Color is King

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The phrase racial inequality holds many different emotions and views for each person in America depending on your life experience. But, what most people will think of is back to slavery or even the civil rights movement. It seems like something that has happened ages ago and is something that us great Americans have overcome and wiped out. Well that’s what we would like to think but just 26 years ago the nation was hit with the most public display of racial inequality in many years. The beating of Rodney King a black man by white Los Angeles cops in 1991 and little did we think this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Rewinding a little bit Mr. King was born on April 2nd, 1965 in Los Angeles. On March 3, 1991 Rodney King a taxi driver, was caught by cops while under the influence of alcohol but was initially stopped being stopped for speeding. He initially tried to avoid the police but, eventually pulled over after a police pursuit. A nearby citizen witnessed and recorded Rodney King being assaulted by four white police officers. Many reports from bystanders said King never tried to resist arrest but, was still tazed and beaten over 50 times. His injury’s consisted of heavy bruising, a broken leg, and a scar from the tazing.

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The four officers involved were later charged with police brutality regarding to the incident with Mr. King. They were then put on trial for their crimes nearly a year later, however were quickly acquitted by the mostly white jury. This cases ruling lead to many riots and protest in the following days of the trial. Despite Rodney King’s plead asking, “People, I just want to say, can’t we all get along? Can’t we all get along?”  However, the riots continued killing 55 people and injuring thousands more.  This event of police brutality was the first of its kind being captured on video and later viewed by the public. http://www.biography.com/people/rodney-king-9542141#acquittal-and-resulting-riots

It is events just Rodney kings that have erupted across America today causing the same type of up roar and unrest between the African American and police community. It is events, as simple as a speeding violation that are taken out of context by white officers due to the perpetrators skin color. An issue as basic as race has yet again become something that separate’s a nation that promises freedom and just for all. It is precisely events like that of Mr. King that scare me as a white man to venture into the world of law enforcement. I believe events like these should never happen, but I understand won’t change overnight. I as a white man feel like we as a nation should stop trying to be color blind. The issue is not within us seeing color and recognizing the differences many Americans share in complexion.

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The problem lies within the household of Americans where racism and prejudice is still taught whether initially or not. Ignorance is not something we are born with, in fact it is something we are taught. Now I know I can’t change the way millions of Americans think through this simple blog but, maybe I can shed a White perspective on this sensitive problem in America today. Clearly the problem has been rampid within the criminal justice system for years. In class the other day a very interesting question was posed about the justice system. The question was whether the system is broken or instead that the system is perfectly fine, but simply working the way it is designed, to keep African Americans oppressed.

I found this questioning very complex and simulating. The simply response is of course the system is broken, Rodney King’s case is a prime example how, but not all police are bad so there is the answer. Then I began to think of how there has never been a fix we are nearly 26 years later and are seeing examples just like that of Rodney King all over the media and country today. I at this movement don’t have the answer myself to that question but hope to ponder the question within this blog.

That being said Rodney king’s video is till available for viewing and can be watched by all at this link: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/march-3rd-1991-rodney-king-lapd-beating-caught-on-video/. The sad fact remains as long as events like the beating of Rodney King continue, we truly will not have freedom and justice for all.

 

One comment

  1. tvs5524 says:

    I think that this was really interesting to read a blog about this topic from the perspective of a white person. If all white people were as conscious as you than our country would be a much happier place.

    In reference to this incident in particular it is really sad to see. Though Rodney King was breaking the law, no one deserves to be treated the way he was. It feels as if some police don’t even see minorities as humans. The way they beat on Rodney King was unacceptable and deserved to be punished within the court of law.

    I think it is also worth noting the impact this case played upon the OJ Simpson case. While watching a documentary about the OJ Simpson case I was interested to find out that the Rodney King case was a big factor in the case of OJ. When they were deciding where to pull the jury from the prosecution wanted to get a jury of people from a California suburb but eventually they ended up with a downtown jury. The downtown LA demographic had substantially more African Americans which worked in the favor of OJ. His defense attorneys took advantage of this and sold the case as police trying to take down a successful black man. When discussing the case after the verdict one of the jurors was asked if OJ’s verdict was payback for the Rodney King verdict to which she replied that it was and that was the sentiment of many of the jurors.
    (http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/06/oj-simpson-case-juror-says-verdict-payback-for-rodney-king)

    The saddest part to me is how frequently police brutality still occurs today. You would think after an incident like King’s that caused so much havoc on the streets, the police department would advance to insure that incidents like this don’t happen again. With social media and cellphone cameras it appears that these incidents are all over. I really hope that things can get better soon.

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