CNN: The Race and Rage of Rodney King ~ A Must See

[goclark]

Videos are all over the web using a google search
I viewed the CNN Special "Race and Rage" last Sunday night.
I would like to share my Memories of the Riot...... goclark
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A must see ~ CNN SPECIAL on Rodney King

Our family moved to LA when I was a teen. At the time of the Riots I was living in the mid-west. My precious mother, she passed last year, was living in Los Angeles. I am African American.

Can you imagine the pain of seeing your city / your neighborhood burning to bits and you are miles away? Imagine the pain as your TV Screen flashed frustrated and out of control people burning homes/ businesses less than a mile from your house. I learned later that one business that was burned to a crisp was a Chinese Take Out Place that made you pay extra for the tiny package of soy sauce. One gas station that overcharged was burned to the ground. From what I heard after the Riots, the “considerate” business owners were spared.

I could hardly dial the phone to call my husband at work. He was working for a big White Owned Company that had huge holdings in Los Angeles. They wanted him in LA immediately so they dashed us by limousine to the airport.

In flight they announced that we could not land in LA because of the situation - we had to land in San Diego. I called my mother from San Diego and she was crying ~ I called some neighbors to come and stay with her until we could get there ~ I was holding back the tears so she would not worry about me. I think we paid about $100 to get a Car Rental, there were only about 3 cars left.

The roads were blocked, no way out of San Diego, so we had to stay in a hotel ~ they were almost booked to capacity. I remember my husband slipping the guy at the desk $$$ to get the "last room." I didn't sleep at all that night. By then the power was off on my Mom's phone! At the break of dawn we were finally able to take the road. Traffic was moving like a snail, hundreds of cars, in both directions, were bumper to bumper.

I could not believe my eyes as we came to what may have been 15 miles closer to my "City of the Angels" --- nothing but smoke--- nothing but smoke---nothing but smoke. No cell phones, no cell phones those days.

It seemed like years but it was only hours when we pulled up in front of the house. There she was, sitting by the front window, waiting for me! I have no idea how long she must have been sitting in that chair. Tears are rushing down my face as I hit the letters on this keyboard. I don't ever remember hugging my Mom as tightly as I did that morning.

Can you imagine what it feels like to see POLICE with huge rifles pointing toward the bumper to bumper cars as they are stationed on the roof of the May Company on Crenshaw Blvd. less than a mile from your house?

Can you imagine what it feels like to see the Outstanding CNN presentation with Rodney King relieving his story ~ it is MUST SEE.

Just to view Rodney King say, "Can't We All Get Along?" is heart wrenching. His words then are just as meaningful in today’s Political Climate ~ "Can't We All Get Along?"

[independentpiney]

1. Thanks for sharing this.

It had to be almost surreal for you. Very interesting about the selective torching,that's something that is never mentioned.

[goclark]

2. After all these years the memory is still Surreal

thanks you for your reply

[Solomon]

3. When I was thirteen, I lived thru the riots here in

DC when MLK was killed. Not only were there cops and snipers everywhere, but tanks in the city streets.

Curious thing about those riots as well: businesses considered to be unfair to the community were looted and burnt. Many others left alone.

But you are right. It was terrifying.

[goclark]

4. Interesting ~ we shared

terrifying moments.

I hope that America is strong enough to follow the words of Rodney
King.

"CAN"T WE ALL GET ALONG?"

[nofurylike]

5. k&r! it is unimaginable, goclark!! thank you so much for posting this here,

and i am sorry i didn't see it sooner. that tragedy is major history, and has reverberated through this country ever since!! every network ought to have had a presentation like that!!

you expressed that so personally, i literally felt urgent to get you through it, and to your dear mother

It seemed like years but it was only hours when we pulled up in front of the house. There she was, sitting by the front window, waiting for me! I have no idea how long she must have been sitting in that chair. Tears are rushing down my face as I hit the letters on this keyboard. I don't ever remember hugging my Mom as tightly as I did that morning.

Can you imagine what it feels like to see POLICE with huge rifles pointing toward the bumper to bumper cars as they are stationed on the roof of the May Company on Crenshaw Blvd. less than a mile from your house?

UNimaginable

[nofurylike]

6. kick. this is a very powerful, deeply moving description of what

it was like. heartrending, dear goclark.

thank you for letting us there with you.

[goclark]

7. As I wrote the original post

I now realize that I was releasing a painful memory that was stuck in my heart.

The words just seemed to flow.

I now realize how important it is to allow the pen to help release the pain.
Thank you for understanding.

[nofurylike]

8. precious. your pen makes the understanding possible.

please let it flow to us any time you will, dear goclark.