Quote from: republicans2 on June 19, 2012, 05:34:01 AM
In this case, the media has nothing to do with what happened.  The fact that it was broadcast didn't play any factor on the actions of the police.  Do you not recall the video?  King was on the ground, not fighting, while receiving kicks and strikes.   People have gone to jail for similar beatings of their pets.  He did not cooperate initially but you can only use the force necessary to gain control of the situation.  I bitch about over regulation but these kinds of situations bring it on.

Although the press did not cause the incident, they sure blew on the coals until a conflagration occurred....and thus, an even bigger story...the riot.

Quote from: bluelieu on June 19, 2012, 05:50:35 AM
Although the press did not cause the incident, they sure blew on the coals until a conflagration occurred....and thus, an even bigger story...the riot.

I remember that quite well, just the questions they asked, were enough to inflame those that weren't already angry.
Like "Do ou think this could spark a riot" or,  "Police in Ca need to be watching their backs, don't you think"?

It was idiocy like that which not only fed the anger and imagination of those looking for a reason to protest, but once the protests started, those looking for an excuse to riot, found a quick and easy source of new appliances by breaking windows of stores and walking off with merchandise with unspoken immunity.
Remember Reginald Denny? What in Gods name did he have to do with anything?

Quote from: Solar on June 19, 2012, 06:53:01 AM
I remember that quite well, just the questions they asked, were enough to inflame those that weren't already angry.
Like "Do ou think this could spark a riot" or,  "Police in Ca need to be watching their backs, don't you think"?

It was idiocy like that which not only fed the anger and imagination of those looking for a reason to protest, but once the protests started, those looking for an excuse to riot, found a quick and easy source of new appliances by breaking windows of stores and walking off with merchandise with unspoken immunity.
Remember Reginald Denny? What in Gods name did he have to do with anything?

It wasn't the media, it was people witnessing the beating with their own eyes. Think of it as a sort of Abu Ghraib . People who are mostly inclined to respect and support a group, suddenly being place in a situation where they see that group behaving badly. It's a feeling of betrayal, an angry: "how could you do such a thing" feeling, on the part of the public. What I think is instructive is attitude. The military had landed on the Abu Ghraib soldiers - from the Commanding General on down - with both combat boots, before the public even was aware of the incident. And the rank and file of the military in Iraq, referred to them as "the six idiots who cost us the war". With the LAPD, on the other hand, there seemed a tendency to "close ranks" and tell the public they weren't seeing what they were seeing. As I said earlier: "Who are you going to believe us, or your lying eyes".

Quote from: mdgiles on June 19, 2012, 07:42:41 AM
It wasn't the media, it was people witnessing the beating with their own eyes. Think of it as a sort of Abu Ghraib . People who are mostly inclined to respect and support a group, suddenly being place in a situation where they see that group behaving badly. It's a feeling of betrayal, an angry: "how could you do such a thing" feeling, on the part of the public. What I think is instructive is attitude. The military had landed on the Abu Ghraib soldiers - from the Commanding General on down - with both combat boots, before the public even was aware of the incident. And the rank and file of the military in Iraq, referred to them as "the six idiots who cost us the war". With the LAPD, on the other hand, there seemed a tendency to "close ranks" and tell the public they weren't seeing what they were seeing. As I said earlier: "Who are you going to believe us, or your lying eyes".

I wasn't implying that the media was propagandizing...they didn't have to.  The constant replay of the incident (and indeed the justifiable replaying because it was a real story) was a drumbeat to action.  Unfortunately, anger gave license to the baser element of the community believing they were justified in looting and beating.

Quote from: bluelieu on June 19, 2012, 08:16:44 AM
I wasn't implying that the media was propagandizing...they didn't have to.  The constant replay of the incident (and indeed the justifiable replaying because it was a real story) was a drumbeat to action.  Unfortunately, anger gave license to the baser element of the community believing they were justified in looting and beating.

That wasn't what set the "usual suspects" off - by no stretch of the imagination was it the whole community - it was the outcome of the "trial". BTW the majority of the people arrested during the LA Riots were not for looting, but for things like curfew violations. And the majority of those arrested were Latino and not black. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-18/local/me-734_1_los-angeles-riots

I didn't say Black (or Hispanic)...I said community....and the verdict was the ignition point, no doubt.  The declaring of curfew was intended to stem looting, vandalism and assault.

Quote from: bluelieu on June 19, 2012, 08:49:55 AM
I didn't say Black (or Hispanic)...I said community....and the verdict was the ignition point, no doubt.  The declaring of curfew was intended to stem looting, vandalism and assault.

I am a hard ass!  I say if they burn the community, let them live in it or they can rebuild it themselves.  Do NOT use tax dollars.    IF we riot ever time b o goes around congress, he would bring out the military.  Or ever time he give a executive order.   

Quote from: walkstall on June 19, 2012, 12:39:38 PM

I am a hard ass!  I say if they burn the community, let them live in it or they can rebuild it themselves.  Do NOT use tax dollars.    IF we riot ever time b o goes around congress, he would bring out the military.  Or ever time he give a executive order.

Contrary to a widely held belief, every black neighborhood does not resemble a bad part of Detroit. And every black neighborhood does not solely consist of people on some type public assistance, there are quite a few taxpayers living there. And, of course, because every time a liberal feels sorry for some thug, and lets him out of the joint, he comes back and moves down the block from "us"; you would be punishing "everybody" because they happen to live next to a bunch of knuckleheads.

Quote from: republicans2 on June 19, 2012, 05:34:01 AM
In this case, the media has nothing to do with what happened.  The fact that it was broadcast didn't play any factor on the actions of the police.  Do you not recall the video?  King was on the ground, not fighting, while receiving kicks and strikes.   People have gone to jail for similar beatings of their pets.  He did not cooperate initially but you can only use the force necessary to gain control of the situation.  I bitch about over regulation but these kinds of situations bring it on.

I wasn't excusing what the police did. Just pointing out, that the other two passengers in the car were apprehended without incident. King decided to play "Billy Bad Ass", and lost. He was a violent felon that was acting crazy. I would not make a good cop........................I would have left the cuffs off, and kept beating him some more. It wouldn't have happened if he complied from the beginning.

I'll agree that the cops crossed the line, but I don't want to hear that King was just an innocent little black man that didn't do anything to deserve it.

Quote from: mdgiles on June 19, 2012, 01:11:51 PM
Contrary to a widely held belief, every black neighborhood does not resemble a bad part of Detroit. And every black neighborhood does not solely consist of people on some type public assistance, there are quite a few taxpayers living there. And, of course, because every time a liberal feels sorry for some thug, and lets him out of the joint, he comes back and moves down the block from "us"; you would be punishing "everybody" because they happen to live next to a bunch of knuckleheads.

I don't care if there black,white or red.  Let the ones doing the damaging fix it.  We the 90% need to hold the 10% accountable be whatever colors they are.  As a half-breed I don't see color I see people, people breaking the law. 

Were the L.A. cops wrong to beat down Rodney King? Maybe. Maybe not. Obviously, the jury found the cops "not guilty," so there must be some evidence to support the cops' side.

But regardless of the beating, it's quite clear that Rodney King was a loser. No one should feel sorry for the guy. He brought his troubles upon himself.

This looks to be a pretty clear account, for anyone that's interested:

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/lapdaccount.html

Quote from: Jasmine on June 19, 2012, 02:11:25 PM
Were the L.A. cops wrong to beat down Rodney King? Maybe. Maybe not. Obviously, the jury found the cops "not guilty," so there must be some evidence to support the cops' side.

But regardless of the beating, it's quite clear that Rodney King was a loser. No one should feel sorry for the guy. He brought his troubles upon himself.

Two of the cops spent 2 1/2 years each in prison after being found guilty of Civil Rights violations.

Quote from: bluelieu on June 18, 2012, 08:52:10 PM
And as a cop who has been a police supervisor (Sgt. And Lt.) for 28 years, I am not.  The cops who behave like this put not only all those who were present in danger of losing their jobs, but put every member of the precinct where the incident happened, and the Department at large, at the pillory to be flogged by public scorn and/or indifference toward any community cooperation.  Good supervisors do all they can to keep their ducklings from getting into just this kind of trouble....by example, and by busting their balls over the small stuff (to prevent the larger).  I have seen whole precincts (innocent as well as guilty) transferred so that the public would start to trust again.

The officers being absolved in criminal court means nothing (except to them and their families, of course)...that is a matter of the prosecution not being able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that they intended to injure.  Most times, they will still face civil charges.

I understand.  I just don't have any issue with the police getting rough with people like this.  I can't believe King got money over this.  It's just sick.

Quote from: bluelieu on June 19, 2012, 02:35:43 PM
Two of the cops spent 2 1/2 years each in prison after being found guilty of Civil Rights violations.

Then why did all the black people riot?