The 1992 Riots was the result of the melting pot in Los Angeles reaching beyond the boiling point. The video tape of Rodney King allowed the people of America to see with their own eyes to the reality of police brutality in America. Without the tape, this case would have been like any other. However with almost the entirety of the world viewing the tape, the officers were still found not guilty. This caused the lid of the melting pot to shoot off and result in riots throughout the streets of Los Angeles for six days. How the media covered the riots, the police and national guard standing guard of Beverley Hills while the lower class areas suffer from the chaos, and the tension between various races is the epitome for how this country functions. Every aspect of these riots exist and persist in America. Very little protection and support for poor communities, government protection of the upper class, race tensions between similar classes, these existed in America since its founding, and exist and persist today.
Countless videos and reports about police brutality in America are being published, by the month it seems nowadays. Nothing has changed. People of the United States must understand the severity of all these issues. Much like how Okantah mentions white people turning a deaf ear in America's Poem, people are still not consciously thinking or analyzing media headlines or events they cover. The Ferguson Riots, Puerto Rico still devastated months after the hurricanes, and numerous policy changes by our current president is more than enough evidence that our society is not learning fast enough how to address and fix the issues in our nations. Media will continue to pain the picture in their expired paint and give off the wrong impressions to people. Police will continue to terrorize citizens and create a cause for riots. The majority of this nation will not fight for change until they understand the entire picture of our nation. The United States was built of the expense of the minorities and continues to leech off of the struggles they continue to endure. When will there be change.
Keegan Kirk
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