1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,400
Sid Davis Productions Presents
2
00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:12,400
<i>Boys Aware</i>
3
00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,400
Produced with the co-operation of the Inglewood Unified School District
4
00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,400
and the Inglewood Police Department.
5
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,400
"Police" [Marker on car]
7
00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,400
I'm Lieutenant Williams,
8
00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,400
a police officer attached to the Juvenile Division.
9
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,600
I'm on my way to Monroe Junior High School
10
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,400
to talk to a group of young people.
11
00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:08,400
That looks innocent enough, doesn't it?
12
00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,400
Lots of young people hitchhike.
13
00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,400
Seems like a good way to get from one place to another.
14
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,400
But sometimes, there are dangers involved that never meet the eye.
15
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,400
Let's take the case of Jimmy Barnes.
16
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,400
Jimmy played baseball all afternoon, and he didn't feel like
17
00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,400
walking home, so he decided to thumb a ride.
18
00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,800
He'd done it a hundred times before,
19
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,600
And he didn't think anything was unusual
20
00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,800
when the driver struck up a friendly conversation.
21
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,400
In fact, he seemed like a real nice guy.
22
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,400
He asked Jimmy if he played baseball in the park often.
22
00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,100
Jimmy told him they practiced three times a week
23
00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:55,400
and played a rival group on Friday afternoon.
24
00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,400
The stranger was a good listener, too.
25
00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,400
and it only seemed minutes before
26
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,400
they pulled up in front of Jimmy's house.
27
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,400
When Jimmy got out,
28
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,400
the stranger gave him a friendly pat.
29
00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,400
Then he told him he'd see him again,
30
00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,400
as he always drove by the park on his way home.
31
00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,400
Sure enough,
32
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,400
the following day, when Jimmy finished playing ball,
33
00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,400
well, the man was there waiting.
34
00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,400
They stopped at a drive-in,
35
00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,400
and the stranger treated him to a Coke.
36
00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:58,400
During their conversation,
37
00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,400
he told several off-color jokes.
38
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,400
But Jimmy had heard others before;
39
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,400
and, well, it made him feel big to so easily
40
00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,400
win the confidence of an older person.
41
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,400
The following Saturday, they went fishing together.
42
00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,400
By now, they were using first names.
43
00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,400
Ralph said it was more friendly.
44
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,400
Jimmy hadn't enjoyed himself so much in a long time.
45
00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:45,400
Then, during lunch,
46
00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,400
Ralph showed him some pornographic pictures.
47
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,400
Jimmy knew he shouldn't be interested,
48
00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:51,400
but, well, he was curious.
49
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,400
What Jimmy didn't know was that Ralph was sick.
50
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,400
A sickness that was not visible like smallpox
51
00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,400
but no less dangerous and contagious:
52
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,400
a sickness of the mind.
53
00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,400
You see, Ralph was a homosexual...
54
00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,400
a person who demands an intimate relationship
55
00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,400
with members of their own sex.
56
00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,400
But by now, Jimmy felt a fondness for Ralph;
56
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,400
and they continued to go places together.
57
00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:20,400
Ralph was generous and took Jimmy many interesting places
58
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,400
and did many nice things for him.
59
00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,400
He bought presents and even gave him money,
60
00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,400
but payments were expected in return.
61
00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,400
You see, Jimmy hadn't recognized Ralph’s approach soon enough.
62
00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,400
When Ralph first asked Jimmy to go fishing alone,
63
00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,400
he should have discussed it with his parents or teacher.
64
00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,800
"Police" [Sign]
65
00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,200
Finally, Jimmy told his parents;
66
00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,400
and they reported it to the Juvenile authorities.
65
00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,400
Ralph was arrested,
67
00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,400
and Jimmy was released on probation
68
00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,400
in the custody of his parents.
69
00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,400
But all homosexuals are not passive.
70
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,400
Some resort to violence, as in the case of Mike Merritt.
71
00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,400
In the heat of competition,
72
00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,400
no one noticed the man who sat and watched.
73
00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,400
And when the game broke up and the others left,
74
00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,400
Mike decided to stay and practice a little longer.
75
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,400
The stranger joined him. He was friendly;
76
00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,400
and, well, it was better than playing alone.
77
00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,400
Then after a few shots, Mike realized he had already
78
00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,400
overstayed his time, and suggested he had better leave.
79
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,400
The stranger told him if he’d like to stay longer,
80
00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,400
he'd be glad to drive him home when they finished.
81
00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,400
Sounded great to Mike!
82
00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,400
A chance to play longer and get a ride home, too!
83
00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,400
When they finished, the stranger told him he'd make
84
00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,400
a fine player someday if he got lots of practice.
85
00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:24,400
The companionship, the praise, the friendly attitude dispelled
86
00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,400
any misgivings Mike might have had about going with a stranger.
87
00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,400
He probably never realized until too late
88
00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,400
that he was riding in the shadow of death.
89
00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:34,400
But sometime that evening,
90
00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,400
Mike Merritt traded his life for a newspaper headline.
91
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,400
As Denny and Jerry got the papers ready
92
00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,400
for Jerry's afternoon delivery,
93
00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:51,400
they only casually noticed the two boys that
94
00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:53,400
raced by in the afternoon traffic.
95
00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:55,400
And they didn't pay much attention to the car
96
00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,200
that drew up shortly afterwards,
97
00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:00,400
until the man called them over.
98
00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,400
Had two boys been by on bicycles?
99
00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:07,700
The boys nodded they had.
100
00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:09,400
Could they recognize them if they saw them again?
101
00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,400
Well, Denny guessed he could.
102
00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,400
"Then, hop in!" the man said. "Those are stolen bikes!"
103
00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,400
Without giving it another thought, Denny got in; and the car sped away.
104
00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,400
Jerry watched. He’d been told many times
105
00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,800
if a friend got in a car with a stranger to write down the license number.
106
00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,800
It didn't seem to apply, but...
107
00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,400
well, fortunately, he marked it down.
108
00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,400
When we delivered a paper to Denny's house,
109
00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:42,400
he asked his mother if they caught the boys
110
00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,400
that had stolen the bicycles.
111
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,400
Denny hadn't returned, so he told her the story.
112
00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:50,400
and gave her the paper with the license number
113
00:07:57,00 --> 00:07:59,400
Being a careful parent, she decided to call the police.
114
00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,400
Jerry supplied the necessary information
115
00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,400
and the stranger's car was quickly spotted.
116
00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,400
It was a good example of how important it is to always
117
00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,400
get the license number and description of any stranger
118
00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,400
who takes a young person off alone, no matter what they tell you.
119
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,400
Public restrooms can often be a hangout for the homosexual.
120
00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,400
Bobby and his friends hadn't noticed the man
121
00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,400
who had been in the restroom when they changed.
122
00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,600
And as it was late, he suggested they take the shortcut under the pier.
123
00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,400
But the others preferred to take the more traveled way home.
124
00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,400
When Bobby recognized the stranger as the man in the restroom,
125
00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,400
the shortcut under the pier didn't seem like a good idea at all.
126
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,400
After all, it’s more fun to stay with your friends anyway.
127
00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,400
Bobby had made a wise decision. It may have saved his life.
128
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,400
The decision is always yours...
129
00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,400
...and your whole future may depend on making the right one.
130
00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:34,400
So, no matter where you meet a stranger,
131
00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,400
be careful if they are too friendly
132
00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,400
if try to win your confidence too quickly
133
00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,400
and if they become overly personal.
134
00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,400
One never knows when the homosexual is about.
135
00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,400
He may appear normal, and it may be too late
136
00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,400
when you discover he is mentally ill.
137
00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,400
So keep with your group, and don't go off alone with strangers
138
00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,400
unless you have the permission of your parent or teacher.
139
00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,400
The End A Sid Davis Production
