This week was the fifteen year anniversary of the 1992 LA Riots. Kevin, an LA native, wrote a thoughtful piece at his new blog Alert the Bear about the riots and what has (and hasn't) changed. I especially found the end of his post interesting, about the way people talk about the riots, and violence in general. One writer had described it as a "cathartic rage." Kevin responds with this:Cathartic? Since when is arson (more than 1,100 buildings), murder (53 lives taken), racially-targeted violence (2,300 people injured), and widespread mayhem considered cathartic?
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If writers and politicians continue to frame riot in terms of "uprising" or exacting satisfaction, then it will be construed to be a justifiable event, which it is not and never can be.Alert the Bear is a blog about all things California. Books, news, culture, music, films, nature, travel, and all that good stuff. Enjoy!
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