I often tell people I weathered the LA Riots -- and most
of them have no clue what that means. Nor do they understand why I fear mob
uprisings (especially thick are those who are pushing for such uprisings). You really do want cops keeping a lid on
things and you really don’t want to be
anywhere that isn’t happening.
I'm watching a thread where anti-cop rhetoric is strong
-- including singing the 'No cops! Let people sort things out themselves' song.
Yeah, about that... I've seen what happens in those circumstances. It ain't
pretty.
Here are some ruminations from a guy who has actually
been on the ground when the shit hits the fan. Back in ‘92....
****
When the rioting came within two miles of my house, I
spent the day sitting on my porch, smoking my pipe, reading with a shotgun on
the table. To be more precise, a riot gun. Just so you know a pistol can be
scary, but shotguns carry a very distinct message -- namely, “I ain’t playing.”
(The survival rate with shotguns is waaaaaaaay lower than with pistols.) I
wasn’t playing.
Let’s talk about ‘not playing’ What was not widely
reported is on the other side of the LA
city limit lines, police from different municipalities were geared up
and waiting. Mini-riots tried to break out in multiple cities in the LA area,
but the local PDs -- literally -- smashed them on the spot. Meanwhile, inside
LA city limits, it was the withdrawal of the LAPD that both kept the damage
localized to Los Angeles
and allowed it to escalate.
This resulted in looters driving into LA from other
cities to 'riot.'
Here's some more grist for the mill. The LA riots,
contrary to popular perception were not just a "Black thaing." They
may have started that way, but at the end, not so much. LA has been described as
a 3 piece suit -- Brown, Black and White. You saw Men’s Wearhouse in the
rioting and looting. What is of particular interest is how the established
Mexican Community very clearly said "It ain't us, it's the Salvadorians,
Guatemalans and Nicaraguans” (newcomers).
Which if you watch the raw video feeds and can tell the facial
differences of these ethnicities you can see the Chicano claim holds
water. The importance of this is which
‘communities’ had roots and owned homes.
At the same time, REALLY pay attention to when the
neighborhoods themselves turned back the rioters.
I want to point something out. The LA Riots are
considered the worst (in cost, death and injury) in US history. Yes the LAPD lost control -- but again, the
'idea' was to pull back and let things calm down. The hypothesis being that since the Black
Community was pissed at the police, no cops present wouldn't provoke them.
(That's the official version, the actual politics of the
situation were ... well, somewhat more complicated. But let's stick with the
'we're going to pull back so as not to further antagonize' version.)
Shit exploded instead.
Official numbers of the dead vary. I've heard 54, I've
heard over 60. (It depends on how you count.) Over 2000 is the reported numbers
injured. While some sources say 10 people were killed by the police, it is
generally assumed that most of the deaths and injuries were committed by the
rioters. It’s an easy assumption to make; take a look at this clip ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzuWr0FYe5Y
(Fidel Lopez 3:10, Reginald Denny, 11:50)
Here's the issue with official numbers. They DON'T tell
us how many rioters/ looters were killed or injured in/by 'neighborhoods'
rebuffing them.
I tell you this because when you watched live broadcasting of the riots, you
repeatedly saw rioters being turned back by coming under fire by someone
protecting their property. I can guarantee you they weren't 'warning shots.'
(In Koreatown, there were snipers on the roof.)
What else is not widely reported is that when the
National Guard finally did roll into town it was done in a way so as NOT to
increase the body count. Yes. You heard me.
The broadcast media and helicopters flying over the city
were sending the message "The National Guard is coming in at 6 pm tonight.
Get yo' ass off the streets before then."
The rioters being given a chance to 'go home' -- BY THE
GOVERNMENT -- is what kept the body count low.
This even though it allowed rioting to continue for another 24 or so
hours. Had the national guard done what they did in Detroit,
Watts and Kent State -- there would have been blood in
the gutters. That’s because when troops come rolling in and someone in the mob
shoots or lobs shit ... the mob loses.
I tell you all of this because there are no simple
answers to this. Police cause problems. Police prevent problems. Civilians
cause problems. Civilians prevent problems. But what can be clearly stated --
and needs to be understood -- is cops, unlike civilians -- have rules of engagement,
limits and use of force restrictions.
Civilians don't. That’s the other way bodies start
stacking up.
