When it comes to politics, many people feel powerless against those in office. While it isn’t entirely true to say that politicians control every aspect of our lives, they do hold significant influence. Still, it is possible to make them hear our complaints and our voices, at least for a moment. One way to do this is by attending a public committee meeting. Cattie Laffoon, a citizen of Los Angeles, California, decided to seize this opportunity to directly confront the members of the LA City Council. Her public comment was recorded on video and quickly spread online, gaining thousands of views. In the video, she can be seen demanding answers from the council, questioning why the LAPD was siding with ICE and attacking protestors.
From the very beginning, Laffoon had to fight just to be heard. She called out the council members for talking among themselves instead of paying attention, insisting that they stop and listen to her words. At one point, an LA council member even rolled their eyes at her. She immediately called out the gesture, accusing them of disrespecting not only her but the very people they were supposed to represent.
Frustrated by the lack of attention, Laffoon pressed on. She asked why the council couldn’t take this issue seriously when politicians were supposed to work for the public, not against it. She declared loudly that many protestors and Los Angeles residents were living in fear of ICE’s actions, calling them nothing short of terrorism. She demanded to know why the council refused to discuss how the LAPD could actually protect the city’s citizens.
Her voice rose as she asked why 50 percent of students were now afraid to go to school, and why ordinary citizens had to treat the LAPD like an enemy rather than an ally sworn to protect them.
But even as she spoke, the council still seemed unmoved, their attention drifting toward their phones. Seeing their dismissive attitude, Laffoon’s anger boiled over. She shouted that by refusing to take action, they were putting both the LAPD and the public in danger. Instead of doing their jobs, they were hiding behind inaction and indifference.
The LA council didn’t take kindly to having their fragile authority challenged. Rather than address her concerns, they had her removed from the chamber. In the final moments of the video, Laffoon is seen speaking with an officer, venting her frustration at the brick wall of uncooperative council members who clearly had no interest in serving the public.
She questioned why “decorum” was treated as more important than the actual issues at hand and argued that if the council refused to take their responsibilities seriously, then they had no right to their seats in the first place.
Many Redditors echoed Laffoon’s frustration, expressing disbelief at how indifferent the LA City Council appeared. One user wrote, “Dude, that’s f***ing crazy. The majority of the council members are just having their own conversations, laughing it up, completely ignoring a citizen and not even bothering to feign attentiveness. They truly don’t give a sh**.”
