American force behind poet (From Stroud News and Journal)

American force behind poet

A STROUD poet has been made an honorary member of the Los Angeles police Department (LAPD) after one of his poems caught the hearts of the famous force's top brass.

Football Poet Stuart Butler, who lives in Rodborough and teaches history at Brockworth School in Gloucester, has just returned from the Californian city where he had been on a week-long fact-finding exercise for the Local Education Authority.

Mr Butler was sent to look into the efforts which had been made to promote tolerance and combat racism in the City of Angels and bring back the lessons he had learned to Gloucestershire.

He toured the city with police patrols.

"I was shown how they had rebuilt themselves after the race riots of 1992," he said.

He also attended a conference at the Museum of Tolerance where he met Dr Terry Roberts, one of the Little Rock Nine who broke segregation in the state of Arkansas in the 1950s.

"They had the legal right to attend a school and the National Guard and Army were called in to allow them to attend class.

"But they were subjected to a constant barrage of unimaginable intimidation and in the face of that they turned to non-violent direct action."

Listening to Dr Roberts speak about his experiences was something of a revelation.

"For me he was the most charismatic, powerful speaker I've ever heard," said Mr Butler.

"He told how he would look these racists in the eye and ask 'why are you doing this to me'.

"I found it incredibly moving."

The Stroud poet wrote a poem about it and was asked to perform at the Museum of Tolerance, which is part of LA's Holocaust Centre.

After the reading the poem went on display in the Warriors for Peace exhibition which focuses on the peaceful struggles of Martin Luther King, Gandhi and the Dalai Lama.

"It's a really fulfilling thing to write something then perform it almost immediately and have it go on display in such a place."

"Some fairly high up members of the LAPD came back to get signed copies of the poem and made me an honorary deputy sheriff."

He was even presented with his own police badge.

"I wear it with pride, I really do," said Mr Butler.

"But it's only an honorary title," he added.

"So I don't think I'll be making too many arrests."

To see Mr Butler's poem log on to the Stroud Football Poets' website at www.footballpoets.org and have a look at the Butler's Bench page.