Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Why Civil(ian) Unrest Scares Me



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....
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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.

5 comments:

  1. Personally, I think it was the Korean business owners that squashed the LA riot cold. The Korean community I don't think ever got their proper due. The riot stopped cold in Korea town.

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    1. Amen to that! I'll take Rooftop Koreans any day!

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  2. this is important. remember to protect yourself because that is not part of police work. their part is to protect the community which they did not in the riots. they failed and in response to an active shooter the results will not be much better. why, well their first item is to make sure they are not hurt. so while your children are being killed they are setting up a perimeter. then wait for the swat team with full armor and shields, then they will go in. there is not a friendly neighborhood cop anymore and they do not even try and act like there is.

    we are headed for the greatest depression the world has ever seen. the government is bankrupt, they will not be able to bail out all the banks with electronically printed money. unless they want to destroy the value of it totally. people will not be able to get money from their banks. stores will be empty. people will be roaming the streets looking for food and what ever including your life. there is not enough military to control the whole population. the police are useless that should be obvious. it will be on you to protect you and yours. this is caused by the irresponsibility of the governments and central banks (FEDERAL RESERVE). they will not balance the budget. this will happen all across the US. no control only destruction. you will not be able to get out of it. if you try and leave there will be a lot in the same boat and all will be hungry. you need money and can not get it. just remember who is to blame if this happens. i hope i am wrong, i do not want to be right, i will gladly be wrong on this one. be prepared, just like insurance you would rather not use it ever. the problem with police is that that job attracts bullies. then there is the blue code where they protect their own and you never get rid of the bad ones. just my thoughts. the police need to be under some outside influence and the government needs to be castrated to make them more docile..

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  3. " why, well their first item is to make sure they are not hurt. so while your children are being killed they are setting up a perimeter. then wait for the swat team with full armor and shields, then they will go in. "

    THIS is so wrong, many times officer safety is priority. But in case of active shooters and other exigent circumstances, officers do not wait for SWAT.

    Since Columbine, officers have been mandated to enter, locate and engage shooter(s), that's the training, and expectation. If people die from say waiting too long, victims will be able to sue their police force---- so there is also liability involved assumed by the city & local police, which further compels them to go in.

    " it will be on you to protect you and yours. this is caused by the irresponsibility of the governments and central banks (FEDERAL RESERVE). "

    THIS I completely agree with, you should watch "the BIG SHORT" (or read the book of the same title). The reason why there's so much flooding, tornadoes, storm surge, sea level rise and salt water intrusion into fresh ground water, not to mention more drought and desertification, is Global WARMING.

    You cannot fault the gov't and banks, and then turn around and support the fossil fuel industry, for "jobs"--- that big oil pipeline from CANADA they're planning goes to Texas not because it's for us, it's for China (they are the ones willing to pay the higher price for oil & natural gas, while we assume all the risks, ie. spills and leaks!)

    The new commodity is WATER. WTF!

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  4. Frankly I wish the NG HAD come into LA with Mini-Guns blazing. I a few hundred thousand African and Central American Looters had been shoveled into mass graves would be a good thing for America as a whole. The ONLY way to control African and Indian crime and violence is to make them KNOW; In there guts that any act might end them without warning or mercy. They understand fear and nothing else. Teach them fear and the violence will slow. Kill them and the violence will stop. Nothing else has ever worked.

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