[RedSwirl]

So I just watched that whole CNN documentary someone posted earlier and I have to get this out: I'm really sorry if this sounds inappropriate, but Idris Elba could totally play him.

[Chromax]

What...I just read some news update on how well he was doing like 2 month ago on Yahoo...

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_10VT5d6kAk

[To Far Away Times]

I'm old enough to remember watching the riots on TV.

[Fusebox]

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned Reginal Denny, a truck driver who got pulled out his truck and was beaten during the riots.

Why? Did he just die too?

[Log4Girlz]

Free at last. RIP Mr. King.

[MisterLuffy]

Just saw the news about his death on Fox.

[TheYanger]

Heard about this but didn't see the Gaf thread until now...just shocked at how people can not know about this. Speaks volumes about how education can be in our country. When the whole Treyvon Martin thing happened all I kept having were flashbacks to this back in Jr High. Shit was intense.

[Bleepey]

How can an American not know about Rodney King, it should have enough pop culture penetration.

[Rocket Scientist]

They don't discuss this in social studies?

Dem Texas schoolbooks.

[Kusagari]

I know about it, but it wasn't taught in schools. Nothing past the 60s was really taught at all in my schools, so it's not really surprising. Did other peoples schools actually cover up somewhat recent events like this?

[Xzeon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2fHQ9eULzk

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/who-is-paul-mccartney

Doesnt surprise me people havent heard of Rodney King.

I dont think any modern american history is taught, they devote entire grades to just teaching the Lewis and Clark days and stuff like that.

[MrCunningham]

Never steal from Koreans: Crazy L.A. Gun Fight Erupts During Riot LA Riots - Armed store owners deter rioters /edit long video of the live coverage back then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gCHS7CsjsE

Wow at the Korean store clerks pulling out guns and firing at random people... It's amazing to look back on in retrospect ....

[PastorOfMuppets]

April 29th, 1992. There was a riot on the street tell me where were you?

Yeah, I remember the riots really well. I have extended family from LA and at the time, there was a lot of tension between Asians as well due to a shooting of a little girl by an overzealous store clerk so they left the city for a while and stayed with us in Toronto. At that time, I was living in Jane and Finch, which is considered to be the worst part of Toronto so I imagine it was a pretty desperate situation.

[ToxicAdam]

Rodney had made a lot of poor choices in his life, but when the time came for him to step up and be a positive person, he made that choice.

He could have easily taken his fleeting fame and terrible story and allowed himself to be manipulated by the charlatans of race-baiting that existed during that time. But he chose a different path and the country was better for it.

[Sunflower]

Why? Did he just die too?

It was just one of the worst and chilling things to see on the news. Poor guy...and there were many like him that were hurt in the midst of it all as well.

[A Pretty Panda]

There's a thing on VH1 right now about the riots.

[ConfusingJazz]

King's press conference during the riots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiR04ey7-M

[CorvoSol]

get along to kill the enemy.

Ozymandias thought it would work.

And I must confess I don't recall having been taught anything in the Washington public education system about this guy. Not saying I don't know who he is, but I don't remember being taught about him in school.

[stutte]

Fuck the poolice.

[thetrin]

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.

hahaha, what?! Good lord, no wonder the American school system is rated so fucking low. That's pathetic.

American education is fucking deplorable. I'm so glad I never went to high school in the states.

Ozymandias thought it would work.

He was right.

[Ultima_5]

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

We normally stopped a bit after the civil war in american history.

World history we generally covered random odds and ends. I think I learned about the Renaissance 5 or 6 times, but we never talked about any asian countries or most European countries.

[BobTheFork]

When I heard he had married one of the jurors on his trial I thought it was the craziest shit ever.