Twenty years ago on April 29, 1992, four white LAPD officers were acquitted of assaulting motorist Rodney King despite the presence of videotaped footage of the horrific beating. The nation was fixated on the case, much like we are now with the tragic death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL. But what people often forget in Rodney King's story is that it was not about race -- it was about justice.
In fact, it was a man by the name of George Holliday (of Argentinian descent), who shot the infamous footage of King's beating. Holliday knew instinctively that what he captured was troubling, and when police failed to do something about the incident he videotaped, Holliday went to the press and soon everyone saw the atrocity for him or herself. So when the not-guilty verdicts against the four accused officers were read some 20 years ago, all of us should have been united in our response. Race should not have been a factor; we needed to rally around the issue of police brutality and injustice. It was a missed opportunity. We cannot allow that to happen again.
The notion of race in America is complex, troubling and hopeful at the same time. Blacks still struggle with the remnants of slavery and unequal access to educational, housing and job opportunities. Whites still grapple with changing demographics, and immigrants work to both assimilate and hold on to their cultural heritage simultaneously. America is without a doubt a unique experiment in the history of civilization. But while racial dynamics continue to create challenges and unfortunate miscarriages of justice, there has been undeniable progress. We've elected the first Black President, over 40 Black members to Congress, and watched people of color break down barriers in virtually every industry and every part of society.
In 2012, we must ensure that we continue to progress, and not get caught in the divisive tactics that some would like us to fall in to. In the case of Trayvon Martin, we have to unite and remember that it isn't about race, but rather justice for a dead teenage boy whose only crime was walking home with a bag of skittles and an iced tea.
For years, I have been discussing the issue of racial profiling, and police brutality/misconduct. Fighting for reforms of the NJ State Police, and championing for fairness in cases like those involving the tragic deaths of Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell and more, I'm not naïve to the realities of society and race. But I also understand that the diligent work of activists even before my time paved the way for change to occur and for us as a nation to progress forward. And that is the key.
As we watch the case develop against George Zimmerman, the confessed killer of Trayvon Martin, we cannot get caught in the trap of racial division. Although race may have very well led to young Trayvon being profiled by Zimmerman in the first place, we cannot allow our reaction to be based on race. Trayvon was an unarmed teenager who was walking home when he was killed. No matter what our own background, we cannot in good conscience accept the unnecessary death of a young child, and we should demand that his killer at least go before the court and be held accountable.
This weekend will be 20 years since LA erupted in riots following the acquittal of the officers accused of beating Rodney King. It was by far a missed opportunity. We allowed what was a grave travesty to be hijacked by those who wish to push racial divides, and we all paid the price. It was a case that should have united America; not pushed forward the worst within us. In the generation since, I hope that we can prove that we have grown.
As those with an agenda work to divide us in the Trayvon Martin case, let's remember that it's about the death of an unarmed young man who could have been any one of our kids. I've fought for justice for Trayvon because I believe in America and I don't believe we should burn it down. Let's prove that we are in fact the United States of America, and let's not miss another opportunity to show just how great we can be.
Twenty years ago, our anger led us to burn and loot, and when the dust settled, we had changed nothing. Today, whatever the outcome of the Zimmerman case, let us channel our anger to build. Let's change 'stand your ground' laws, 'stop & frisk' policies, racial profiling and sentencing disparities. We are 20 years older, let's show that we are mature and focused. Change is the goal.
Follow Rev. Al Sharpton on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheRevAl
Dennis Santiago: Reviewing the Bidding About "Stand Your Ground"
Rev. Dr. James A. Kowalski: Everything Wrong With Racial Profiling
Rev. G. Jude Geiger: White Rage
Al, baby...
Why aren't you crying to the media about the black councilman talking smack about Trayvon and others!
Come on man!
Where you bin?
I see... Crawled back into your hole again......
Sue them, sue the agencies civilly that are refusing to do what they are being paid for and you will see change because it will cost them to continue the practice of denying people equal protection.
this system of systemic injustice has cost far too many men, women and children their lives and it needs to stop.
Step One is to take advantage of high profile incidents that involve guns and to use them to get media time. People make decisions when their emotions are elevated that they would not have considered at other times.
Step Two is to marginalize legal gun use and historic precedent. Police forces should be considered as sufficient without personal security measures. Incidents of the mishandling of guns create doubt about their usefulness and their safe use.
Step Three is to make some guns seem more dangerous than others. Fear could sway the support for banning of some firearms.
Step Four is to register every sale. It’s important to know who owns guns and what type for future reference.
Step Five is a “Shall Issue” permitting process. Police can then decide a person’s eligibility for a permit based on “Good Cause” which can later be legislatively defined to limit carry to those who are law enforcement with further prohibitions as opportunities arise.
The Final step is to encourage and incentivize the forfeiture of arms. If people believe that they no longer have a need for arms and that arms are dangerous to own, they will be more likely to forfeit them. Incentives could include cash or food for information about unlicensed neighbors or family members. Lastly a serious of ongoing compliance inspections based on gun and ammunition sales registration would complete the goal of a world free of gun violence.
No crimes are committed when everyone in the room has a gun.
Think White and get real!!!!
Perry Ray Robinson Jr. ?
Yes, great.
Funny how noone is talking now about what happened.
He did nothing wrong!
She defended himself as the law allowed!
Now, if you're going to look at Zimmerman's past, be honest & look at Martin's, too.
The Trayvon Martin case was made about race to gain media attention. It's kind of hypocritical to walk back from it and now say it's about justice when that was not how it was presented in the first place. Had it been presented as being about justice then the overall reaction would be different but once you make it about racism to get the results that you desire, you cannot easily say it's not about that.
Anger does not lead people to burn and loot. Destroying your neighborhood does nothing but set you back. Comparing Rodney King to Trayvon Martin is like comparing apple to oranges. Rodney King committed a crime but he should not have been beaten by the police. Trayvon Martin's killing had nothing to do with the police. He was killed by the neighborhood watchman not police. There are no parallels unless you are drawing a racial one and did you not say this is not about race?
Whose tactics?
It was you screaming "This is the new Selma" and "This is the new Birmingham"
I think the tactics are all yours Al. You continually attempt to divide this country.
TYRANT357: I was about to ask the very same question.