Letters to the Editor

It's up to us

Dear Alestle editor,

Being prepared for the millennium can be hectic. The media is always publicizing the decade to come, but we are not sure if the future will repeat itself. It was 1992 when the not guilty verdict rendered against cops who had beaten Rodney King was released; the streets of Los Angeles erupted into a riot. It was like being in the eye of a hurricane when everything around is chaotic. Los Angeles had become a war ground for vengeance.

It seemed as if the riot came when the dew was settling on the grass. The mad protesters had taken their anger out on innocent people. Anyone who wasn't the creed of an African-American became the target of his or her "crucifying." Bodies were constantly being dragged up and down the streets because of the repetitive sound of the not guilty verdict being played in each of the mad protesters' heads. They were lying on the pavement; clothes drenched in blood, as the stench of frustration, anger and bloody flesh seeped through the crack of my door. As I curiously peeked out of the screen window hole, the protesters were quickly approaching on to the next place of destruction, the neighborhood and my neighborhood.

Bloodthirsty looters now inhabited a neighborhood that had once been filled with busy stores and mini malls. The looters ran up and down the streets breaking into every grocery store along the way. They stole many things ranging from small items, like lemon juice, to very large items, like barbecue grills. Everyone had adopted the mentality of a looter. The raging fury of the riot seemed to have a stronger burning flame than the actual fires in the riot itself.

Fires were easily started when the rioters, who used tequila and gasoline to make cocktail bombs, tossed them through the windows of buildings. The riot grew out of control, meaning neither the police nor the National Guard could constrain it. For every cocktail bomb that was thrown at a building, it seemingly symbolized the hurt and frustration they had for the judicial system. My pupils seemed to capture the flames, as I stayed awake through the whole tragedy. After the people calmed down, I began to see how horrendous everything looked. Buildings were left in ruins, and only the frames of cars remained. An image that is burned in my mind is the sight of the neighborhood submerged in flames.

The elegance of my community was no more, and my immature eyes witnessed it all. I couldn't keep running to my mind for security, so I faced the reality that it was actually real. The swirling wind of aggression subsided, and the debris of fires was left steadily ignited by the wind. The riot had started out to show the oppression of blacks in the justice system. but in the end, it had no solution from the senseless violence and destruction in our community. They set out to show how they felt but the vengeance ended up sacrificing my neighborhood.

Only the countdown to the new millennium will show us if our nation will merge in rage. It may be a riot or a national disaster that will never leave your mind. Perhaps nothing will happen as the ball drops to end 1999. The future lies in the hands of our society, and it is up to us to make sure nothing happens.

LeKisch Williams