[Big Baybee]

No I'm saying the guy was drunk driving, caused a police chase, put people's lives at risk, resisted his arrest, etc. The beating was not justified since there was practically nothing he could have seriously done considering how many officers were present, but to paint the whole event as being crazy racist police officers beating an innocent man is bullshit.

No one has claimed him to be an innocent man.

[akira28]

He was a skateboarder?

Damn shame he died so young. I wonder if he ever got therapy? It was obvious the guy had some demons, even though I don't think he was necessarily a bad guy, himself.

[Ninja Scooter]

No I'm saying the guy was drunk driving, caused a police chase, put people's lives at risk, resisted his arrest, etc. The beating was not justified since there was practically nothing he could have seriously done considering how many officers were present, but to paint the whole event as being crazy racist police officers beating an innocent man is bullshit.

They were crazy racist police officers beating a man. He might not have been innocent but the rest holds true.

[Lionel Mandrake]

Chalk me up for not getting taught at school. Our history classes only got up to Reagan.

I did know about it thought from TV and movies.... And Naked Gun.

[slit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-JZtPQh0FQ

HAHA, that's great.

[Ether_Snake]

No one has claimed him to be an innocent man.

The guy I replied to didn't know he had been drunk driving. Which is why I replied what I did. Don't jump to conclusions.

[A Pretty Panda]

20. Never discussed this in school. Though every time I've taken history (HS and College) it usually ends at the end of the Cold War.

I've heard about it through Tv specials, History Channel etc.

RIP I guess.

[Ash Sparrow]

How? He really did nothing to warrant what happened to him.

Definitely not, he didnt. My comment was aimed at how much trouble he's gotten into since then.

[PhoenixPause]

edit: beaten

[nateeasy]

edit: beaten

Lol

[Enosh]

I am sorry, but in the limited time in a school year, i really don't see why this would be worth discussing in a history class

[Big Baybee]

I am sorry, but in the limited time in a school year, i really don't see why this would be worth discussing in a history class

Lol. LA riots not worth discussing.

[Fixed1979]

I am sorry, but in the limited time in a school year, i really don't see why this would be worth discussing in a history class

I'm not American, but I figured it would be marked a a significant event in American race related events. And I might be mistaken but it's certainly the largest showing of violent "uprising" or protest in a very very long time. I think it was an event that also brought racism by police towards African Americans to everyone's attention.

[RedSwirl]

Actually, come to think of it, I never learned about this in school at all. Just bits and pieces of news reports and the history channel referencing back to King and the riots.

[pje122]

I am sorry, but in the limited time in a school year, i really don't see why this would be worth discussing in a history class

It's not. That's why in most schools they don't.

[Jipan]

Damn, that's a horrible way to be found dead. I'm 23; going to be 24 on Tuesday. I heard about the L.A. Riots/ the beating of Rodney King thanks to my Asian American literature class that I took last year (also in my that I took in my Multi-ethnic literature class with the same professor last fall). We read Twilight Los Angeles by Anna Deavere Smith which a series of interviews that Smith did with the people involved in the L.A. Riots and turned it into a theatre play. Check it out at your local public library or college library if you don't want to buy it; it's a good read.

Also here a video of Smith performing some of the characters from the book. She does a pretty amazing job of bringing the characters to life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR8SwPmCFd4

Craziest thing was that at the same time as the L.A. Riots, uproars and riots were happening in other states. For example here, in New York, a similar riot stemmed in my neighborhood because of the killing a man by the NYPD. I was too young to know this, but those were some crazy times.

EDIT: Hell, GTA: San Andreas takes place before and during the L.A. Riots. The game makes several references to it; Rockstar did their homework on the riots. So it's worth a look as well beyond the over-the-top plot because it delves into some good issues.

[QuiteWhittle]

Both the Watts and Rodney King riots were covered in my time-constricted AP US History class, and there was a question on the exam about the former.

[Dishwalla]

I am sorry, but in the limited time in a school year, i really don't see why this would be worth discussing in a history class

Yeah, but you have at least 12 school years of time where the subject could be squeezed in somewhere. Even if you don't think it's appropriate to learn about the incident in first or second grade, then learn about it in middle school instead of George Washington and all that stuff you should learn about in elementary school.

We only have a few hundred years of American history and 12 years of school, nothing should be left out.

[ViewtifulJC]

[akira28]

I am sorry, but in the limited time in a school year, i really don't see why this would be worth discussing in a history class

Yep, no point in discussing the Huguenots either.

[RedSwirl]

I don't know if this is a problem everywhere, but in all the schools I went to (military family here), history class always rushed through everything post-WWII because by then it was basically the end of the school year. I think in most elementary school classes we started off with Henry VIII and went from there through American history. In high school they tried to have us cover literally the entirety of western recorded history all the way from Sumeria in one school year, so we didn't have much time for events that happened in our lifetime.

[El Sloth]

Damn, he was just on WNYC on few weeks ago for the anniversary of the incident. Poor guy.

Edit: Here's the interview for anyone who'd interested: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/201...on-redemption/

It's roughly 33 minutes long. He talks about the incident and mentions why he was resisting arrest which I see some of you are talking about.

[maxcer0081]

I can answer these all at once... Missouri Public Education. We just learned about the civil war, lewis and clark, and missouri history. edit - Also 20

so most of your knowledge on history is limited to a small section of the 19th century in america?

[Lionel Mandrake]

I don't know if this is a problem everywhere, but in all the schools I went to (military family here), history class always rushed through everything post-WWII because by then it was basically the end of the school year. I think in most elementary school classes we started off with Henry VIII and went from there through American history. In high school they tried to have us cover literally the entirety of western recorded history all the way from Sumeria in one school year, so we didn't have much time for events that happened in our lifetime.

Yeah. We spent ages on Native American history, the Revolution, the Civil War, and WWII, and everything else played second banana. By the time we got to the 70s, we had a week of class left. Teachers would just give us the cliffnotes version, and nobody paid attention because summer was about to start. Then next year, the process would start all over again.

[joe2187]

I remember the riots, we lived in one of the neighborhoods towards where all the central looting was taking place, such a strange thing to witness...I saw pillars of black smoke trailing into the skies all around our neighborhood, and the amount of sirens were deafening, watching the police in full riot gear line up near my elementary school and march down the street shields drawn was a pretty surreal sight.

Poor dumb bastard was a correct summation of his life.

[CountAntonius]

Watching these vids brings back memories of my childhood. It was so confusing seeing that as a child. Normal everyday people going crazy. What always stuck with me was them taking innocent people out of their cars and beating them. I think it was my first taste of rage towards humanity.

[tarius1210]

He didn't start them, the acquitting of his attackers started them.

I know but to say I was "only one" and be completely ignorant of the goings on in the country is so silly to me. Dude, you're 22 now...come on.

[gimmmick]

April 26th, 1992,
There was a riot on the streets,
Tell me where were you?

[Baconsammy]

Lol. LA riots not worth discussing.

Considering some of the huge stuff that gets skipped in many history classes, I don't see why this would take precedence. Not covering it in a college level modern American history class would be a crime.

[WowBaby]

R.I.P. Mr. King.

[Dreams-Visions]

His book just came out too.

damn.

[joe2187]

I am sorry, but in the limited time in a school year, i really don't see why this would be worth discussing in a history class

The LA Riots were a pivotal point in American history. The impact it had on Goverment, Law Enforcement and culture were very dramatic.

In a sense it was something that needed to happen, even though it was an awful low point in our city's history, it's no less important than the Civil rights marches of the 60's, The JFK assassination, or 9/11. Without the Riots, I dont know if Los Angeles would have gotten any better, compared to back then It's a very dramatic difference in what it was, I remember the gangs not even a decade ago leaving bodies in the gutters drive by shootings at the high schools and one of my teachers getting killed for giving a gang member detention one day.

Nowadays it seems like the criminal mentality is slowly dying off, The gangs are almost non-existent here now it's amazing, The economy is in the shits around here and it seems like instead of people turning to criminal activity, more people are attending school, more community programs are gaining more members, volunteers are coming out of the woodwork to make the city a more attractive place for themselves and for business.

[Dorrin]

I'm 35 so I remember watching first the beating of King and then the riots that followed. I'm suprised nobody has mentioned Reginal Denny, a truck driver who got pulled out his truck and was beaten during the riots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Reginald_Denny

Denny stopped in the middle of the street. Antoine Miller opened the truck door, giving others the chance to pull Denny out. Another man, Henry Keith Watson, then held Denny's head down with his foot. Denny was kicked in the abdomen by an unidentified man. Two other unidentified men who had led a liquor store break-in earlier that day hurled a five-pound piece of medical equipment at Denny's head and hit him three times with a claw hammer. Damian Williams then threw a slab of concrete at Denny's head and knocked him unconscious. Williams then did a victory dance over Denny. He then flashed gang signs at news helicopters, which were televising the events live, and pointed and laughed at Denny. Anthony Brown then spat on Denny and left with Williams. Several bystanders took pictures of Denny but did not attempt to help him. LAPD officers, despite the fact that they were in the vicinity as the attack took place, could not provide help to Denny. After the beating, various men threw beer bottles at the unconscious Denny. Gary Williams approached Denny and rifled through his pockets. Lance Parker stopped near Denny and attempted to shoot the fuel tank of Denny's truck but missed. Paramedics who attended to Denny said he came very close to death. His skull was fractured in 91 places and pushed into the brain. His left eye was so badly dislocated that it would have fallen into his sinus cavity had the surgeons not replaced the crushed bone with a piece of plastic. A permanent crater remains in his head despite efforts to correct it. Denny had to undergo years of rehabilitative therapy and his speech and ability to walk were permanently damaged.

[xbhaskarx]

edit: beaten

8.6/10

[Ether_Snake]

List of incidents of civil unrest in the US: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of....E2.80.931950s

[relaxor]

His book just came out too. damn.

yeah I thought he looked good in some recent interview with him

[minx88]

What an outstanding citizen. The world truly lost a great man.

[Parallax]

List of incidents of civil unrest in the US: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of....E2.80.931950s

Damn, I dint know the riots were so widespread. There were uprisings in other cities at the time?

[parrotbeak]

People learning about him in school makes me feel really old. I was in high school when this happened, so we learned about it on the news. I still remember how angry everyone was watching the video.

[Fantasmo]

Yeah i'm pretty sure calling people poor bastards when they die isn't a widespread thing.

Um, no not really. Happens everywhere.

[GaimeGuy]

After an eight mile chase, yes. Doesn't change what I said. edit: And he fought against the female officers arresting him. It's only after that things degenerated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w-SP7iuM6k Totally had it coming

[zeioIIDX]

So weird because I was just watching The Boondocks last night and Riley cracked a couple jokes at Rodney King's expense :(

[GDGF]

RIP

I still remember how crazy it was seeing all of this as it was happening (on the news).




Also, for the kids out there who weren't taught about this in school, ever heard of Sublime?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-L3D8vKBCM

[Izick]

So weird that it happened so close to the anniversary and documentary. Maybe someday we can all just stop being dicks to each other and get along.

[Cousteau]

Just saw him on some Book TV show promoting some book about the riots I think.
Maybe he was exhausted from that or he ate right before getting into the pool.

[saltywalrus]

Just saw him on some Book TV show promoting some book about the riots I think. Maybe he was exhausted from that or he ate right before getting into the pool.

He was probably drunk or on drugs.

[WedgeX]

Shame he died so young. He really had sounded like things had turned around for him. Unfortunately relapse can be a part of that process...

Rodney King and then Malice Green a few months later made for a crazy year in '92.

[minx88]

He was probably drunk or on drugs.

Both. According to his wife. Intelligent guy.

[Droplet]

I live in LA and I don't think we were ever taught about the LA riots as part of our curriculum. I think basically everyone just sort of knew they happened at some point but we never explicitly talked about why they happened or who was involved.

Either that or my history teacher just sucked and we never got to it.

[Kitschkraft]

Sad story. Sorry that he's dead.

Same situation still going on all the time too.