A stroll down riot memory lane
Community
I was in grade school in the 60's. I remember watching it in black and white TV. Never understood it.
When the Marines sent me to California in 1977. I remember all the warnings my Dad gave me about staying out of the Watts.
I was in Japan, both when OJ got arrested, and when the Rodney King beat down video went viral. Same tune - blacks buring down their own neighborhoods.
Still don't understand riots.
I grew up about 20 miles west of Newark, New Jersey and I remember those summers very well.
I had uncles that still lived in Newark and they were part of the white "citizens committees" that sprung up as a reaction to what was happening. They were armed and they all took turns patrolling their parts of the city and staying around the clock at the family business, armed with shotguns and sitting by a window so all could see what was in store for them if they tried to loot. Fortunately it never came to that and the vast majority of the rioting and damage took place in the black neighborhoods.
There was a story that the leader of the group went to some of the black leaders and made it very plain to them that they'd best keep this in their part of town. They did.
I was 14 in 1963 so I'll go from there. I well remember the riots in the 60's and I have always believed that the black rioters felt they had nothing to loose and everything to gain. Now I just think they are irresponsible thugs who should be locked up forever.
I was stuck in LAX during the Rodney King riots, you could see the smoke from the Inglewood Mall burning. It was only supposed to be a lay over and I got stuck there till midnight, one of if not the last flight out, we took off with all of the lights off (prop plane) and they did not turn them on until we were out of rifle range. On the way to LAX I had a window seat, the freeways were empty, I counted 28 fires from my window, to skirt LA we flew south and came up the coast and then circled over the Pacific for our approach.
I was born in 1942 so I remember it very clearly. One thing that worked back then was Koreans saved their stores by using AR 15's to protect them. Would still work today.
It'll ALWAYS work. Even the most savage and ignorant among us understand understand a bullet.
That's why when it comes down to it the ONLY person who is truly responsible for your safety and well being is YOU.
I was in the military back in 63. One thing that has always bothered me and even to this day is the black attitude. When they are with a bunch of white guys they are usually nice guys and we get along real well. But, let the blacks outnumber you and you become the honky. A friend should be a friend no matter what the color of their skin. I guess it's the underlining problem between the races.
Here's a question for the group. I've had this discussion with a few progressive friends in the last weeks.
Why are some minority groups (Asian, Jews, Indian) so much better at making sure that the next generation has it better than the current generation? All groups were persecuted to one extent or another. The Chinese in particular were victims of oppression similar to slavery during the same general time period and are now one of the most successful ethnic minority groups in the country.
My progressive friends say it's all the fault of The Man, whoever that is.
I think it boils down to one thing....focusing on family. Mom and Dad are both present and both work their guts out to ensure that their kids have it better.
Would love to read the thoughts of guys and gals that are much smarter than me.
I was in a bar drinking a beer and eating barbeque spare ribs when the rioting and shooting started. I huge black man with a .45 stood in the doorway and waved the rioters on and on they went. I was there to sell the bar owners a new Avion travel trailer and will never forget those next two days. I had a brand new GTO and figured it would be turned and burned but it was parked two blocks away and I was afraid to try to make it there. A young black man that I took down there with me talked me into going to the car. It was the longest walk I ever made in my life. I bet I was murdered 4 or 5 times by the time we made it to the car and I honestly believe that God spared me. I'll tell you this is looks and words could kill I would be dead but no one attacked me. We walked through gangs of young black guys and every one of them literally tore me apart with their eyes and mouths but never attacked. Anyway when we got to that car we got out of Dodge. I can still see the skyline of Watts on fire and hear the gunshots. It was a real war zone.
I thought those times were over until lately. I honestly thought that we were past this racist thing and that we were all Americans and saw each other as Americans. But I see racism and hatred alive and well in black America/ Its a sad thing and there is no answer because their hatred is deep and their hearts are hard and everything is about race/.
God bless, Steve
That's Obama for you. He's a "uniter and not a divider" don't ya know. He even SAID so, and he would never, ever lie to us now would he?
Listen, ANY President that would make Al Sharpton his point man on race relations has got to be the world's biggest idiot, or a white hating racist of the first order.
Personally I go with option #2. He stated as much on numerous occasions (albeit in a subtle way) and he sat in a church where the minister spewed racial hatred for 20+ years.
"Birds of a feather...."
His Presidency has set race relations in this country back 50 years....and counting.
