I was born in 1966 so the race riots then are basically flickering images I vaguely remember on our 1959 Philco B&W TV. I think we had riots here in Pittsburgh when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I know another thing, the riots were a huge force in people buying VHF/UHF radios and early police scanners to tune in police calls.
Yep, that's true. The events of that period also prompted my dad to visit the local gun shop for more than just another box of 20-gauge shotshells at the beginning of rabbit season. While watching the guns and ammo sales blitz unfold since last November, I've been reflecting on what Dad bought and did back then.