Days that reached the boiling point
By Joshua Silverman
In 1992 I was an atypical freshman at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo:
I was white, male and politically liberal. I was often at odds with
my conservative classmates concerning race relations and the state
of economic opportunity in America.
On April 29, 1992 when I returned to my dorm, I flipped on the
television to discover the most intense civil uprising of my
lifetime. One of my neighbors dropped by to witness the events
depicted on the screen. He reacted in amazement, like everyone who
watched on my floor, but then looked over to me and said, "look at
’em, what do you think of your boys now?"
Already saddened that the anger of the people in South Central
Los Angeles had reached this form of expression, I was then forced
to deal with the sort of ideology that had helped to create the
rage and desperation we were witnessing. His statement paralleled
the ideology of propaganda that was used to justify slavery in
America. He supported a racist notion that certain ethnic groups
are inferior human beings, not able to control or constructively
express their emotions and urges, and thus, those active during the
riots were displaying their "true colors." To this budding fascist,
the L.A. riots reaffirmed his fears and misunderstandings and
provided evidence for the need of an increased police presence.
The Los Angeles riots represent a boiling point for a group of
Americans who have been systematically denied access to sufficient
education, housing and employment. The riots should serve as a
wake-up call for Americans of all economic classes to strive toward
communication, to avoid violence that gets to the heart of the
anger we were seeing in 1992 and continue to see today. However, as
the politicians and mass media of this country continue to indulge
in paranoia, many passive, uninformed Americans follow their
lead.
Mayor Richard Riordan’s proposed budget cuts 1,200 city jobs and
plans to hire an additional 600 police officers. However, the
paranoia many Americans are feeling is not relieved by more police
and prisons. The National Rifle Association’s top lobbyist, Steve
Helsley, is actively pushing legislation which would virtually
allow any adult to carry a concealed gun for self-protection. He
has seen tremendous support mainly from the Republicans on Capitol
Hill.
We are in the midst of a dangerous trend of scapegoating and
hate and a semi-military state is now perceived by many as a viable
solution to whatever the politicians view as our country’s
threatening agent.
I ask you to challenge this swing to the right our country is
experiencing with intelligent, free communication with those
representing all points of view. Silence = Death. If the police
responded with excessive force concerning the celebration of a
basketball game, what will they do when people gather for something
worth fighting for?
Silverman, a junior, is an English/American studies student.