave us unconditional love. I believe they have souls, as I believe we all do.

Just as the holiday season began, the entire nation and much of the world was revolted by the shooting death of LAPD officer Brian Brown. What caught the world’s attention was the sad little face of Brown’s son, Dylan. Officer Brown was killed in a gun battle that also claimed the life of a suspect, Oscar Zatarian. Several news organizations reported that the slain robber was from Rancho Cucamonga, though it is known that he was still active in a Long Beach gang. Zatarian presumably moved with his family from the Long Beach area to the safer confines of Rancho Cucamonga to escape the dangerous elements. We know little of the Zatarian family. Perhaps they should be given credit for trying to escape L.A. to give their children a better life. For Oscar Zatarian, by now a seasoned gang member, the die was cast long before the family’s escape to Rancho.