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THE INFAMOUS RON HINTON IN THE NEWS:

Oceanside Gangbuster??? (YOU BE THE JUDGE!!!)
Written by Jason Lane
Thursday, 15 November 2007

Gang prevention measures often take one of two routes. Either an ex-cop is teaching gang language workshops, or an ex-gang member reaches out to stop the cycle that he or she broke from. In Southern California, however, a new and absurd branch of gang prevention is being uploaded, literally, where one determined citizen is, to quote his delusional tyrades, "not afraid anymore."

Meet Ron Hinton. Ron is a retired member of the Marines, and currently resides in Oceanside, CA. Since retiring, he has found himself with a lot of free time, and he uses that time to make videos. No, he isn't making artsy/indie flicks, stop-motion, or even documentaries (per se). Ron Hinton is better known as the Oceanside Gangbuster, a neighborhood watch captain who has taken it upon himself to combat his city's gang problem, by confronting youth who appear to be "thugs," "gang bangers," or "tough-guys," videotaping the confrontation, and posting it on Youtube.

Hinton as become somewhat of a local celebrity, and has been featured on the local news several times. He has no shortage of enemies. Why? Well, Hinton provokes argumentative conversations with youth who he THINKS are in gangs, not youth that KNOWS are in gangs. The result, is a bunch of Youtube videos that show Ron accosting local youth without even confirming whether or not the youth are troublemakers. In some instances, the youth he finds are foul-mouthed and even bratty. However, in his hundreds of videos, he doesn't ever confront one confirmed gang member; furthermore, he has a blatant tendency to go after minorities.

When he was first featured on local news, his bizarre past was brought into the public eye. Hinton, who openly denounces drugs, gangs, and violence (even though he picks many, many fights), has a criminal record. He was a former semi-professional pool player, who had been ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE, AND DOMESTIC ASSAULT ON A FEMALE. Once in jail, Hinton was found to be "not mentally competent" by a court psychologist. Now free, and roaming the streets looking for kids, Hinton bases his assumptions 100% on the youth's appearance.

So, with hip hop culture growing increasingly prevalent among youth, what message are young people sending to older generations through their appearance? Sure, the pants may be baggy, the hats may be sideways, and you may think their music is pure crap, but is can anyone say that they've never been there? In the 60's people would think you a reefer addict if you wore bell bottoms and had long hair, yet today, those people are our bankers, doctors and lawyers. The point is, every young culture has their own identity that is distinctly their own. Older generations aren't supposed to fully understand it, and that's what makes it cool, because it is THEIRS. Being cool, or in-touch doesn't mean you have to be a gang banger, a thug, or even disrespectful, it just means you're in tune with the social aspects of your culture.

Ron Hinton painfully exhibits his lack of understanding for today's youth culture, by repeatedly provoking youth who he doesn't identify with, all in the shadow of his fear/paranoia of street gangs. One of his trademark lines, "I'm not afraid," is shouted in nearly every video, despite the youth not implying that he should be. The fact is, paranoia, distrust, and aggression are all symptoms of fear, and Hinton shows all three on a regular basis. Kids will be kids, but nobody (not even the Oceanside Gangbuster) can reverse the influence of youth culture; it's ever-changing, and more powerful than anything a maniac with a camera can shout at a kid with crooked hat.

You can check out Ron Hinton's videos on by visiting his Youtube profile at HERE .