El Paso, TX.
This is Gerard, the doorman at a historic downtown theater. He's waiting for the end of the night's performance - a poetry reading to raise funds for "El Paso Strong," the organization formed in response to the hate crime where a gunman killed 22 and wounded 24 on August 3, 2019.
"I grew up in LA," he said. "There, everyone is always rushing to get to where they're going. Here, it's not like that. People still say, "Yes, Ma'am" and "No, Sir" and they'll hold the door for you."
“The disappointing thing is that El Paso has always been the safest city in the US. Since that shit at the Walmart, whenever anyone thinks of us, it's something different."
