I remember Rodney King with utter clarity...I was in Japan at the time, at an AFRTS station. We pre-empted our regular programming to broadcast live news from the States of the rioting and violence. It baffled, traumatized, and sickened us.
One of my pals was in basic training at the time, which is a hermetically-sealed environment. You, 56 other recruits, a stuffy barracks compartment, two screaming drill instructors (called "Recruit Company Commanders" in the Navy), doing their best imitation of Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann from "Full Metal Jacket." The outside world is not even an abstraction. It does not exist.
Out of the blue, an officer entered the compartment, and told any recruit who came from Los Angeles would be allowed to phone home from the phone center, as there were "disturbances" in the city.
Disturbances? What the hell did that mean?
A few of the recruits were from LA, and they marched over to the building, phoned home collect, and returned pale. "Man, South Central is going up," they said.
Disturbances.
This is not a "disturbance." This is the beginning of an all-out assault on our democracy, by our government.
He led the LAPD raid on the Symbionese Liberation Army's house in Watts. His cops stormed the defenses when Donald DeFreeze, Nancy Ling Perry, Mizmoon Soltysik, Willy Wolfe, and Camilla Hall opened up with automatic weapons. All died.
However, they missed Patty Hearst. She, with Bill and Emily Harris, were fleeing the hardware store they had just robbed.
Before I saw that poor guy getting beaten, I disagreed with Malcolm X on “By Any Means Necessary.”
After that, I said to my pals in my AFRTS station, “There are just some people who do not get it unless you kick them in the teeth, and those cops are among those guys.” They knew what I meant. Some racists, some Nazis, some con men, some crooks, some faux Fascists, some Meal Team Six commandos WILL NEVER GET IT until they are punched in the face.
I told that epiphany years later to Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, at a luncheon. She smiled, chuckled, and agreed with me.
The 1968 chant at the Democratic National Convention, "The whole world's watching" is more real today than then with current communication, data, and surveillance programs, equipment, and devices.
I feel for my children and grandchildren. I hope I am alive to see hellfire rein down on every MAGA voter.
I remember Rodney King with utter clarity...I was in Japan at the time, at an AFRTS station. We pre-empted our regular programming to broadcast live news from the States of the rioting and violence. It baffled, traumatized, and sickened us.
One of my pals was in basic training at the time, which is a hermetically-sealed environment. You, 56 other recruits, a stuffy barracks compartment, two screaming drill instructors (called "Recruit Company Commanders" in the Navy), doing their best imitation of Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann from "Full Metal Jacket." The outside world is not even an abstraction. It does not exist.
Out of the blue, an officer entered the compartment, and told any recruit who came from Los Angeles would be allowed to phone home from the phone center, as there were "disturbances" in the city.
Disturbances? What the hell did that mean?
A few of the recruits were from LA, and they marched over to the building, phoned home collect, and returned pale. "Man, South Central is going up," they said.
Disturbances.
This is not a "disturbance." This is the beginning of an all-out assault on our democracy, by our government.
This is so disturbing. Unbelievable. Especially the LAPD smashing their own patrol car window !!!
yeah Darryl Gates and GOONS...Real tough guys
Darryl Gates' other claim to fame?
He led the LAPD raid on the Symbionese Liberation Army's house in Watts. His cops stormed the defenses when Donald DeFreeze, Nancy Ling Perry, Mizmoon Soltysik, Willy Wolfe, and Camilla Hall opened up with automatic weapons. All died.
However, they missed Patty Hearst. She, with Bill and Emily Harris, were fleeing the hardware store they had just robbed.
Rodney King incident
That is correct.
Before I saw that poor guy getting beaten, I disagreed with Malcolm X on “By Any Means Necessary.”
After that, I said to my pals in my AFRTS station, “There are just some people who do not get it unless you kick them in the teeth, and those cops are among those guys.” They knew what I meant. Some racists, some Nazis, some con men, some crooks, some faux Fascists, some Meal Team Six commandos WILL NEVER GET IT until they are punched in the face.
I told that epiphany years later to Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, at a luncheon. She smiled, chuckled, and agreed with me.
I will protest.
The 1968 chant at the Democratic National Convention, "The whole world's watching" is more real today than then with current communication, data, and surveillance programs, equipment, and devices.