[col. Writ. 6/17/12] © ’12 Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mention the name, Rodney King, and people react.
They might react in different ways, but they react. For almost no one is neutral. His name is evocative because it ties you to one of the biggest urban rebellions in America.
The 1992 Los Angeles riots after the acquittal of a phalanx of cops who beat King brutally –in video-tape!
When a predominantly white jury in Simi Valley acquitted the, L.A. streets exploded in rage. It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Not since the ‘60’s have we seen riots so or so destructive. The riots made Rodney King famous (or infamous, depending on one’s perspective)
The image of his battered face, asking plaintively, “Can we all get along?”, has entered the realm of history, and with it a question we have yet to answer truthfully.
Rodney King, age 47, was found dead early Sunday morning, apparently drowned at the bottom of his pool. For Rodney King, finally, the struggle is over.
–© ’12 maj