LA Tinderbox Fears Violent New Spark

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 4-29-2002 | Oliver Poole

[blam]

LA tinderbox fears violent new spark

(Filed: 29/04/2002)

TEN years after the murderous Rodney King riots, Oliver Poole reports on the lost opportunities in deprived South Central.

Sitting with her cooling latte in the new Starbucks in South Central, 37-year-old Maxine Keys recalls the days when looters ruled the streets and smoke from burning buildings obscured the sky.

"Sitting here now all seems so normal: the sofas, people reading newspapers, drinking coffee," she said.

"But I was driving past here when I saw people picking through stores as if it was Christmas, neighbours I knew running down the street with their arms full, kids throwing stones at cars. You just pray it never happens again."

Ten years ago today the worst civic disturbance in America since the Vietnam war protests consumed South Central after the acquittal of four white policemen filmed beating Rodney King, a black driver stopped for speeding, who is at present in jail for indecent exposure.

By the time the National Guard restored order four days later, entire blocks were reduced to ashes, 55 people were dead, more than 2,300 injured and 10,000 arrested.

To mark the anniversary, vigils and concerts are being held and conferences organised to analyse what happened. President Bush is due to tour the area today and commend those who have worked to ease tension. But few in South Central see much to celebrate.

Their message is one of opportunity lost, of the need to look beyond Starbucks and the fresh paint on many shop fronts.

"The problems are still here and so are the dangers," said the Rev Norman Johnson, the executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Tensions were already high in South Central before the King verdict. The recession sweeping America had punished Los Angeles, with a third of the city's residents living below the poverty line.

Friction between blacks and Koreans, who owned many shops in South Central, was electric. A decade later the Korean community has taken steps towards greater integration and the police have implemented a new complaints procedure.

In 1992, two thirds of officers were white; today black and Hispanic officers make up 47 per cent of the force and whites 45 per cent. The predominantly black neighbourhood that greeted the arrival of the Koreans with such suspicion is more diverse.

But there are still few of the familiar sights of American cities: multiplex cinemas, fast food restaurants or major supermarkets. Starbucks opened only after the intervention of Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the basketball star.

There are boarded-up buildings, many churches with signs promising salvation - and liquor stores. Only one ATM is open after 9pm and that is in the police station.

Average income is $26,873, (£18,533) compared with the national average of $39,235 - a bigger gap than a decade ago. Unemployment is 25 per cent, three times the state average. Community leaders blame the politicians for losing interest when the television cameras left.

Controversy and low morale plague the police department. Its black chief, Bernard Parks, has been refused permission to stand for re-election, infuriating the black community.

The initiatives he implemented to stop harassment led to officers claiming that they could no longer do their job. Hundreds resigned. The force is now 1,100 understaffed and violent crime has jumped by 20 per cent in a year. Gangs are at war again on the streets.

Mr Parks is using his final months in office to issue warnings that a new spark could plunge the district back into violence. "You have a poor education system, a poor health system, a history of violence and lots of drugs," he said. "These things have not changed."

[Sabertooth]

America wants another LA riot.

Must be why we don't patrol the borders, since 2/3 of those arrested in the riots were Latino.

Oh yeah, that little factoid doesn't get the play it should, but it came out down here in the aftermath. Though sparked in the black community of South Central, the L.A. Riots of '92 were also a function of the breakdown of law and order in the midst of huge population of Illegals.

And they've more than doubled since then. It'll just take a few sparks...

If we don't control our borders, '92 will look like a trial run for the next Civil War.

[Torie]

Actually, most Hispanic neighborhoods didn't riot at all, including East Los Angeles. But then you already knew that. It was mostly in Salvadorean neighborhoods around the Pico Union district, which is dysfunctional. Black neighborhoods are disappearing in LA. I suspect that reduces rather than enhances the chances of another riot. And the article is little more than soft porn, with no real information.

[doug from upland]

Agreed. The illegal problem is intolerable. A very high percentage in our state prisons are illegals. And a very large number were arrested in the '92 riot, er, rebellion.

[Sabertooth]

Actually, most Hispanic neighborhoods didn't riot at all, including East Los Angeles. But then you already knew that.

I also know that most black neighborhoods didn't riot either... and so did you.

[Sabertooth]

The illegal problem is intolerable. A very high percentage in our state prisons are illegals. And a very large number were arrested in the '92 riot, er, rebellion.

Civil unrest... uprising... future Republican voter drive.

[Mulder]

If we don't control our borders, '92 will look like a trial run for the next Civil War.

B.L.O.A.T.

[Paul C. Jesup]

If we don't control our borders, '92 will look like a trial run for the next Civil War.

If there is another Civil War in this country, it is going to be a three or four way battle. Mainly because conservitives from the Northwest and Southeast are really not that crazy about CALF staying in the Union and they don't like the way the federal government treats them. Also, there is always the posibility that outside forces might get involved; like Mexico, UN, EU or China.

[al-andalus]

Portland=Choke City. As usual, they started celebrating before the game was over.

[edwin hubble]

..the 25% unemployment in L.A.is three times the state average unemployment??
Wow...Is the California unemployment at 8.33%??
I don't think so.

[Joe Hadenuf]

You're post is absolutely true. Thousands of illegal aliens from Mexico joined right in on the rioting and looting. It was not just blacks.

And right again, if we don't control our borders, we will lose our country. There is no doubt about this.

Wake the hell up America!

[gc4nra]

"The problems are still here and so are the dangers,"

...and so are the same city councilmenpersons, Mark Ridley Thomas(black) and Nate Holden(black). Thomas' claim to fame was trying to use taxpayer dollars to build a stadium so that some billionaire could charge outragous prices to watch millionaires play games and Holden's CTF was to sexually harass his staff. Oh yeah and their congresscritter is Slappsy Maxie Waters!

[WRhine]

"But I was driving past here when I saw people picking through stores as if it was Christmas, neighbours I knew running down the street with their arms full, kids throwing stones at cars. You just pray it never happens again."

With all the 3rd World riff raff in this country it will most certainly happen again and again and again.

[17th Miss Regt]

Controversy and low morale plague the police department. Its black chief, Bernard Parks, has been refused permission to stand for re-election, infuriating the black community.

Bernie Parks was not refused permission to stand for election. The position is one appointed by the mayor from a slate of three candidates selected by the Police Commission. Parks wanted another term and the Commission said no, primarily due to rising crimes rates and low police morale, both of which should have been primary concerns of his. Indeed, he had said that low morale was the officer's problem, not his and that he had no way to control the crime rate increases. If I had been on the Police Commission, I would have handed him his walking papers, too. Parks personnel and disciplinary policies led to officers being reluctant to stop people. This led to an increase in crime which primarily victimized the black population. But the black "leadership" prefers for blacks to be victimized by criminals than to accept a police cheif who is not black. They want their slaves to stay on the plantation.

[Tauzero]

bump to that

[Michael2001]

My sentiments exactly. Just waiting for someone else to come and make their lives easier. Most of these people have no sympathy from me.

[Carry_Okie]

There are boarded-up buildings, many churches with signs promising salvation - and liquor stores. Only one ATM is open after 9pm and that is in the police station.

The author of the article apparently equates the presence of churches with urban decay on a level equal with liquor stores and boarded-up buildings. Sounds like hate-speech to me.

[Lancey Howard]

Controversy and low morale plague the police department. Its black chief, Bernard Parks, has been refused permission to stand for re-election, infuriating the black community.
The initiatives he implemented to stop harassment led to officers claiming that they could no longer do their job. Hundreds resigned. The force is now 1,100 understaffed and violent crime has jumped by 20 per cent in a year. Gangs are at war again on the streets.
Mr Parks is using his final months in office to issue warnings that a new spark could plunge the district back into violence. "You have a poor education system, a poor health system, a history of violence and lots of drugs," he said. "These things have not changed."

Good work Mr. Parks. Destroy the police department, then issue warnings.

[Mark17]

America wants another LA riot. The ratings were great for the last one. LA doing what it does best: entertaining America.

You can be sure of one thing, however, the Korean shop keepers will never caught unarmed again.

[brat]

I didn't realize that! 2/3 is amazing!