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Subscribe to RSSRodney King, the man whose beating sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots, was found dead in his swimming pool early Sunday morning at the age of 47. Though King was described as an avid swimmer, police are investigating his death as a drowning. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
Updated at 3:34 p.m. ET: Rodney King, the black motorist whose videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers in 1991 sparked some of the deadliest race riots in U.S. history, was found dead Sunday, police said. He was 47.
Police in Rialto, Calif., found King's body in a swimming pool after getting a 911 call from his fiancee, Rialto Police Capt. Randy DeAnda told NBC News. Officers pulled King from the pool and began doing CPR, but he was unresponsive.
King was transported to Arrowhead Hospital in Colton, where he was pronounced dead at 6:11 a.m. PDT, DeAnda said.
The San Bernardino County coroner will perform an autopsy.
"Right now we have no reason to believe there was foul play because of the circumstances," Rialto Police Sgt. Richard Royce told msnbc.com. "The evidence is that it was a simple drowning."
Rodney King: 20 years after L.A. riots, 'Can we all get along?'
Homicide detectives continued to investigate mid-Sunday morning, Royce said, although he called the investigation "a standard death investigation."
Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
Detective Carla McCullough, right, of Rialto police directs a police photographer as they investigate the death of Rodney King, who was found in his pool on Sunday.
A file photo from the Los Angeles Times shows that the pool is oval and that King had erected tarps around it to prevent neighbors from peering in. Two dates are inscribed along the pool wall: 3/3/91, the day King was beaten, and 4/29/92, the day a jury acquitted three of the four officers who beat him.
King was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers on a dark street on March 3, 1991, after he was stopped for speeding. Four officers hit him more than 50 times, kicked him and shot him with stun guns. A bystander videotaped much of the incident from a distance.
Capt. Randy Deanden of the Rialto, Calif., Police Department discusses the circumstances surrounding the death of Rodney King.
A year later, a California jury acquitted three of the four officers, three of whom were white and one Hispanic. The jury deadlocked on one of the charges for Officer Laurence Powell.
The riots that erupted on April 29, 1992, were among the most lethal in U.S. history. By the time order was restored, more than 50 people had died, nearly 3,000 were injured and thousands of businesses were damaged or destroyed.
In one of the most searing images from the riots, a 33-year-old white construction worker named Reginald Denny was pulled from his vehicle and beaten unconscious by four men at a Los Angeles intersection. Twenty years later, he has still not recovered from his injuries.
The violent reaction prompted King's famous plea on television: "Can we all get along?"
Gene Blevins / Reuters
A former bodyguard for Rodney King, Johnnie Kelly, left, walks with one of King's daughters Dene King, center, outside her father's home in Rialto, a suburb of east Los Angeles, on Sunday.
Nearly a year later, a federal jury convicted two of the police officers of a federal charge of violating King’s civil rights and sentenced them to 30 months in prison. Two other officers were acquitted. King eventually received a $3.8 million settlement from the city, and the case led to sweeping changes in the LAPD.
The police chief, Daryl Gates, came under intense criticism from city officials who said officers were slow to respond to the riots. He was forced to retire. Gates died of cancer in 2010.
Twenty years after Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of charges in the brutal beating of motorist Rodney King, TODAY's Lester Holt looks back at the case and how it changed the Los Angeles Police Department and how Americans view the justice system.
20 years later: Have race relations improved?
In the two decades after he became the central figure in the riots, King was arrested several times, mostly for alcohol-related crimes. He later became a record company executive and a reality TV star, appearing on shows such as "Celebrity Rehab."
In an interview earlier this year with The Associated Press, King said he was a happy man.
"America's been good to me after I paid the price and stayed alive through it all," he said. "This part of my life is the easy part now."
King had recently been promoting his just-published memoir, "The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption." The book came out around the 20th anniversary of the L.A. riots.
King, who has three children, was engaged to marry Cynthia Kelley, a juror in the civil suit he brought against the city of Los Angeles, according to the biography that accompanied his book.
The Los Angeles Times published a quote that King gave the newspaper earlier this year: "I would change a few things, but not that much. Yes, I would go through that night, yes I would. I said once that I wouldn't, but that's not true. It changed things. It made the world a better place.''
Hyungwon Kang / Reuters
Revisiting a turbulent chapter in race relations
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
About time this low life died. Just think who would be alive today if this moron had actually stopped and pulled over for the cops instead of running.
What?
Well I guess you're an expert on what morons do
Toronto Critic,
The Rodney King incident uncovered the rampant corruption in the LAPD. Know your facts before you make ignorant statements.
Chi
Wonder if it was his pool bought from the lawsuit proceedings? On second thought he probably blew that money.
Perhaps it belonged to someone who invites pseudo celebrities to their parties and he fell in drunk.
you got to be white! and of coarse stupid.
Love him or hate him, he has had an impact on law enforcement to this day. He will be remembered in the history books.
RIP
Toronto Critic, stop trolling...it's Father's Day.
Response to Toronto Critic who said "About time this low life died. Just think who would be alive today if
this moron had actually stopped and pulled over for the cops instead of running"
Just think about how many would be alive today if the LA cops had properly done their job as real police officers when they arrested him instead of turning into a gang of thugs and beating the heck out of him
bout time that piece of &%$# gets put in the ground
Glad I got to hear him recently, he had a message of love, community and hope for the future of the earth nations. God bless him and his family.
please stop insulting morons by comparing them to Rodney King and the people who rioted in LA...it's father's day, after all
Can't we get amonst?
NO! You need to think of who would be alive had those crooked cops done their jobs properly. I'm still waiting to run into one of them on the street. I want to see how tough they are without their friends and badges. Cowards!
Rodney King was an addict, not a lowlife criminal. Just like you, he had a substance abuse problem.
Oddly, the circumstances as to why he got his azz beat in the first place always seem to be ignored. Did he deserve to get beaten like that, probably not, but he was certainly not innocent. He was a career criminal and continued to be so until his death.
Good riddance.
Exactly, there were 2 other people in his vehicle.
They complied and went home.
This poor fool resisted.
R.I.P.
@Toronto Critic. Maybe when he did stop the pigs could have arrested him instead of trying to kill him and Americans were lucky to see it on videotape. No @!$%#, what would have save lives is the if the dumb ass pro-pig jury would have done justice in the first place. Get your facts straight before you play judge homo. RIP Mr. King.
T O THE T O R R O N TO C R I T I C
Wowwwww! Reading that s..., I am asking myself "When people like you see their reflexion in the mirror, do they have the balls to say: Look!!! A racist!".
Frankly, there are people who deserve to live in society (like King), and there are others whose genes cannot forget the caves of eastern Europe where their ancestors lived after they flew Africa.
I pity you, Toronto Critic.
Toronto Chic,
Your are dying as we speak and the world will be a better place without your ignorance. Drop dead or drown yourself
@ toronto critic,
Keep blaming the victims...
were not too one sided and homophobic are we?
Strange twist
In the course of calling someone stupid, you misspelled "course".
That was a very, very dark time in America. I hope he is at peace.
A racist will always be a racist and YES We sure have a lot of them here, and guess what political party >>>>>>>>>>> REPUBLICANS, they cry and whine like little girls that's why the have to have their guns.
I am a democrat and I think that King was a low life worthless scumbag druggie loser.
Does that make me a racist Sam2468?
Every dog has its day.
Toronto Critic: If Toronto is your home then the most important thing I can say is mind your own business and stay the hell out of ours.
You people crack me up...I am sorry a person has died but I am not up to respecting people that have thrown their lives away, i.e. Ms. Houston, Mr. King, Mr. Kinkaide...etc. People die every day that contribute to society and are NEVER known.
He was never repentant for what he did, which was run from the police. Yes, it shed light to a corrupt police force but it also caused an innocent man to be dragged and beaten as well. Face facts, my MOTHER taught me to do many things, most of which included respect- don't talk back to judges, don't talk back to police, say you're sorry when you are wrong, don't steal, don't lie, and don't hurt people. The police were wrong but so was he. He never said he was sorry for that and set a precedent for young people- white and black- to be absolutely disprespectful and violent in a situation that does not call for it.
I fell sorry for all the people on this vine- I am sure I will be called a racist but oh well, what's wrong is wrong and what's right is right. EVERYONE in that whole farce was wrong but when in doubt, react with violence.
I think the Rodney King riots should have sparked open armed rebellion against the state. A state that brutally assaults its own citizens should be destroyed and its authority dismantled.
Those blue shirt soldiers should have been given 20 years imprisonment or more.
Because calling a dead man a low life makes you the bigger man.
Respect for the dead? Much?
toronto critic is just trolling. If not, do the world a favor and DONT reproduce. The last thing we need are more idiots roaming the world. And if you have reproduced, I hope to god they don't pick up this stupidity. SMH!
By what logic is Rodney King responsible for the deaths which occurred during the LA Riots more than 1-year following his arrest?
Rodney King famously appealed for peace and calm during the riots "Can't we all just get along?"
You can and should hold Rodney King responsible for his own actions the night of his arrest (attempting to flee the police at high speed, probable DUI at the time of the pursuit, resistance), but laying the blame for the deaths which occurred during the LA Riots following the acquittal of the LAPD officers charged with brutalizing him during his arrest more than 1 year earlier is a logical disconnect.
Rodney King is responsible for his own actions. The LAPD officers charged with brutalizing Rodney King are responsible for their own actions. The men and women of the jury who acquitted the LAPD officers are responsible for their own actions. The LA Rioters are responsible for their own actions.
Your assertion of Rodney King's associative responsibility for the deaths is not logical. Rather it speaks to your bias, and your willingness to disregard the personal responsibility of many others in order to satisfy that bias.
Seeing the tapes at the time it would be hard for any reasonable person to claim it was justified. It was clearly police abuse. Rodney had nothing to apologize for he did nothing that endangered anyone but himself. The cops were clearly administering a lesson, one they have no right to do. And not groveling to police doesn't mean he deserved what he got.
Don't you ever laugh as the hearse goes by, for you may be the next to die
@Toronto Critic
It's always easy to spot the sniveling little cowards that pop up on the vine and spew their racist garbage. You need to grow up, get a job and move out of your mother's basement and try to actually be a man. Things like you just take up space, nothing more.
It doesn't matter what kind of man rodney king was. The dirty cops beat him with night sticks and that's a crime. Only someone with a nazi mentality would justify this type of police brutality. It is wrong and I don't want my tax dollars paying for lawless thugs. Rodney King was just one of the hundreds of people who got beaten and abused by the cops that week and every week he was the lucky one who got filmed the rest with no proof were just laughed at by the crooked courts. and nothing has changed.
John Haddock
I despise most Republicans and not to fond of Democrats.
You are probably more stupid than you realize because you can't instill in your small brain the fact that there are many Democrats who are just as prejudiced.
Ha-ha! Mr. Strange Twist, you must be black and, of "course", an English major. You racist twit!
Cant we all get along string 'o poke sausage, fatback and collards? "Oooooo-weeeee,now dats wud I beez tawkinbout!
How can any half-way inteligent person actually believe there's a "heaven"?
Wow - people are really quick to jump on sides and appears that most don't even know FACTS. King was a rebellous criminal (misdemeanor type) who ran from police when attempted to be pulled over for speeding. The police overstepped their bounds when they had controlled King - but then vented their frustration; this was wrong also. The race division in the LA Police Dept at the time was huge and another reason why the city exploded - an 83% white police force in a city made up of ~25% Black, 20% Hispanic, and 15% Asian?
This has roots far beyond this incident and the continued division when a primarily white jury sided with the police force is what set off the riots; the people needed a reason ANY Reason to riot - they didn't really care about King, but it was the excuse needed. The sad thing is that in the rampage that followed - the mostly African-American community basically destroyed their neighbors businesses, looted, robbed, and in some cases killed. This act did allow for outside acknowledgement of the situation in LA, but also started a downward spiral in the state as SoCal saw many businesses move off-shore or to lesser expensive locations. But to "Hero-ize" one side and "Demonize" the other is ridiculous and I'd suggest that you read Rodney King's book - as he had a greater understanding than the majority of posters above...
Rodney King was a career criminal. He was arrested numerous times for drunk driving and possession of drugs. The night he was "beaten" he had led the LAPD and CHP on a high speed chase through LA and surrounding freeways. Not only did he refuse to pull over he also refused to comply after they finally got him stopped. For those of you who think he was an innocent you need to take off your blinders and see him for what he was. Even after he got his multi million settlement for getting a beat down for not complying he blew through that and died broke.. Even after appearing on Celebrity Rehab he blew through that money as well.. He had no business on that show as he was no celebrity, just another scumbag that got 15 minutes because some jerk-off filmed a beat down and the news media ran with it because there was nothing else going on at the time.
People are trying to blame Rodney King for the assault by the blue shirt security forces but it wasn't his fault. His crimes he may or may not have committed are irrelevant. Once the security forces had him restrained, they had no right to hit or assault him in any way. They did so and violated his rights. That is the story.
As I said before, the riots should have become armed rebellion against the security forces. They should have been driven from the city and a new government established in its place.
Actually, from recent interviews, it seemed to me that Rodney King had pulled his life together, far more than I'd have though possible 20 years ago.
This final chapter, being found dead of drowning in his own pool, just seems sad ...and possibly alcohol-related.
To all those who've been waiting [and hoping] for him to die, this story is bad news. Now you'll have find some other idiot-cause or target to fixate upon.
I don't know where you are from.. But in THIS country we have something in our justice system which makes it very unique, called "Due Process".
I didn't really care for the man Rodney King, but then again I didn't really know him. I have had friends who were on drugs who thought they could 'handle it', and clearly that was not the case.
Should he have been pulled over the night that all this began? While it certainly does seem that way, the one thing that should NEVER have happened was to have armed, trained, jack-booted thugs (incidentally paid by the taxpayers) serving as judge, jury and executioner all at once. That's not what our system is all about.
You see, when you can start establishing the unspeakably foolish premise that some aleged law breakers DO deserve to be 'tried in the streets', before they ever see a judge or jury - you are now talking about a system of justice with virtually ZERO accountability.
Again, I don't know where you are from, but in THIS country we are tried by a jury of our Peers... not out-of-control thugs with stun guns who also happen to wear the badge of 'law enforcement'.
RIP
He had his problems but no man deserves to be beaten like that and the perpetrators at first got away and that's why the riots happened.
Kelly Thomas was not as lucky as King.
"He was never repentant for what he did,"
And you know this how? "What he did" was not stop for police, which doesn't deseve for him to get beaten half to death. Have you heard the police that tried to kill him for not stopping repentanting? They're the ones that really committed a much bigger crime. I hope you call them scum bags also when they die as I'm sure you want to be fair, right?
It seems that Rodney King turned his life around and tried to share that message with others. From your hateful and untrue statements, it appears the wrong guy drowned. We'd be better off with Mr. King still in this world.
How can you say it appears he had turned his life around? My guess is that he was just able to hide his alcoholism, and drug habits, since he was living highly (no pun) off the backs of the taxpayers of Los Angeles. When all is said and done, after the autopsy, I am sure there will be drugs or alcohol involved in his death.
Tha's fair: if Rodney King is responsible for all the deaths that occured in the LA Riots because he didn't comply with the LA Cops that beat him down then GEORGE ZIMMERMAN is responsible for murdering Trayvon Martin because he didn't comply with the police dispatcher who told him not to chase the boy down.
Nes pa?
Let that be a lesson, learn how to squim.......
The people who think Rodney King was an innocent 'victim' are the same people who think O.J. was innocent, as well. Nothings changed...
Anyway, King was no victim, but may he RIP anyway.
I always have to laugh when I hear the statement "Can't we all get along" coming from the man who never tried to get along. That's part of what's wrong with our society, so many people not wanting to get along.
The man was nothing but trouble, and he was very slow at learning. I'll wait for the toxicology report.
Rodney was pulled over for a reason screwed up and became a instant millionaire, what became of the construction worker that was almost killed and maimed for life? the thousands of other people shot stabbed and beaten over this fools actions and those of some out of control cops. Rodney was no hard criminal but he was a screw up and he knew how to piss people off. I have no feelings on this matter its over. next time they burn down that town turn it into a park. its not worth rebuilding again, and again, and again.that whole community went F'n nuts can't put the blame on just a few. they should have just bulldozed it down.
"Can't we all just get along...."
I remember the riots with a fond memory of the idiots killing their own and shopkeepers protecting their property with lethal force if necessary !!! STAND YOUR GROUND IN ACTION !!!!!!! ( NO COPS COULD PROTECT THEM IF THEY TRIED !)
WOW...........All of you dont even have your facts right on what happen. The ones I am specking too are the ones being negative about Rodney King. Dont speck until you have all your facts right and have no clue. Yall are the ones who are morons, and ignorant and have a comprehension problem on what you read or heard about the story. And no I am not black I am white.
Rodney was remorseful for leading the police on the high speed chase, He said he was in the wrong for doing that and he shouldnt had done it. But that did not give them the right to beat him till he was almost dead. Are to beat him at all! He lifted his hand to show he was surrendering to them and they jumped and beat him anyways. He did that cause he already knew what they were gonna do to him. He thought it would help the matter if he lifted his hands to show he Surrendered and in hopes they wouldnt beat him or beat him to badly.
He was not a high profile criminal he had a drug and alcohol problem Even if he was a high profile criminal the police are suppost to be trained on how to handle those types of people any ways especially intoxicated people with out beating anyone.
My father is a retired police officer he had the proper training on how to detain someone with out beating them it was a requirment. You even had to take evaluation to make sure you were mind set also to handle situation that could get out of control. You also had to take health evaluations. If you were unhealthy in any way shape or form. you could not be a police officer if you failed any of this or if you had any type of violent record at all in your histroy. A lot of the reqiurments were the same as if you were joining the army!
One less vote for Obama. Good.
Toronto Critic. You should go swimming in a pool today. And do a lot of it.
Racists don't learn, they need to be forced. You don't educate a racist, you put them in their place. Because anybody who could have learned better already has.
My point is about my father is cops like those that beat people like that Gives the police a bad name and makes no one trust a police officer and it makes the job even harder for the police that handle things right.
These police either didnt have the right kind of training or the trainers and people over them were teaching them to be this way also. That was why they tried to help them cover it up and stood behind these police that did to people.
Make no mistake that no matter what King did, he did not deserve the brutality he received. The LA riots (Part II) were a continuation of the simmering racial issues in America as a whole, which rooted in the injustice to black Americans by the police. I can understand that having black friends who have explained what they themselves have been through (ie: discrimination). But was it worth 58 deaths and hundreds of businesses being destroyed, many of which never reopened? Today however, we read stories of black people attacking innocent whites in "justice for Trayvon" arguments. There is no outrage over those attacks in the media, by politicians, or by civil rights leaders like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. NONE.
With that said, King received a nearly $3 million payout for his beating (I think I'd volunteer getting beat up by cops for $3 million). I could have turned that into a lifetime of luxury (invest $2 million conservatively for a 7% annual return for an easy $140k annual income, then buy a $600k home, furnish it, and then buy a few luxury cars and a boat with the remaining, all with cash). Clearly he is an example of why some people just can't handle money even when it's given to them, let alone earned.
Lori----I like your opinion,but slow down a bit and try to make a little more sense.....Your English typing skills are terrible....They have spell-check on here but miss-spellings aren't your only problem,you are butchering the English language.....Like I said though I respect your opinion and you are right about the things you typed...If I am understanding you correctly anyway...
To Blackbird, Toronto Critic, and everyone else on this forum who regard themselves as vastly superior to others, if not downright omniscient. It is unbelievable that in the year 2012 there is so much vitriol being spewed toward a supposed alcoholic and drug addict. There is not one of you out there who lives among family and friends wherein at least one member of the group has suffered from one or more addictions. Yet, you are smug enough to criticize, judge, and sentence one who may have been a sufferer of these terrible illnesses. My best advice is to completely withdraw from posting your stupid, inane and insane remarks and start looking into your own hearts and souls, which for most of you will be the first time in your lives to do so. Then, once you have discovered that you are deeply flawed, as well as Mr King was/is perhaps you will learn a modicum of compassion, integrity and generosity toward others. But you know what? I seriously doubt that any of you will ever do anything to make these direly needed changes in yourselves. Your behavior is pathetic and disgusting.
Did you happen to miss the 911 recording where he complied?
Most of Rodneys money probably went down the gutter, went to support drugs and alcohol, I never heard of anything good done with it, has anyone seen anything positive about the man, over 50 people died 3,000 injured some for life and for what. then some people think they can justify such a stupid action while others think of it as a level of intelligence. well Rodney did not start the riots, neither did the cops or the legal system, those people were looking for a excuse when Rodney come around they found it, that is pathetic. you cant blame a race for that but you cant exclude a element of that race for their actions that put their own down and put their own in harms way, if there is ever a riot in a big city like that one the community should not be rebuilt but rather condemned and bulldozed down disperse the population to different areas and remove these slums from our cities and in their place make a park to remind people how stupid they are. the insurance co's and property owners can get their money back from the park, the best way to fight cancer is to get rid of it. rebuilding a slum just makes it a newer bigger slum, but still a slum a trap for the under privileged to struggle in. and in 20 to 30 years they will trash it again.
Was there a toaster or a hair dryer in the pool too?
Once again, as a white person, I am absolutely sickened by some of the racist comments on this board! Unlike many of you, I actually watched him on Celebrity Rehab and this was a good man who just happened to struggle with alcoholism. We all have things that we struggle with. Does that mean we deserve to get the crap beaten out of us? Of course not! I am so happy to hear that he found happiness in his final days. That is what he deserved. The world just lost a good man and I mourn his loss. May he finally R.I.P.
There was a lot of rage and hatred on both sides back then. Many blacks were confrontational and would lash out at any show of authority. A lot of police were openly racist and would try to incite a confrontation or use an arrest as an excuse to become violent.
Beating people who had been detained was happening in private as well as publicly and not just in L.A. And there were also attacks on Whites/Hispanics by blacks just for being in the wrong part of town. I remember one incident in which a baby was killed because a family had made a wrong turn.
All the King incident and acquittal trial did was bring it all to an inevitable explosion of civil rioting. If it hadn't been King it would have been someone else because there was only one possible outcome to the continued injustice.
I've seen the ugliness on both sides. No one person is to blame. But each person that contributes to the hate contributes to injustice.
DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.
repeat: DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.
That is all. Thank you.
Sam2468
A racist will always be a racist and YES We sure have a lot of them here, and guess what political party >>>>>>>>>>> REPUBLICANS, they cry and whine like little girls that's why the have to have their guns.
This seems to be a racist comment to me or at the very least a comment from a very narrow minded person. Amazing how anyone can lump all repub as whiners or that all dems are narrow minded idiots but you are making a good case for it. I know lots of repubs and dems and most of them are good friends and none of them are extreme one way or the other. They seem to want to judge people on other things than what political party they belong to. You might try it sometime. You might find lots of people and ideas that you like and can agree with. Widen that narrow mind!!!!!!
Strange Twist, perhaps you should learn the difference between coarse and course before you call another person stupid.
@Ken Tankerous- King was previously a Felon (1989 Charged and convicted for armed robbery) served 1 year of a 2 year term. He couldn't have voted, well legally anyway.
I didn't know that they could put so many racist MoFu's in one place. Toronto Critic, I bet you wouldn't have said all that slick nonsense you wrote to his face. Like most racist, you're a coward and you can only get off by talking smack on a site like this. As for the rest of you half-wits, I don't care what he did, you do not beat a human being like that. All you Police lovers, I hope it happens to somebody in your family so your family can suffer and experience the pain his family did.. Coward A$$ Bee-tchs!!
Eddie in Seattle
So Eddie by your statement every cop in the world is bad. I have know and admired a lot of policemen but I also know there are a lot of bad policemen. I know there are good and bad in all walks of life so I try to take each person I meet by what I can see. I think what happened to Rodney King was awful but I also think any time some one is bullied, raped, beaten or mistreated it is awful but I don't want to blame any one group for what happened. Seems strange to me that Rodney could forgive but many of you on here aren't capable of the same thing. I'm sorry to see you so angry. Forgiveness might make you happier. That much anger is a very heavy burden to carry around all the time.
It was sad that it even happened. What made it worse was the behavior of the people who destroyed the city. That shame will live on. And the abuse by LAPD was not limited to the black. The abuse took place in all ethnic groups. Corruption at it's finest.
There were decent policeman on the force back then, but I have no doubt some of them were afraid of the others.
Sadly, any abuse of authority, or power, can be destructive.
RIP .....
No sympathy here for this @!$%#. He should have died back in '91.
No great loss. Only fukking moron libtards would glorify a crackhead like King.
Maybe he should've taken swimming lessons, don't-cha think?
lol...
To Ciew,
Most if not all Dispatchers are not sworn law enforcement officers. With that stated, they cannot give lawful orders, just suggestions.
I don't believe in racial profiling over the last few decades. I've never been one to believe that it is anything but circumstantial. I also think that it is sad that in this country someone can claim no responsibility for a wrong doing and say that it is simply because I'm black that I was beaten, taken to jail, etc. I think the plight of the black man has become something of a self-fulfilled prophecy in these modern times. This guy fancies himself some kind of civil rights martyr... I find that ridiculously concerning and think that type of thinking needs to be squashed right away. This man was and remained a dirty scumbag through his life and the best thing that ever happened to him was the day he took the a$$ whooping of his life. His criminal hands greedily took the states money, didn't bother to say thanks, and hey what's this? Ignorant people everywhere are hailing me as a civil rights martyr and rioting? I better take this and run with it... And there you have the plea for peace on the news (Though doesn't care who dies over his dumb a$$), copyrighted name, and a nice book deal.
People need to pull your heads out of you political a$$'$ for a moment and smell the roses.
King had his demons, police procedure should have been carried out correctly, and was not, thing is, both sides were at fault. the riots were an act of complete stupidity, pillage and burn down your own neighborhoods? that just made their lives worse. regardless of what happened to Mr King . a lesson in dysfunctional ignorance for sure, mob mentality we are feeling the rage........any excuse......
i think the police are too violent many times, but ironically, when i finally saw the video it wasnt that bad. i recall king was on pcp which made him super aggressive. you can hear the police telling him to stay down, and he wouldnt. he had a broken cheek bone, but he was never beat like denny was. and he wasnt beat like the white homeless guy in fullerton this year that they killed, so i dont think you can say its all racial. it seems every time some black guy goes on a rampage and has to be stopped, theres his mammy on tv-"they didnt have to do that to him." well mammy, after he shot 3 people and kept running through backyards with a gun like that fool in riverside 10 years ago, they did have to do it. and the reason the police were acquitted is that the training officer for the la police dept testified that they were taught to respond like that. so the problem was the training, not the officers behavior. its still bad- each cop at a scene can open fire if he feels like hes in danger. so 5 cops all empty their revolver into a mental patient with a rake. cant the ranking officer declare that he'll make the decision to shoot? cant he shoot once in the leg instead of 5 times in the chest? cant they just retreat to their cars if the guy has a knife or a stick instead of a gun? that rule is awfully vague for a life or death situation.
I am definitely the furthest from racist, lets start with that and I believe that ANYONE that fights against law enforcement when they are trying to subdue you, should be dealt with (I am not law enforcement either). the police did go excessive and yes they should have been punished but what did that LA truck driver do wrong? He was white! He was pulled out of his truck and hit with a brick! This shows the ignorance that runs rampant.
Still today: when there is a reason (hurricane, guilty verdict, etc) people will break into stores and steal. WHY? Because they feel that they would be justified. Flash mobs in convenient stores and stealing lots of stuff from the store and running out. WHY? Do you happen to notice what race they are for the majority? I ask this: If blacks are treated unfairly and they want to be treated like everyone else, then why not try a little bit harder at erasing the stereotype and ACTUALLY OBEYING THE LAW, RAISING YOUR CHILDREN RIGHT, FOLLOW THE RULES, and so forth?
Why not? Because that would require work and today everyone (EVERYONE=Majority) wants to take the easy way you: "suing someone else, suing the government, internet superstar, reality show, etc".
This is sad. Rodney King should have stayed down but he didnt. He did not deserve the beating as excessive as it was but on the flip side the police definitely should have used appropriate force to subdue him and there are ways to do that that do not require kicking excessively.
Now bring on those that just want to cry "racist" or "it was not fair because he was black" I am ready.
Also, lastly, those that say "let me see them on the street and see hwo bad they are....I say this "You are a tough guy/gal on the internet and a coward in reality....it is wise to remain behind your computer where you are a hero in your own mind". That is all
Athiest - How was King a "victim" here? If he COMPLIED in the first place he never would have been beaten. King was stupid enough to keep getting up!!! he got EXACTLY what he deserved and more!!
RIP POS
Just a question;
What exactly was it that "Toronto Critic" said that was the catchword for racism? Was it "low-life"? I can guarantee you that over on the Sandusy trial thread that the term "low life", among a few others, is being flung around like manure when it hits the fan but I don't hear anyone calling anyone else a racist because they have used such a generic term.
I'm am not really affected one way or another by Mr. Kings demise, but I think that if you didn't know him personally or weren't affected by him in some way on a personal level, you shouldn't really call him a low-life.
As for the whole "find a racist under every rock" campaign going on here, I think people are really reaching, with a few exceptions (i.e. antireagean and maybe Disabled Vet).
Regarding Mr. Kings actions that night; whether in the wrong or not, high speed chase and all, once he was subdued and in custody-that should have been the end. Period. Having quite a few friends in the law enforcement field, they frequently talk about being amped up after a chase and they have to really restrain themselves to keep from giving suspects the proverbial beat-down (irrespective of race by the way). I think better training is in order, but career criminals are well aware of this adrenalin rush yet they still insist on leading officers in foot or high-speed car chases and wonder why they get beat down once apprehended. Not saying cops are right to beat suspects, but what did you expect? A slap on the back and pleasant conversation? Every criminal knows that a chase of any kind will not end in their favor regardless of their race.
Sorry to hear that Mr. King passed at such an early age, maybe if he had turned his life around as some speculate, he could have been very valuable in helping others steer clear of the same mistakes he had made in life.
OMG!!! Seriously people... He thought his black a55 was above the law, and guess what... it wasn't! As far as the riots, that was just an excuse to behave like a bunch of crazy baboons!!
Lots of comments restored, including 1. It's not great to namecall recently dead folks, but it's not a CoH violation and it didn't deserve to descend into this:
Ellie Laffer, Strange Twist, blackprince206, skotts, toloto, ToyaEvonne, Dennis Price, rbjk0174s, Eddie in Seattle, you're each suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
lincs, don't encourage other Viners to commit suicide.
I don't feel one bit sorry for this man. Buh bye!
You can take the man out of the getto but, you can't take the getto out of the man,,,,
If only Rodney would have watched Chris Rock's 'How Not to get Your Ass Kicked by the Police', The world would have been a better place! And he would be alive today! Because he probably would not have a swimming pool!
It's spelled ghetto, DRIZZZ. I guess you can take the semi-literate hillbilly out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the semi-literate hillbilly.
I liked Rodney King but other than a lengthy history lesson we have very few facts about his death. Could he swim? Was he drinking or on drugs when he went into the pool?
Seriously Tyler! You suspended those folks for doing the exact same thing Toronto Critic wrote and you restored his post.... WHY?
Of what value did Toronto add to this discussion? Absolutely NONE!
Just looking for an explanation for why the following remarks are worthy of suspension when the first remark (which you restored) by Toronto is very similar to some that you report to be offensive and/ or violate the code of conduct.....when some are less offensive than that remark by Toronto.
I see very little DIFFERENCE between any of the comments above and:
The remark is inflammatory, presents no value to the discussion and also violates the code of conduct even if you disagree and consider that posthumous insults and name calling are acceptable.
Your intentions look seriously biased instead of seriously attempting to maintain any semblance to a code of conduct!
If you are going to support a grown up environment for discussion you could start by eliminating those comments which present NO VALUE and or are INFLAMMATORY. Your actions leave most of us truly confused as to what you were thinking when you took such action given the plethora of ridiculous comments left or restored.
I'm just saying, if you are going to attempt to appear as a good moderator, then moderate responsibly. Eliminate all comments that are inflammatory and or present no value.
Seriously, I'm just curious and others may be as well.
Thanks!
Bigots are forced to learn all the time. Ignorance is their folly and their lack of intelligence just makes it more frustrating for them. Rodney King was a thug. He didn't deserve to be beaten but his history was such that he was more likely to create a fight than submit.
If he was a true gentleman, we would have found out.
I'm just glad he made a mark on America and injustice for people that are not white! It was time!
He wasn't perfect, but he was an example of what happens to people if they have skin pigment.... It's WRONG TO JUDGE PEOPLE ON COLOR OR CREED OR NATIONAL ORIGIN!
Human beings are human beings. He wasn't the best, but he was a human being and that's exactly what we all are!
He helped America in the long run! Prayers to Rodney!
I'm alittle sad that he wasn't smart enough to make a bigger mark on society and injustice!
I like Rodney and no, he was not perfect. He could have made a bigger impact for the good but did not.
These commentators definitely seem to play favoritism, which is the reason I barely visit Newsvine anymore.
Maybe Heaven is the place where we can all get along.
Get an eye opener. NEVER HAPPEN.
maybe it wont but it's still nice to think about it.
Glad I got to hear him recently, he had a message of love, community and hope for the future of the earth nations. God bless him and his family.
RIP Rodney King...
More like Hell
\
I believe so.
Chip Dooley, well I guess you will see him there. LOL
Only as "YOU"(the pinnecle of singularity) define it(heaven) and oversee it(hell). Double-minded is a reflective spirit? Or just waiting for a better story?
And if you are not going there ( to heaven, what then)
I'm not so sure God is as big an idiot as some make out. Sin all your life, then at the last moment pull the wool over his all seeing eyes? I think there is a basic rule and if there is a heaven or hell you will be judged by your life and the good and bad and dispensed accordingly. Not sure where that leaves poor Rodney!
I pray that heaven is a place where all races are treated the same < I pray
Some of you may, some may not, but I believe in Salvation and Redemption. If Rodney King made his peace with God and God called him home today.....end of life on this imperfect speck in the Universe and the beginning of Eternity in a Perfect Place.
sorry, GHX but YOU completely missed the whole IDEA of true GRACE. Works dont get you into heaven according to the Book which introduces the place to man. Heaven can only be acheived through either living by Judiac Law, or "no man cometh unto the Father but by Me" ~Jesus Christ. but this thread isnt about Heaven and Hell since we could fill hundreds of books on that debate. This thread is to HONOR the life of a Victim and to celebrate the rebirth of the Man, Rodney King, and to remember his life and love for his fellow man.
Toronto Critic,
"low life?"
What did Rodney King do that made him a "low life?" Maybe you have reversed the roles.
Toronto Critic, are you a Mormon? If you are, your profoundly idiotic and blazingly racist statement would be one of the best reasons for a person not to become a Mormon. Rodney King was a human being. He nor any person, should be senselessly beaten in the manner that he was brutalized. Unfortunately, it is not surprising that at 47, King is deceased. With longevity, what human being could live through the severe trauma that was inflicted on Mr. King?
Toronto Critic, if you are in Toronto, Canada, stay there.
This country does not need you here!
I see that the libs are already collapsing comments. What a joke. This man was a criminal and caused much angst in his rather short life. To make a hero out of him is just plain silly.
As far as his destination into eternity, only God knows. Only He can see Rodney's heart and to be honest, I hope turned his life around enough to find his way into eternal salvation.
Nobody ever mentions King's beating a small Asian man nearly to death with a tire iron before the incicent with the LAPD. Nor do they mention the many women he roughed up.
The media always referred to him as "Motorist" Rodney King --- Portrayed as if he was just a hapless, random victim singled out by the LAPD. As if his only crime had been driving in his little roadster with his scarf billowing behind him.
Rodney King was a symbol of a phrase none of us will forget, but do not practice.
"Why Can't We All Get Along"; which is still relevant today.
In the past he had his woes, pumping through all the money he received during his fame after the riots in LA. Maybe a problem with drugs and alcohol. This is not to taint him, but it might be that is the explanation of no foul play.
This Country should always remember, "Why can't we get along", but some Black/White people will never get past the teachings, because of Sharpton, Jesse Jacksons who keep stirring the pot for separation of the Black People from White People as victims.
Rodney King never pretended he was a Victim. He certainly will be remembered. Rest in Peace.
May Rodney King finally be at peace.
Heaven, I hear that Santa's Workshop is a pretty cool place to.
True, and these politically correct a-holes who wrote this story neglected to say anything about what happened to those blacks who beat that white truck driver nearly to death. There was video showing the beating so they cannot get away with saying that they had know way of finding out who these low life's were. There will never be peace between the black and white races, the blacks have taken over the part of being racist, and their black so called leaders will always see to that.
And those four men, who beat the white construction worker whose only crime was being white, what happened to them? Nothing? Why, because they were black and he was white and it was a turbulent time? What happened to Rodney King was deplorable, but the subsequent actions of others was inexcusable. The 53 killed and 3,000 injured, what was their crime? What did they do to warrant the treatment they received out of anger, hatred, and racism? They did not choose the color of their skin. The four guilty police officers should have been the only men punished for what happened to Rodney King.
We can all get along in a mythical place? Maybe Hogwarts is the place where we can all get along... Maybe Wonderland is the place where we can all get along... what's the point of this nonsense?
Probably the main reason you're not so sure is because you cannot prove this god-creature exists. So, it's pretty hard to tell what ANY mythical creature is thinking, or if it's an idiot -- when you can't even establish its existence...
Why do the articles regarding the LA Riots omit the fact that Reginald Denny was saved by an African American man who was subsequently honored in Washington DC for his heroic efforts?
Well, that was pretty evident when Obama became the first black US President -- with all the hate and racism spewing from the right-wing and GOP in this country -- we truly have a LONG way to go!
Wow why would a 47 year old man die. Could it have been drugs or alcohol that caused him to drown. What about that poor construction worker, who was only driving down the road minding his own business when he was pulled from his vehicle and beaten so severly that he still hasn't recovered. I think he and his family need our prayers.
I am not sure why everybody is Blaming Rodney for getting beat. Should we blame Reginald Denny For his beating?
Ellie Laffer......beautiful sentiment. Thank you.
RIP Mr. King
Frogmorton!:
It is not the GOP or any other people who are spewing hatred. What has the GOP got to do with Rodney King?
Remember of recent days, deceased Trayvon Martin, his parents, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharptons, and others who have made this a Racial Murder. Racism still exists on both sides, both Political Parties, and others so willing to make it a Racial Issue. They are keeping it alive.
It was proven that there was less underlying Racism when President Obama was elected. Now it has reared it's ugly head again. No progress is made calling the Race Card, ever..
@Velynae - I didn't remember that an african american rescued Reginald Denny, so thanks for the reminder. BUT -- It should've never happened and the article said he hasn't recovered from his injuries 20 years later. I find it very sad that Rodney King was the centerpiece of this incident, but Reginald Denny was left behind. Is there no lesson about that? Did we accept the bad behavior of the men that beat Reginald Denny because Rodney King was beaten?
What I do know is that Rodney King was an addict and he was afforded many opportunities to receive help because of who he was. I'm not sure Reginald Denny has been afforded those same opportunities - or maybe he has, but he's chosen to accept help gracefully, and out of the public eye.
Everyone get along in heaven? You mean everyone from the past thousands of years with different way to view society, people in the past who are racist as hell, who own slaves, who want to enslave women will meet modern people and you think that is a good place to live?
The only way heaven would be a great place is where everyone forget everything and be a mindless doll, that's how we can get along since we start out as babies without any preconception. However, if that is true, then that's like major brainwash and you are not yourself anymore, you are no longer you.
I get so tired when everyone speaks the truth the race card is immediately pulled. Rodney King was a Druggie that took advantage of the system and got rich...then wasted most of it on drugs...Good bye rest in hell.
@merchant Why do you keep referring to Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson when you talk about racism and division? Did you forget about Sean Hannity and Glen Beck, and Trayvon murder was racial motivated had he been a white male running through the same area we would not have this situation. Racism is alive and no progress can be made if people keep denying that fact. If you believe that there was less underlying racism when President Obama was elected you need to go back and look at clips of that election. Luckily there are only a small percentage of those ignorant people, and the more u talk the more u sound like one of them. If it makes you feel better thinking that there isn't a race problem in this country then do u! Unfortunately until people stop denying there is a problem, so they don't have to talk about it this country will never change. So Sad!!!!!!!
I'm just waiting for Jesse, Al, Louis and Shabazz to come out with the great LAPD revenge conspiracy. At 47, he must have been killed by the LAPD in retaliation for all the legal trouble he caused them. Actually, I shocked no one in this thread has mentioned the vast "white" conspiracy. But now that I planted the seed, let the games begin.
Anyone who thinks racism is dead in the US needs only to read the ignorant, hateful comments of the right wing lunatic fringe on this site to see this country has not progressed much since MLK died. Damn.
I am so sick and tired of hearing that everything that happens to a black person is always a hate crime. How many innocent white people have been killed by a black person? You do not see us use it as an excuse to loot stores. Rodney king was a drug addict that used the system and got money to buy more drugs...Good bye and have fun in hell.
Debr-6183912, seriously? You really need to actually go back and read the accounts of what happened that day and during that period of time.
Driving down the road minding his own business? REALLY? He was driving while intoxicated, speeding through eight neighborhoods at 110 mph running from the cops. He was already on parole and drinking was a violation of that parole and he was trying to get away. That's minding his own business?
1996, 90 days in jail for a hit and run..involving his wife.
Arrested several times on domestic abuse charges, drug intoxication and indecent exposure. Wow, what a saint.
Did the cops use unnecessary violent force, and deserve to go to jail for it. Yes, absolutely. It was sickening to watch when it happened and sicking to watch to this day.
However, that person you state was driving down the road minding his own business and his actions that day directly led to the deaths of 53 people and injuries to well over 2 to 3 THOUSAND others! Had he not broke parole and went driving while drinking, had he just stopped his vehicle instead of speeding like a maniac putting others lives at risk during his 110 mph hour chase etc. NONE of this would have happened. He wouldn't have been beaten, the riots would not have happened, all those people who lost their lives or were injured would not have died during those days. All this for someone who was just driving and minding his own business right?
The world will never change until people except responsibilities for their OWN actions. It's bad enough that after all that he still thought of himself as a victim with no self evaluation of his own actions and what he caused himself. He should of been given the bill for the riots and the funerals of the dead. He he should have thrown in jail for a very long time. He was given a second chance in life and a lot of money to put to good use. Instead he decides use it for alcohol and drugs. NOTHING ever changed with this man.
I never wish ill on anyone, and It's never a happy time when a life is lost, but to put this man up on a pedestal as if he was some national hero is disturbing on so many levels. All people have their flaws, but what he effected the lives of thousands when you consider the families of those 53 deaths. Too many people are enablers in life, and this world suffers for it.
He wasn't just minding his business. He was out looking for trouble when he got behind the wheel of that car while intoxicated, and he found it.
Hey Frogmoron. Your a typical liberal who says the GOP spews hate and racism, but not one example to back it up.
"However, that person you state was driving down the road minding his own business and his actions that day directly led to the deaths of 53 people and injuries to well over 2 to 3 THOUSAND others! Had he not broke parole and went driving while drinking, had he just stopped his vehicle instead of speeding like a maniac putting others lives at risk during his 110 mph hour chase etc. NONE of this would have happened."
And none of it would have happened if the police had acted like police and followed the law themselves. You know handcuff him and drag him off to jail. But instead they decided to act like a gang of thugs and tried to beat him to death on the side of the road.
There is blame on BOTH sides.
I'm surprised no one has blamed it all on the person that took the video.
If anyone thinks that racism is dead just watch Obama, Sharpton, and Jackson. So VERY quick to judge the whites in any incident...no retraction when they find out the one they were not condeming was not even white. These men are the ones pulling out the race card EVERY chance they get...time after time, after time, after time.
That is how Obama got elected. How about in April when Obama got on national TV and said we HAVE to get the black vote out. Does he not feel the white voters are important? I was appaled when I watched him make that statement. Racist? I think so. Nation divider...definitely!
FedUp, I'm pretty Debr-6183912 was referring to Reginal Denny who was driving down the road minding his own business.
What did we learn from all this? Stay off drugs, and people really don't need much of a reason to riot.
fedora22 - Yousound very judgemental. Are you casting the first stones? I doubt that you have any personal, first-hand, knowledge of Mr. King's lifestyle.
I wonder if Mr. King violated the basic rule of swimming? That is: NEVER swim by yourself. Always make sure that other people are nearby or with you. Mr. King's fiancee could have been inside the house for a few minutes, and totally unaware that he was having any sort of difficulty while it was happening.
There are a number of medical issues - such as seizure, heart attack, or stroke, which could incapacitate anyone, and that could cause them to drown in an unattended swimming pool.
What the police did by beating Mr. King was very unprofessional, and made even more disgusting by the fact that "supervisors" at the scene, did not take any action to intervene and stop the beating. It was a very shameful moment in 20th century law enforcement.
i think prior to the rodney getting beat down...he did some beating down of officers...i could be wrong...
Unless I am mistaken, Rodney King had a long criminal history, culminating in his refusing to stop for the police.
I won't celebrate his life of being a thug, anymore than I will ignore the violence from our police.
I wish at least one person, before their comment was buried in all the racist $hit, would call the media to task for their roll in this whole thing. The MEDIA is to blame for EVERYONE that died during the riots, here is why;
The video tape went on for minutes and minutes showing a crack induced attack by R.K on every police officer there, HE beat THEM senseless and they REPEATEDLY asked him to JUST LAY DOWN. He would not lay down. The procedure the police were taught is to strike the limbs of a combatant person, especially one that's so high he could have survived several gunshots, until they submit.
Simple fact: Had he complied, no beating.
Had the media shown the whole tape: no outrage.
Had R.K. not been extremely lucky, a dozen or so of your relatives would have been killed by his 80mph flee through residential neighborhoods.
The media killed 50 people and got away with it.
Rodney King broke 20 laws and got paid 3.8 MILLION of your tax dollars for it.
Who is filming the media? The biggest criminal organization on the planet. Someday you will be called to task.
"How about in April when Obama got on national TV and said we HAVE to get the black vote out. Does he not feel the white voters are important?"
The racist, semi-literate hillbilly vote is already locked in by the GOP. President Obama is, therefore, reaching out to minorities, women, seniors, union workers, and non-hateful, intelligent white folks to carry him to yet another landslide victory in November. Try to keep up with the conversation.
Poor guy -47 is too young to die
PS F@CK the po po!
What goes around comes around. That's all I have to say about the man.
Many have been paid for wrongs against them and have not had the camera on them Many Jewish citizens who were not in the holocuast have recieve reparations because of wrongs to there family of course desendents of people who recieved free labor for 400 years cannot see the the hate in the beating of someone who in the back of your mind is less than you in the first place. Rodney K spirit was in pain and he medicated it with drugs his whole life and the media hounds made a fragile man a public specticle of course it ended bad noone truly tried to help him unless it was a buck in it for them. It is very disturbing that you would charge him for riots would you charge the South for starting the Civil War the Indians for fighting for there land. Rodney K story is everything that is wrong with the perception of the urban black male he had a good heart and it was displayed at many times on many levels. Rodney K was not a national hero but a national victim that open peoples eyes to the realities of a black male in many large and small cities daily. His personal soul searching was just that personal, Elvis was a racist drug addict but he is the poster boy for cool for some Americans.
Ladycy35:
What?--
Obama was elected President in 2008 by a MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS in the US. That says a lot. If it were 15 years, or earlier than this time period, this Historic Election would have not have happened.
Everyone who voted for Obama both Black and White, were ecstatic at having a Black Leader. His way of Governing the US, and it's people now, seems to be the important issue, using the excuse of the Race Card to defend him. The Economy and Unemployment is hitting everyone of all races. 45 percent of all young black people do not have jobs.
How do you know with complete assurance that Trayvon Martin was killed because of his Race? There has been NO trial yet.
Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck. What did they say against the Black People? Please explain. That is a wide assumption coming from someone who does not personally know them.
It is bad to Speculate. It is worse to believe the Speculation. No FACTS.
I can't seem to muster up the energy to care about the guy.
"Can't we all get swimming lessons?"
Grump in NM:
Then you do not care about the Violent Racial Divide, or Events that happened in a Historic manner at any time in History..
Rodney King was a symbol of a much needed Unity of all People and their diversities of culture, and race..
Bull@!$%#. Is that the best symbol you can think of? I think he was a disgraceful symbol.
I'd much prefer Rosa Parks, Judge T. Marshall, Colin Powell, Martin Luther King or President Obama.
Marchant, was O.J. one of your great symbols for women's rights, too?
JM, yup.
@Ellie Laffer
How the "hell" are we expected to get along in heaven when we can't even get along here. We will probably create hell in heaven. Having said that, the reality is there isn't such a place as heaven; it's pie in the sky, cloud-cuckoo-land, cloud nine, wishful thinking. Anyhow, this mythical delusion is already chock-a-block with Islamic suicide bombers and empty of virgins. Poor Rodney; simply couldn't get himself together. The L.A. police who are all an idiotic bunch of uneducated ruffians must be giving each other high fives.
Linda,
How many "heroes" do you know?
Do others consider you a hero?
No.
The lack of a non-hero status is not a legitimate or legal excuse to callously beat a human being.
The U.S. Constitution foresaw injustice and codified rights to citizens.
If you had been on the federal jury that awarded Mr. King 3.8 million dollars, justice would not have been served.
Oh poor Rodney....Is the black man the only one that gets beaten by the police? Why did that whole affair have to be about race?
Was the beating and murder of Kelly Thomas by Fullerton PD(LAPD) race related? NO Anyone of any color has the right to have their arse beat by the cops. Most beatings are wrong but you also don't have the whites burning down the neighborhoods and I doubt we will.
commentaryme, you're absolutely correct. Debr mentions Rodney Kings age etc. in the first line, and I missed the connection with REginal Denny being mentioned.
My apologies to Debr-6183912 for misreading her comment. Thanks for pointing it out commentaryme.
fedora22: I am so sick and tired of hearing that everything that happens to a black person is always a hate crime.
Sorry to hear that. Was it easier when your family was able to own them and beat them at will when they didn't harvest enough?
AND, for those of you lamenting Rodney, wondering if it was his fault he was attacked by the police. Let's not forget Rodney's actions leading up to the physical confrontation. He was coked up and on PCP. He had just led the police on a long, high-speed chase. At the finish, he exited his vehicle, resisted arrest and threw one officer across the hood of his car. Let's stop pretending he was an innocent bystander who "got his butt kicked for no reason". That nonsense is FAR from the truth.
About time this low life died.
Anyone who can revel in the death of another is a very sick, twisted individual indeed.
Reginald Denny was the real victim out of all of that mess. Attacked by a group of murderous thugs know as the LA four. The mentality there as always was if you don't get what you want burn and loot your own neighborhood. That'll show them and attack a few hard working innocent people while you're at it.
Okicize Wicasa Yata
So true. Mr. Denny and all the business owners (all innocent victims) paid the biggest price. Their shops were looted and burned to the ground.
Grocery stores and other necessary services refused to return, and for good reason. These looting jerks destroyed their own neighborhoods.
There is no justice in mob mentality and there never will be. The Rodney King episode became an excuse for rioting, even though most of the rioters could care less about justice, civil rights or humanity. It was the perfect opportunity to steal a T.V. or microwave oven.
Worse, the racial divide in LA has never recovered.
JW, I'm afraid I would have to agree with you.
Hm, now the running is over.
...it is unfortuntate hat he had to run at all & experience that horrible beating! Our skewed world with all of the racism, hatred, and intolerance, is trumped by the goodness and kindness of others.
Here's to a much more loving world. Deepest condolences to his loved ones and all who cared for him.
Peace.
Now you get it - if he had not run in the first place - in other words, had not made a conscious bad decision/act - none of it would have happend in the fist place - tell the innocent who lost lives and property in the riots; tell Reginald Denny who was savagly beaten for the crime of bein "white" - and see what they say -
Rodney King had more chances at redemtion than anyone - he screwed them all up - he belw through the settlement money, continued to reoffend - sorry, I'm not sorry to see him go; what i am sorry about is a wasted life that so negatively impacted so many others.
Reginald Denny was what many used to refer to as a victim of circumstance. No one is justifying what happened to this man but what happened in LA is nothing compared to what has happened to hundreds of thousands of black men and boys for for over 200 years in this country and still goes. Every now and then an innocent person is going to get caught up in the cross fire. Something far bigger was happening here than Reginald Denny and Rodney king. Put the blame where it belongs.
Well said, Rob!
Rob-1878311 - you have first-hand knowledge of all of this? Hhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm...
(I'll complete the sentence) "that so negatively impacted others"....and, one that was so negatively impacted at the hands of others.
We're all imperfect human beings, at best, some more than others. Irrespective of the number of chances at redemption "he screwed them all up - he blew through", etc., his personal jouney from this life to the next will be between Rodney King and his God.
Fortunately, WE have no say in the matter, but hopefully, someone, somewhere, will be sorry when you go.
So, Gregory...at what point can the races declare the toll "even" and begin normal relations between people, regardless of the color of their skin, or the racism that they were subjected to by ancestors long ago? Or is this the way the black race intends it to be for another 200 years before a truce is declared?
@HadEnough - The only truce is justice and equality and until that justice becomes blind to the color of a man's skin these incidents and protests will continue. It amazes me to hear people stating King was beaten because he ran from cops or was drunk or using PCP. Seriously? The only thing more ignorant that people being racist is when they stupidly and shamelessly try and justfy it.
Wow, only forty seven. His ride was cut a bit short, but what a ride it was. RIP Rodney.
Oh and Toronto, I hereby grant you the MasterBaiter of the day. Yours is the first comment, and as is ALWAYS the position of first commentors, whoever they may be, it is designed to push peoples buttons. Great gig, and quite the con.
So, you guys are saying that it is ok for cops to beat a man senseless if they have an excuse to do it?
What are we, 1950 all over again. Racist still exist and you just prove it regardless of how you sugar-coated your reasons or excuse.
Gregory: I wasn't there (at the Rodney King beating), so I don't know whether it was justified or not. I have no trust or faith that the media portrayed the incident accurately. Take the recent "doctoring" of the 911 tapes in the Trayvon Martin case, for example. Initial reports were biased in reporting the "facts", and the gullible populace rushed to take sides for one individual or another...mostly along racial lines...and the posts on here (supporting either side) were deplorable, to say the least.
I also wasn't here for "what has happened to hundreds of thousands of black men and boys for over 200 years in this country", yet I feel that I am still being held accountable for it. True, justice must become colorblind right now...but the sins of the past must also be left in the past for true harmony to occur. Both sides have a lot of work to do...
"Now you get it - if he had not run in the first place - in other words, had not made a conscious bad decision/act - none of it would have happend in the fist place - tell the innocent who lost lives and property in the riots; tell Reginald Denny who was savagly beaten for the crime of bein "white" - and see what they say"
So you're saying because he didn't stop the police had a right to beat him to death and what happened after had nothing to do with their actions, It was all Rodney's fault? WOW just WOW.
It seems very simple to me that if the police had not beaten him half to death and had instead acted professional and just arrested him like they should have nothing else would had happened.
Perhaps we should blame it all on the person that took the video?
The L.A.Times described Rodney King as a career criminal. The cops may have been tired of having to deal with him and the riots that followed were just an excuse to steal and destroy what their lack of education couldn't get for them.. Must try to learn, not to just get by. Perhaps Rodney King did learn.
Rodney King did not say can we all just get along until his book signing when he thought it would make him more money for drugs. If he really did learn he would have used his money for good...like helping out Reg Denny who was made permanently disabled by black men who were part of the riots caused by King. No matter how you spin it...King out running the police caused the riots. Spin all you like.
@ Ed - No, I think what he said was that if he hadn't run, the beating wouldn't have taken place and neither would have the riots. A large chain of events happened as a direct result of that one fateful decision. I don't see anywhere where he said the beating was OK. It takes some major twisted reading to drag that out of what he said.
The beating was deplorable. The riots were deplorable. Trying to out run the police was deplorable and since that event started it all, Rodney has to take a good portion of the blame for everything that followed. You can't completely separate all the other actions from his. Not honestly anyway.
King was a scumbag, The La Cops were acquitted by a jury of their piers, Rodney King was not the only black man in that car that day, The passengers did not try to fight the cops and they were not beaten,They did not beat him because he was black but because he was a scumbag Yes cops do beat people but when was the last time you saw any other race riot and destroy because some a$$hat got beat by the police, You don't, This was nothing more than an opportunity to steal,rob and destroy, We have seen this before and we will se it again and it is because of the mentality of people like you who think that because someone else got beat that you are a victim...Bull
Greg, since you're talking about 200 years of history lets get one thing straight here, it was blacks, whites and arabs who were responsible for selling blacks into slavery. So you can also blame blacks for it. Also, there's a lot of black-on-white crime taking place in this country right now and you don't hear a lot about it. Everyone's got to learn to take some responsibility. Quit your whining and grow up, or maybe you like being the perpetual victim?
What are the odds on this being due to drug use? All the property and lives lost because one loser got a beating he very well may have deserved and definitely brought on himself. This BS of the world coming to an end over race crap where it doesn't exist has to stop. The current habits of some people to race bait sure aren't going to help that happen.
Linda M-311663
Linda,
How many "heroes" do you know?
Do others consider you a hero?
No.
The lack of a hero status is not a legitimate or legal excuse to callously beat a human being.
The U.S. Constitution foresaw injustice and codified rights to citizens.
If you had been on the federal jury that awarded Mr. King 3.8 million dollars, justice would never have been served.
Geofery Curry I don't buy your BS. What you are saying is that it is alright to beat someone so that 20 yrs later they still haven't recovered and kill 50 people because other people did things to your people. It is never alright. It was not alright for the cops nor was it alright for your people. It is why to this day some of us don't trust your people. Because of that attitude. You feell entitled to throw a temper tantrum and kill innocent people.
Its is the blacks that are so racist.. I didn't feel this strongly until I bought my new home in a mixed neighborhood and the only ones who cause disturbances are the blacks. Why do they have to be that way? If blacks want respect they should show respect to others, Period. But then they don't even respect each other much less any other race.
I remember the riots with a fond memory of those rioters mostly killing their own and shopkeepers protecting their property with lethal means if needed !!! (STAND YOUR GROUND IN PRACTICAL USAGE ! ) The police couldn't protect them if they even tried !!!
so basically what everyone is saying is that its ok for the police to just beat someone, I guess this applies to everyone not just blacks. The next time you are speeding four or five officers should just begin beating you. If you run a stop sign a beating is in order, or is it just ok to beat rodney king. Stupidity it seems has no bounds here. I was angry then about the acquittal of the officers involved and I feel it is still wrong 20 years later. The subject of this article though is Rodney King's death. RIP Rodney. You suffered more than what anyone should have suffered at the hands of the racist officers and the judgemental racist public. Your Journey in this predjudice world is now over. God will someday even the score but you do not have to suffer any longer. My Condolences to your family.
@Lonereb - At what point did I say it was OK to kill anyone. Rodney King did not kill anyone. He ran from the police like white men do every minute of every day in this country. The justice system conveniently moved the trial to Semi valley, California and in front of a bunch of jurors they knew would acquit these cops. I don't give a damn how many times King was arrested he still has rights under our laws. These people had every right to be angry. That message may not always be popular but it has to be made by whatever damned means necessary. No justice, no peace!
Rodney was a career criminal. He was out on parole getting high, drunk and driving. There were two men in his car that night, Rodney and his friend. The friend obeyed the police orders and not one hair on his head was harmed. Rodney chose not to obey the police lawful orders. He chose to run from the woman police officer first and drove recklessly to evade capture.
King's Trouble with the Law Prior to His Beating
July 27, 1987: According to a complaint filed by his wife, King beat her while she was sleeping, then dragged her outside the house and beat her again. King was charged with battery and pleaded "no contest." He was placed on probation and ordered to obtain counseling. He never got the counseling.
November 3, 1989: King, brandishing a tire iron, ordered a convenience store clerk to empty the cash register. The clerk grabbed the tire iron, causing King to fall backwards and knock over a pie rack. King swung the rack at the clerk and fled the store with $200. King was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree robbery, and intent to commit great bodily injury. In a plea agreement, King pleaded guilty to the robbery charge and the other charges were dropped. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but was paroled on December 27, 1990.
The Arrest of Rodney King on March 3, 1991
March 3, 1991: After being seen speeding on the 210 freeway by CHP officers, King led them on a chase at speeds estimated at up to 110 to 115 mph. When finally stopped, King refused requests to get into the prone position and appeared to charge one of the officers. He was beaten and arrested. King was charged with felony evading. Charges were later dropped. King's 3/3/91 Arrest Record
King's Trouble with the Law After March 3, 1991
May 11, 1991: King was pulled over for having an excessively tinted windshield. Although King was driving without a license and his car registration had expired, King was not charged.
May 28, 1991: King picked up a transvestite prostitute in Hollywood who happened to be under surveillance by LAPD officers. King and the prostitute were observed in an alley engaging in sexual activity. When the prostitute spotted the officers, King sped away, nearly hitting one of them. King later explained that he thought the vice officers were robbers trying to kill him. No charges were filed.
June 26, 1992: King's second wife reported to police that King had hit her and she feared for her life. King was handcuffed and taken to a police station, but his wife then decided against pressing charges.
July 16, 1992: King was arrested at 1:40 A.M. for driving while intoxicated. No charges were filed.
August 21, 1993: King crashed into a wall near a downtown Los Angeles nightclub. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.19. King was charged with violating his parole and sent for sixty day to an alcohol treatment center. He was also convicted on the DUI charge and ordered to perform twenty days of community service.
May 21, 1995: King was arrested for DUI while on a trip to Pennsylvania. King failed field sobriety tests, but refused to submit to a blood test. He was tried and acquitted.
July 14, 1995: King got into an argument with his wife while he was driving, pulled off the freeway and ordered her out of the car. When she started to get out, King sped off, leaving her on the highway with a bruised arm. King was charged with assault with a deadly weapon (his car), reckless driving, spousal abuse, and hit-and-run. King was tried on all four charges, but found guilty only of hit-and-run driving.
March 3, 1999: King allegedly injured the sixteen-year-old girl that he had fathered out of wedlock when he was seventeen, as well as the girl's mother. King was arrested for injuring the woman, the girl, and for vandalizing property. King claimed that the incident was simply "a family misunderstanding."
September 29, 2001: King was arrested for indecent exposure and use of the hallucinogenic drug PCP.
Not exactly a civil rights icon.
What is it with conservatives' obsession with character assassination? They can't even refrain from it on the day a person dies.
well, Gregory Curry
everyone of those rioters were breaking every law made. So I guess your saying that if your angry and you can stir up a mob then its OK? That isn't justice, maybe you and yours need to visit Afganistan or somewhere where you can learn what real fighting is and not just ripping up your neighbors.
A scumbag sir your castigation of a man whom a criminal record shows as purely drug addicted soul from a man with the disease of addiction I find shameful. The lack of compassion alas the riots in the first place from a society within a society where PCP and crack are plentiful in the first place. Now how is this made possible kind sir who is responsible from the millions of crack addicted men and women who feel displaced from society. RK faced a pained spirit with no coping skills to combat the fact that he felt ostracized from the main stream that he punished himself with drugs that are saturated in the communities that can least afford them to keep them mentally and physically bonded to keep mainstream society running alas the HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM who create jobs ( drug consulars,lawyers,CO's and judges PO's and the the list goes on on. The disenfranchised diddle there time away because the are not being taught in the public school systems except to be athletes or minimum wage workers so before you judge the man. The system beat and failed RK long before he became a household name and thats why he became a household name. He represents the fear and the hopelessness of many black men who dont have a white mother who traveled and was well educated alas BO your president.
@Joy57111 - What???? This has nothing to do with what's going on in Afghanistan so let's stick to the subject. People all over the world saw what these cops did to Rodney king. If you lived on the damned moon you saw how they beat and kicked this man and treated him worse than an animal while he was on the ground unarmed with his hand in the air. Yet a jury of cop supporters decided they were justifying in almost killing him because he ran or was on drugs. If the prerequisite for beating the hell out of a man is because he is on drugs or because he ran why are the cops not beating the hell out of their neighbors kids. Those people in LA had every right to be angry. They just did not direct their anger in the right location.
Look, this is what it comes down to. And this is a fact, not an opinion.
There were 5 idiots in this whole mess.
Rodney King and the 4 L.A.P.D. Piggies who beat him as they did.
Yes, RK was a scumbag dope fiend who lived the Life and this beating was the result of it. Thats real life out on the real streets. I've been there, so I know that to be the case. Thats just the nature of the beast out there.
However, in the end, that still doesn't justify the behavior of the Piggies involved. They were dead ass wrong and they got caught doing.....well, what they usually do with impunity. And still do with impunity most of the time.
So let's not be naive here. Yes, RK was a scumbag and he got exactly what he probably deserved. But not in the manner in which it was delivered and definately not by some punk ass Piggies......
joy,
Apparently, history was not your favorite subject.
While bent over on southern plantations, African Americans were quite "respectful."
Pick up a history book and read it.
What an endless well of racist comments..."Fake News'" website must be empty today.
Dammmm you people have so much free time on your hands where as the dead can't even rest in peace! People dying and getting killed every day. No one deserves death the innocent nor the guilty, so why so much energy be wasted on anger. Let the law and the system convict the guilty. People do their crime and serve the time and never gets to have a fresh start to try and do better because they're always being judged by the public.Leave them alone and let them live their lives and clean up your own.
Too bad. It looked like he was turning his life around after his book was published. A LOT of bad things happened in the whole situation and it is unfortunate it had to end this way. My condolences to his girlfriend and family................
One less vote for Obama. Good.
Was that rodney who said "Why cant we get a Loan"
What? So he should just get a pass every time he victmizes someone? Wow, some of you are off your rockers.
Oh, did your mom die, too? Sorry to hear that...
Such a big gap between life styles makes race inconceivable.
You can't sell if you don't have a buyer. So I guess we can blame it all on the klancestors who were too lazy to work their own land and too cheap to pay people to do it for them.
Everyone knew this idiot was a loser from day one. But the black community always side with their losers of color....including the prez of the U.S. Obama hates America and is a communist like his mom and dad but african Americans LOVE him and will vote for him because of the color of his skin. So smart.....It's always about color for the black community and not about competence.
"It's always about color for the black community and not about competence." Oh! then what praytell explains the Bush Administration?
Drowned...I pray for Yahweh's mercy on Mr. King's soul as well as mercy for the offenders and rioters.
We all must prepare to meet our maker. Will you be found blameless?
Be well and in health.
What he did is make lots of police think twice before beating a suspect unnecessarily. For that, I thank him.
He wasn't a perfect civil rights model. Rosa Parks wasn't around. There were more innocent victims of police brutality against blacks out there. In the 80's, I saw a black girl (teenage) get literally beaten up before getting arrested for theft. I suspect they would not have done that had she been a blonde.
There just happened to be a camera around when he got beaten.
The Rodney King I saw on Celebrity Rehab was a quiet man who was thrust into the spotlight, who felt a great deal of responsibility for his race, but who felt that he was failing them because he could not get himself together. The Rodney King I saw deeply regretted his mistakes and wanted nothing more than to make a positive difference in the world. The Rodney King I saw was a good man, but also a flawed human being, who was struggling just as all of us do. His personal struggle happened to be alcoholism. But, I believe he was a MUCH better human being than Toronto Critic and his ilk could ever dream of being! We lost a good man today and I mourn his loss. May he finally R.I.P.
Good riddance. Here is your 'rehab man'...
On August 27, 2003, King was arrested again for speeding and running a red light while under the influence of alcohol. He failed to yield to police officers and slammed his vehicle into a house, breaking his pelvis.
On November 29, 2007, while riding home on his bicycle, King was shot in the face, arms, and back with pellets from a shotgun. He reported that it was done by a man and a woman who demanded his bicycle and shot him when he rode away. Police described the wounds as looking like they came from birdshot, and said King offered few details about the suspects.
In May 2008, King checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California for drinking related problems.
On March 3, 2011, King was stopped by Los Angeles police for driving erratically. He was issued a citation for driving with an expired license. This arrest led to his February 2012 misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving.
On June 17, 2012, King's fiancée Cynthia Kelly found him dead in his swimming pool. Police in Rialto received a 911 call from Kelly at about 5:25 am. Responding officers found King at the bottom of the pool, removed him, and attempted to revive him. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The Rialto Police Department began a standard drowning investigation, and stated that there did not appear to be any foul play, particularly noting King's self-admitted problems with drinking.
Well, that's pretty and sparkly. But, you cannot even prove your cult god exists. So, praying to Voldemort or to my Aunt Phyllis carries just as much weight.
Cheers!
"Can't we all get gone?" Before he was a thug, after, he was still a thug, and a broke thug, after wasting 3.8 million.
UncommonSense1337,
You have made a great point.
Unfortunately, though, it was because of the worse in the hearts of men, that Mr. King had an impact on law enforcement. It is amazing how all of the racists trolls are talking about Mr. king going to hell. Truly, do you heartless creatures think that the gates of heaven will open up for you, just so that can bring the sludge from earth and pollute the celestial skies? If God accepted you upstairs, who would want to go to heaven?
Hitler had a great impact also, you have no point.
It waz the LAPD SEAL TEAM that did it, they snuck into his pool and pulled him in and waited for the bubbles to quit coming up ol whatshisname has the video!
msnbc LOVES any story that promotes or perpetuates RACIAL divisiveness - so they must enjoy this one.
Another opportunity to revisit this upsetting chapter in our nation's history.
msnbc - all race, all the time
flbikerchick, yup, the truth hurts. ain't no saints in this life.
Joy I feel your disappointment with blacks, but you can't label all blacks as being racist. As an African American, I have many white friends and also have had romantic relations with some. So if you're implying that all blacks are racist, it's simply not true.
Freddie---All blacks and all whites are not racists,but too damn many are....And people don't even realize by their comments that their prejudices are leaking through....People describe someone by their color first when not even asked, like " That black dude over there " ...I mean if I am looking at him too and he is the only guy there why did you have to say " Black dude" ? Why couldn't it have just been " That Dude " ?I have been taught and I teach my kids and others children that you only mention the color of an individuals skin when asked to describe someones appearance......Diversity training should be a " BIG " part of public education...But if Democrats even suggested it the right would make it an ugly racist debate because they don't even realize that their prejudice is " Leaking through" when they make stupid statements, because they are in desperate need of diversity awareness training also........If people would just admit to their prejudices they could begin their healing....But like with alcoholism admitting the problem to yourself is the first hurdle.....And they don't even realize that racism is ingrained in them from faulty upbringing from their parents and society at large......And by the way I am talking about ALL races...Even Koreans hate Japanese people and even different tribes in Africa are racists toward each other , heck some people of color are prejudiced against others with a lighter or darker skin tone......RIP Rodney and everyone else who died regardless of color,status,socio-economic background or prior arrest record..........And by the way COPS do not discriminate when it comes to beatings they beat everyone , they do think they can get away with it more if you are black or poor.................
One less SCUMBAG on this earth!! GOOD RIDDENCE!!
I don't believe in racial profiling over the last few decades. I've never been one to believe that it is anything but circumstantial. I also think that it is sad that in this country someone can claim no responsibility for a wrong doing and say that it is simply because I'm black that I was beaten, taken to jail, etc. I think the plight of the black man has become something of a self-fulfilled prophecy in these modern times. This guy fancies himself some kind of civil rights martyr... I find that ridiculously concerning and think that type of thinking needs to be squashed right away. This man was and remained a dirty scumbag through his life and the best thing that ever happened to him was the day he took the a$$ whooping of his life. His criminal hands greedily took the states money, didn't bother to say thanks, and hey what's this? Ignorant people everywhere are hailing me as a civil rights martyr and rioting? I better take this and run with it... And there you have the plea for peace on the news (Though doesn't care who dies over his dumb a$$), copyrighted name, and a nice book deal.
People need to pull your heads out of you political a$$'$ for a moment and smell the roses.
Now if only god would see fit to take your sorry butt out of this world too model railroad man, life may get better again.
RIP POS!!
Just started to read the posts and concluded ...there will never be a society that believes in the simple phrase ... (All men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights ) as we get older we see a new generation of hatred of our fellow man from all sides ... and the lack of respect for any one that does not agree with us
Racism will never go away just by ignoring it.
Ignoring racism gives it the ideal environment in which to grow. Bigotry can only be eradicated by exposing it.
And telling by many of these posts here - racism is still flourishing, so don't give me the whole 'it no longer exists' bullsh!t.
Oh, and god forbid a national news source (and every other news source as well) reports on the death of an unfortunately influential figure of the 90s, who was involved in events which changed the landscape of not only LA - but the rest of the United States.
As for the King himself - he was a scumbag, but in this country - even scumbags have rights, yes, black scumbags too.
I've seen the video and the cops told him like 10 times to hit the deck, and even after they tried to take him down he kept trying to get up. I'm sorry, but when the police tell you to do something you better do it no matter what color you are. The guy was a scumbag.
Go look at the file footage ( they showed some this morning on the news) and you are going to see Black, White and Hispanic people stealing and running and behaving like morons and they scum of society. So would you like to tell us all again who was doing what?
You scream about a broad brush when some one says something about the military or law enforcement, but you will do it to one race of people.
We all know who was acting out and it was ALL of them!!
This man was a parasite. Prior to that police beating, he mugged the elderly and was well known for it: that is what many believe was behind the police attacking him. How convenient that the liberals forget.
After the beating, he had opportunities to correct his life: why couldn't HE "just get along?"
I love how the liberal news media slanted him and made it out that he was some kind of victim/hero: cops are heros, not scumbags. The news last night actually tried to imply that the police beating is what screwed up his life. What a warped crock of #%& that was.
They also seemed to forget that the riots were NOT about him: it was an excuse for violence and unchecked STEALING. Smashing a window and making off with a TV had nothing to do with what happened to King.
I swear liberals are from another planet sometimes. I really do. Pink skies and candy clouds.
When I read the title I really thought he might have had a heart attack in his pool. He is a 47 year old black man with a history of drug abuse. Being 47 and black is already a high enough risk for a heart attack.
$20 bucks says the coroner will find he had a heart attack and then drowned.
crackheads shouldn't play diving for quarters...
What is it with people and collapsing posts?! One Darren Dickerson above simply posted the word "What?" and it got collapsed! This is beyond absurd people! Are people even thinking when they flag a post as being inflamatory or having no value, or are there just some "collapse comment" trolls who jump on to boards and flag every single post they see just for the fun of it?
If i saw a group of people in a riot beating someone to death i would shoot them dead if the group was white and the vitc was black or vice versa does not matter to me. It is a shame and yet another dark day in American history where people were once again attacking and killing one another over nothing more than the color of their skin.
No justice no peace? Yes people had a right to be angry but not a right to kill innocent random people. If anything the rioters involved deserve (still to this day) the death penalty or live fire... Remember the cops didnt kill Rodney. Anger is never a justifiable excuse for murder. There is no statute of limitations on murder so i think the LAPD needs to reopen some of those cold cases while most of those scumbags are still alive.
Would you shut up about that already?! Find me someone who was a slave and they can bitch all they want, but unless YOU were a slave, you ain't got a dog in the race. It's history, it can't be changed, and no one alive today can do a damn thing about it... so stop blaming them! If you want to crusade against slavery now, put it towards something that can do some good; there are children being used as slaves right now, so stop whining about something that happened 200 years ago and help them.
If someone is horribly abused, do we blame the abuser's grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on that were not even born when the abuse took place?
An innocent person? Try thousands of innocent people.
And where does it belong?
Why are people giving this mans death so much publicity? Many more important people die everyday. The man was an idiot who always, like manyother African Americans place the race card when it is convenient for them! Yes. I too am an African American who wishes that this race crap would be flushed.
As an fellow African-American, I have to not agree with you on this point. If there is racism happening then it's a duty for all non-racist to point it out and try to get rid of it. Trust me, I'm all for personal responsibility, but if the shoe fits then best believe you will were it.
Dasvet,
The point that you have made is that racial animosity still exists and that stupidity is alive and still unwell.
Why do racists say racism doesn't exist anymore? And how come they think everyone should forget about slavery and lynching ? Racism is alive and well and if we don't recognize the past we are doomed to repeat it.......Slavery exists in a different form, and it is people of all shades suffering now......You just have to be in the 99% and you are a slave to banks,corporate raiders(Bain etc.) and taxes......You can't own hardly anything unless it is consumable ( toilet paper,food etc. ) and then it is only until consumed, then you will still pay interest for the rest of your natural life......If you think you own land or a home, try not paying taxes and see who really owns it...............Mitt Romney owns his stuff and be dumb enough to vote for him and then he owns you too..............Like the GOP says " Let's take our country back " ...........We need a peaceful revolution to fundamentally change our society to FREEDOM again.............We are alot less free than ever before in history.....This situation has repeated itself throughout history again and again...And when it happens we have quit giving the consent to be governed by a system that is not working for us but working against our unalienable rights.......You can't even put some pot smoke in your lungs....Wouldn't that be pursuing happiness? And not hurting anyone ? I am not a Pot-Head, that is just one of the best examples to show we are not FREE ,not even a little bit.....We are free to pay interest,taxes and for our children to be mandated to attend indoctrination(School), or be put in the county lock-up for being " Neglectful " parents..............................Really, I strive to make myself ,and my fellow citizens, truly free again........
Rene278-----I have boldly(literally) singled your name out,but I am addressing the WWW on this matter of absolute fact(That is what this statement, is not opinion like FOX NEWS)......Since rich people pass down their fame and fortune to their descendants(see Mitt and his father for example,both governors etc.) People of color have done the same thing....They have passed down their inherent poverty and the legacy of slavery and the systematic bigotry and civil rights violations against them( See Rodney King beating video on youtube as just one of thousands) Also the systematic,mandated voter suppression( From the poll tax and tests of the pre-60's to the present day voter purges plus rule changes ie; requiring people to now show ID who are 90 and already registered ,and were born at home ,therefore have no birth certificate, so they can't just get an ID, by the way since ID's also cost money ,this is an indirect poll tax,which is illegal)
SO, to your stupid racist remark about no skin in the game or whatever has been said by the rest of the WWW that I am addressing I offer you this( Which I rarely do for any reason, but I am passionate about these issues) A BIG FAT F.U. and your mother , and the horse she rode in on( Hangin' underneath enjoying herself ,no doubt, since she is a size queen)...........I am directing this at the WWW, not one person............per the rules...
sw philly,
The first step in protecting this institution, is to deny that it exists.
Very mature, and an excellent example of credibility.
Racism, like stupidity, still exists. But is this really the point?
Rodney King was a career criminal, before and after his infamous beating by rogue police. He doesn't deserve to be raised up on a pedestal and the fact that the public outpouring over his premature passing is so small, proves my point. Less than two dozen mourners attended an impromptu memorial in Los Angeles today.
To destroy and burn down ones own neighborhoods was an absurd reaction, mostly caused by our media and an anarchistic sub culture who needed a new t.v. or microwave oven and weren't willing to work for it.
Then to shoot at the fire fighters who were trying to put out fires and save lives was incredulous.
I'll reserve my adulations for black Americans who earned their praise by serving America with distinction. Martin Luther King, Judge Thurgood Marshall, Barack Obama, General Colin Powell, and the courageous Rosa Parks (and many others) deserve our praise and gratitude.
Once a junkie always a junkie we used to say.
That would seem to infer that you are familiar with junkies...
Apparently you still say it.
You probably listen to Rush Limbaugh
Yank, so you know personally? Is there something you're trying to tell us about yourself.
Coming from someone who has had problems with drugs Rush is still right
and may I add, 'unkind and hateful' comments about the deceased, Yank-957120. Thank you, for your unkind commentary!
once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic...isn't that what the 12 step programs say? I'm assuming "junkie" fits there too. Doesn't mean you are not able to be clean, just that you are one hit away from being right back into it.
Sounds like Yank is correct from the recovery industry perspective. What is your problem kids?
What does any of this have to do with the story? Nothing.....
Steve the dog man: You are the problem with your sarcastic remark. Just shut up if you cannot be civil.
Frogmorton! --- well, he's probably as familiar as many educated persons are with the matter of drug abuse and addiction. Once an addict, always an addict. They even teach those lessons at N.A meetings, and A.A. meetings -- an addict always refers to himself as an addict, as an alcoholic always refers to himself as an alcoholic. My mom was an alcoholic, and that intensified with my oldest brother's death at a young age in a car crash...
Anyway -- yeah, once a junkie, always a junkie. The phrase is essentially correct. What's odd is when some people can make an honest statement like that, and then -- others reply by going into an emotional tailspin and start shrieking about it...
Very correct Yank, Steve, & Frogmorton!!!
People need to do some research before running their mouths .... tisk, tisk...
Mi father was & still is an alcoholic, even though he hasn't had a drink in 14yrs.
C'mon all of you perfect people who are always right... get with the program!
Looking back, he probably didn't deserve the beating but then all those businesses that got burned down didn't either. It was a stupid response but I suppose living in a ghetto is a right especially to a thug. I was more angry with OJ cause he killed someone, but found a jury that could nt count to five. I would like to think if OJ was found guilty, that half of LA woudn't have burned but it is slightly more likely giving him a free pass saved a lot of lives and property.
I thought your remark was espeically racist and stupid, but then I read other remarks you've posted and at least it's no more stupid than others.
who burned the businesses? You can't live in america under justice and equal protection for citizens? Tough. Just like travon martin. YOu can't let the system handle. No, Lets march, make a few bucks for the big boys, and ramsack a few places. That aint my america. Go to he ll. I will always consider oj guilty!
Probably didn't? Such humanity! King did not deserve to be beaten like that. Period.
OJ? A new book by an acclaimed private detective proposes Simpson's eldest son, Jason (then 20-something), committed the murders. It makes a rather persuasive case. You may feel you know for certain what happened there, but the fact is -- you don't.
Ewik
I said from the beginning that OJ didnt do it, but he knew who did, and it was probably his son, who else would you take that kind of rap for.
Jolly Joker and your presumption that the jurors couldn't count to 5 comes from where???? Then again what has the OJ case to do with this? I mean really????
Yeah and Jimmmy Hoffa will be back to run the Teamsters next week.
Jolly Joker, I hope you get this angry and upset at ALL injustices and not relegate your feelings of angry to just the OJ case.
Everyone know that OJ used the races card.
jolly joker there is not a comparison, and no need to compare OJ and Rodney king
Come on. We all know that OJ's farce of a trial is paybacks to the whites. One of the alternates said so themselves. Some of the biggest racists are Jackson, Sharpton, etc. No, nobody deserves a beating like King got, but to take it out on innocent people isn't right either. Think of that poor truck driver who was dragged from his truck & beaten with a brick. He didn't deserve that. The people that riot are just a bunch of angry slobs and will never change.
The "races card"? What the hell is that?
jolly joker - (you wrote:) "Looking back, he probably didn't deserve the beating...Tough. Just like travon martin. YOu can't let the system handle."
Rodney King "probably didn't deserve the beating? Tough...just like Trayvon Martin?"
What is wrong with you and your thought processes? Your utter disregard for humanity; more important, human life when you have equated the mistreatment and killing to those being Black or African American is disgusting and outlandish!
Yes, I do believe in one's freedom of expression & free speech, but then one first should be expressing themselves in correct written grammar!
I don't think jolloy joker's remarks where racist. I think far to many people use the easy way and call things "racist". Rodney King did not deserve to be beat, period. I think the officers involed should have had to stand trial for it. I will say in the officers defence that from what I can remember Rodney was high on pvc? At least I believe that's was stated on the news? And that perhaps made the matter more difficult for them (the officers). I to wander what if O.J. would have been found guilty? I remember watching some blacks on T.V. cry about it being racist to try O.J., so it's not far fetch to say that a riot could have broken out? (at least not in those days).
Seems its a one way street this "racist" thing, black's can use it but if white people or anyone else cry's out racistism, then they (white's or anyone else) are call racist for complaining, or how dare them? I'm not a racist, But I'm no fool either, I know the way this world is and how blacks and whites seem to butt heads or all this. I know people will read this and say I am a racist. Like I said I'm not, I just think people should respect each others and realize that wrong is wrong, and be fair and balance about these issues, and remember that a crime is not a color it's evil. I think Rodney took advanage of the whole thing and I feel should have not gotten a nickle out of it. I think O.J. was guilty then and I still do. But we have to all live with it. But I think it's wrong and a racistremark in itself to call anyone a racist because we don't like the out come of a crime. My hope is that some good will come from remembering the past and the riots in L.A. and we as a people can help stop this from happening again, after all how many people died in the L.A. riot? 53 and 3,000 injuried and buildings destroyed? Any one man is not worth that! The riots where not only wrong but a sad day for equal rights. (Sorry to those who think everyone should use spell check, I do most of time but I'm heading out so forgive me if I have errors I just wanted to state my feelings here real quick.)
Since when is it acceptable for the cops to beat the crap out of anyone they pull over for ANYTHING??? They are supposed to be TRAINED to handle situations and since there was a bunch of them there, they couldn't control him without beating him senseless? Funny how you're all so sympathetic to the white people who got caught up in the riots - maybe black people just get SICK AND TIRED of the racist cops and the racist people in this country. MAKE NO MISTAKE - racism is alive and well in this country and most of you on here just prove it. So Rodney King screwed up years ago - who hasn't screwed up at one time or another. For you people blaming him for the riots, maybe you should look at who's really to blame - a bunch of racist cops and a bunch of racist jurors! If Rodney King had been white, he probably wouldn't have been beaten (unless he was poor)!!!
It amazes me about racist comments like these in america, No so called american can ever use a race card PERIOD, if he is a true american. OJ didnt commit a crime, because he was found innocent, some people wanted a body(or a person to put the blame on) because a black guy was with this white girl. Rodney King was obviously beaten by white cops and they were found innocent, so americans wanted a body. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good. Love is and always will be the most powerful force in the World!!!
I LOVE IT! thats the ONLY way!! I remain Praying!
Oh hey, let's obey the laws and be a mindless slave who complies with everything. Let's not show our opinions, let's not organized even in the face of injustice.
Can you imagine if we actually do that? There is no equality between rights, gender rights or any rights at all. White would still own slaves, black would still a 2nd rate citizens and women still in the kitchen and can't go to work.
Oh I know, that's how Middle East is working as a shining examples of that. You guys would do so well in Middle East since it seems to be a description of your paradise.
Kathy Foley, I need to apologize to you. I went to click on "inflammatory" and accidentally gave you a positive vote instead.
I have to apologize because I do not want to mislead you into thinking that your wasted post held more validity than it did. You are still the only one who thinks your post is right. Rodney King was high on PCP (Angel Dust) when the cops tried to pull him over. He did more than just screw up a little. What if he killed someone during the chase? Oh my! What if that person was Black? Would you be blaming the cops for chasing him?
Perhaps White people are fed up with having to cater to the Black "community". NAACP, United Negro College Fund, scholarships only available to Blacks, etc. Why is it when a Balck or more commonly, a group of Blacks attack someone (usually White these days) it has to be overlooked or in cases like you, justified?
It's funny that oBAMa was at a wedding in Chicago yesterday and the city had to pull 200 police officers off their patrols to establish a protective perimeter around the wedding party. The justification given was the number of attacks by roving bands of (Black) "youths" that have been occurring in Chicago the past few weeks. Funny thing is, oBAMa was the safest person there; all the crimes have been "Black on White" and "Black on Asian."
What will you say when Whites get sick and tired of Blacks being sick and tired? Perhaps you should rethink your comments and try to bring understanding instead of stoking a fire you cannot possibly put out.
"Rodney was high on pvc"
You can get high on PVC? That's a new one!
pvc...is a type of plastic pipe...a pipe of glass...normally used to smoke crack cocaine...PVC glue is huffer's delite...
Curry the races card is that thing the Rev Al and Jessie pull out of their pocket to rile everybody up. It is the thing that you played when you called Reginald Denny a victim of circustances and said he was just unlucky instead of saying the actions of your people were wrong. The races card is why many people will never trust your people. The races card is why you feel entitled to throw a tantrum and kill innocent people because 200 years ago people treated your people bad. Nobody today is alive that owned a slave. The four hundred years crap has worn thin and I don't owe you anything. No but you can get high on PCB an animal tranquiler and he did.
wow, lonereb! just think how much easier and nicer your life would be if you could just get an erection every time you think about Al or Jesse, or mention their names. You'd have no further need for viagra... And, both of them seem to get you all excited anyway...they're practically all you can think about now!
Yeah, that's true. But there are more than enough Republicans today who truly wish they could...
Truetobefree, OJ was not found innocent by the jury. OJ was found not guilty. Innocent means he didn't do it. Someone else did it. Not guilty means the prosecution did not prove the case against him beyond a reasonable doubt. There is a big difference.
The Republicans set the slaves free back in Civil War days and oh, how they regret it now! No one they can legally bully except by making excuses like these posters did for the cops that beat R.K. (Romney hates it when he can't fire someone), but never fear. If they win thiselection we'll all be on our way to being their slaves, that is, as long as we are poor, elderly, women, minorities (soon to be the majority) or anyone who isn't part of their cherished 1 percent wealthy and totally ass right wing conservative. The Republicans can't stand it if theylose an election fair and square. That's why they're e nacting all kinds of voter suppression laws as we speak to prevent anyone they can from casting a ballot this November 12 who might vote Democratic. That would be people of color, students and those who live in traditionally Democatic leaning districts. I would include the elderlyh if they have any sense left to vote for their own interests and don't want to see Medicare and Social Security killed, also poor people of any race, creed, or color. And of course women who are now undergoing the attack by the righties oon their right to make decisions about their own bodies, and who if they havppen to be Democratic members of Congress are shunned and prevented froom speaking before their peers should their so-called peers (that would be Repugs) not approve of their "message." Everyone it seems has rights to free speech excelt Democrats and anyone the Rethugs disagree with. Watvch out they don't totally eliminate elections before too long if they win 2012.
A picture ID is voter suppression?
Being beaten on camera was not his choice, but he had the chance to make the world a better place and wasted it.
Morgan or should I say " Moron "----A picture ID is hard to obtain when you are black,old,poor, and were born at home 90 years ago and have no birth certificate....And even if one voter fits this parameter than it is overstepping,especially when the same person has been voting since the voting rights act in the 60's forced these white bastards to allow them to vote instead of being able to lynch them if they tried to........You racist em effers will never quit this @!$%# will you ? That is why the old confederacy has special laws directed at them in reference to voting laws...........If you think Grandma shouldn't be allowed to vote you are a racist.....And a redneck
BTW Lone REB ----------------------YOU are not that alone there are a whole lot of other confederate wanna bees out there.....They just switched parties to be deceiving........Its the Republican party now..........I know kinda confusing that the party of Lincoln would be the party where REBS fit in but atleast since I told your dumb arse you don't have to be so lonely now.............I guess there plan of deception worked to good for the dullards( Which most are) who are bigots.............But now that you are informed you will know how to vote in 2014( You already know how to vote this cycle it is pretty easy since there is a black guy running) and it will get even easier for your dumb bigoted arse in 2016 since Blacky McBlack will be retiring then......
sw phillyk like Travon voting now
Morgan or should I say " Moron "----A picture ID is hard to obtain when you are black,old,poor, and were born at home 90 years ago and have no birth certificate....is this why we have a bunch of 90 year olds that look like Travon or 13 years old voting now. I would like to know how many 90 year old black people vote, in fact if you look at the black vote the last 60 years or so, they did come out for Kennedy and than Obummer, other than that the voters that are African American has been Low. Besides after this last election with minnie, mickey, goofy and pluto voting it's just a thing Obummer wants again, no way to verify voters, now were headed in the same direction as a third world nation. ANYBODY BUT OBUMMER 2012 If you vote for Obama the last time to prove you weren't racist, vote for anyone else this time to prove your not an idiot.
Let the man rest in peace for God's sake.
Royce----Mickey or any other fictitious person didn't vote...Someone turned in applications with fictitious names and they weren't registered .....It was caught.....I am talking about people who are already registered and they are trying to purge them from the rolls or making them show ID when they never needed it before...You need to prove who you are to register and then match info and signatures at the polling place,,And that has worked for years....That is why you just can't vote at any poll,you have to go to your polling place....If they are gonna make you show ID why not make it more convenient and let you vote anywhere maybe close to where you work instead of having to drive all the way to your home area.??????
Frogmorton (5.23).
Yes, you are correct...as opposed to the Democrats who want to make everyone making over 100k per year, THEIR slave.
The fathers of invention; those who made something of themselves , who created things that make the world better for all of us - yes, you Dems are incensed that they'd actually want to make a PROFIT from their own labors. Yes, they can invent things to make life easier on ALL of us...but you would make them do it for free...or, at the very least, make them surrender all their money (taxes) so that freeloaders can continue to freeload.
We are all going to die no matter who we are or what we have done. This isn't news.
This is news, but not outrageous enough to warrant all the hateful rhetoric in response!!!Give R.K. a break, you righties. He's dead and you can't hurt him anymore. i don't th ink up in heavenn or whereever he is, if he is, they watch Faux News or read your pathetic posts.
Cant we all just get along?
Afro-A-s live here happily- ever after, until a drive-by in Spenard or a CA police report,
takes 'em back to "your" civilization!
My guess is.....he's around a lot of burning's now.
Dude, seriously what kind of stupid comment was that? You have no clue where anyone is going when they die and judging by that comment you are definitely no "saint yourself".
Cute!...You clown.
So, you presume that Rodney King dead cannot be anywhere else than in hell because he is black????
How would you react if it was one of the white policemen who beated him who died? He would be in heaven according to your logic???
You may be sealing your own fate on going there.. You don't know Rodney to say anything like that about him.
Consider yourself redeemed.
Unfortunately a Policeman job requires only a HS diploma and 8 weeks police training camp. After that you are paired up with a more experienced cop and hopefully gain wisdom and compassion quickly.
None of us know Rodney but I never heard anything good come of his life or his impact on the world. As to the white cops who beat him I am pretty sure the whole heaven and hell thing will work just the same for them in the end and I doubt Rodney was their first beating.
toloto:
Now there's an example of introducing racism into a discussion! Even though it was an incredibly ridiculous statement on Jeffrey's part, there was no reference to color in it. The comments by the other posters responding to that post are much more appropriate.
Had Enough------The poster was obviously speculating,but I would bet it was a correct guess...Race wasn't mentioned but hate was.....And I would bet they don't hate him because he was from CA....So what else do you think it is? Kinda like most of the hate directed at our president.......And how they call him everything( socialist,communist etc.) but the one word that would show their true feelings deep in their heart......And we all know that word........And they use it around familiar company, and don't deny it cause I am white and I hear it ALOT not a little bit......See these racist bastards think I am part of the club because most whites are, and I take alot of flak and am ostracized for not being in line with the mentally ill ( That is what you are if you judge people by their race) ...............They even call people of color OBAMAS now in place of that disgusting " N " word ...................And no it is different and acceptable for people of color to call each other " NIGGA " as a term of endearment.....You see that is one way for them to cope with being called that( Nowadays mostly behind their backs) by bigots all of the time.....It kinda takes the sting out of it for them, like I said it is a coping mechanism.............But I am sure you have never used it when stuck in traffic cause some homeboy was washing windshields and made you have to sit at an extra redlight......
GHX,
Actually, most large cities police departments require a 4 year degree. Now that degree could be in underwater basketweaving, but a 4 year degree is a 4 year degree. Also Correction Officers generally have between 5 and 8 weeks of training. Patrol officers usually have between 16-24 weeks of training depending on the department rules. Many large cities will send their officers to the state training academy and then send them through their own academy. I know Portland, Or and Columbus, Oh work that way. What those officers did was WAY out of line, but RK was out of line for DWI and leading the cops on a high speed chase. Does this mean I think RK should have been beaten, absolutely not. Sometimes bad apples get onto a force by passing the psych test.
Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins. I am sorry he died this way...if he had been drinking, it is a common thing to drown. R.I.P. Rodney. He didn't deserve to become famous for being beaten half to death. I am sure he is in the arms of the Lord...he had no malice in his heart.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww "in the hands of the lord" yeah that's probably where he is now. How sweet, LOL
And he was beaten because he was high on crack and wouldn't comply with the police, the passenger was also black but he wasn't touched by the police because HE COMPLIED. If you live by the drugs you will die by the drugs.
Try the Devel
So ignorant you can't even spell 'devil'. Incredible.
Uh...let's not forget that this "saint" , at the time of his beating, was on parole for armed robbery; that he high on crack at the time of the stop, refused to comply (did you see the WHOLE tape and not just the snippets that the news showed you ?)
He didnt do so badly - 3.8M from his lawsuit. Numerous run-ins with the law afterward.
Jennifer he was a gang member unwilling to break off a piece of his book profits. You will always reap what you sew.
Nice thought there, Jen. This man is nothing more than a common thug, always has been. The saying "you can take the man out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the man" was never more appropriate than with this gun-toting, crack-smoking, woman-beating banger. Let's not forget that night when he was LEGALLY subdued by the cops. It was at the end of a long, 100+ mile per hour chase that endangered countless lives.
No, Jen, there is no "arms of the lord" here. Just another low-life that, by a stroke of luck, came into some notoriety. If not for that night, he would have been just another among the many bangers from the hood. That's all, nothing more. Goodby and good riddance.
Russell
It's "sow", not "sew", (or "so").
Some of you are so cute -- talking about your mythical creatures, judging others based on your lord-creature and your mythical demons and devils. Silly, but it's kinda cute. Kinda like the tooth fairy.
Let the rest of us know when you've grown up beyond your mythical tales and creatures and you've stopped sucking your thumbs...
Hey Jenn ever know anybody killed by a DWI.I hope he rots in hell.
It is why I came up along side you, Jennifer Messiner, within the confines of Reverend John E. Lindells church walls. To see how many times you would break down your personal oathes to stay within them.
Although I have never met you, you stole my works and defined them as your own. Infringement? of Gods work..... Just as they did John's great prophetic work describing my qarrival. Do not ever assume I look into anyones business. I learned of the writing of John's by vision and a gift of a selectric typewriter from his father for college. To proove his works were valid I used your family to denounce nepitism before I instituted the call of all flesh, never to be seqrigated by accusation of drunkedness. Your willingness to cross state lines with childrens names to denounce my work(s) at Humbodt State University is what has placed you in prison for life. exodus 14:2
Patricia...HUH?
Yeah, what was that all about. Very strange indeed.
Frogmorton try this one on for size. 50 people died in the riot that followed and one man was beaten shown on the evening news so badly he has never fully recovered. This according to the black racists on here is just bad luck for those people. They felt entitled to act like children throwing a tantrum only children don't kill. They still feel entitled to kill anybody white after every incident and say it was just bad luck on our part. And they wonder why race relations haven't really improved. If my death would be just bad luck how can I trust them?
Wow Lonereb. Is this all about Al and Jesse, too??
Holy cow, after reading Patricia's post, and now yours -- i think the two of you were meant for each other.
Exchange numbers. You two should hook up.
He changed law enforcement forever. It is not not considered okay to beat someone senseless during arrest. Today, the police at least hesitates before trying something like that.
And many police officers die for that hesitation...
Yeah Froggy because if you don't kick at hit with nightsticks an un-armed man while he is down and submitting he might use some type of tele-kinesis to kill the cop.........What video did you see ? I am a follower of Christ's teachings but I can't help my sinning self from wishing you and your family a good police beating..............
Patricia Numbers----------And to anyone trying to figure out her off the wall comment( Which is what all of the people that are Teabaging/Republican/Bigots post about) I atleast figured out through Google that Rev. John E. Lindell is a pastor at a Missouri mega-church ( Slang for cult head-quarters).......I guess she is suffering after effects from the brainwashing techniques from Sunday service......She thought she was texting her Cocker-Spaniel or communicating with Moses or John the baptist.....I have been to one of those protestant mind melding church gatherings, it is some weird crap they have going on.....And I always thought Catholics were the weirdest cult on the block before that experience( Kinda like Jimi Hendrix too ).......I would like to check out the Mormons too.....But I'm scared I won't get out alive.....They may make me put on those fabled " Magic Underoos " .....Lmao......Well I hope she snaps out of it before she blows up an abortion clinic or something............I am also worried about the person she is having the delusions about....
So far, no information about him. He lived hard and died hard, maybe at the hands of gang members who wanted a cut of his money from his book.
Really? Rodney King was in a gang and his gang wanted a piece of the proceeds from the book? Ok...stop smoking weed!
People can make up any scenario in their mind. I'll bet at some point someone will blame Obama
As many of the brainwashed religious people are showing us here today -- with how much they keep invoking their jesus-creatures, inventing scenarios in their mythical heaven, and talking about demons and devils and burning... What a bunch of mindless, ignorant twaddle... they're like a bunch of teenagers playing Dungeons and Dragons... "he gonna burn with demons around him" -- "my Level-25 jesus-myth is going to smite him and send him to hell!"
jesus h nipple, what a bunch of childish, mythical gibberish!
And I would bet you were one playing the dungeons and dragons card swapping in the student union, wondering where and why the mythological degree in business was not paying back the investment in modeling.
Ah, drunk on sports drinks and spring break. You should have read it in the cards. 2 samuel 14:2
When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will discover they are not it.
Jews bow their heads
christians get down on their knees
muslims get down on their knees with their asses in the air.
ATHEISTS- Hold their heads up PROUDLY and kneel to NO ONE and NO THING
ANON. As for Rodney, good-bye, and thanks for the wonderful quote "Can't we all just get along?"
No actually spring break consists of coming to where I live getting drunk and staying that way for 6 days and driving up and down our streets. We do everything before 10am and try to avoid all the drunk college kids who when we ask where is this drunk staying they tell "at the sun or sea something" Which covers almost every condo here.After it is all over we have a survivors party.
Romneyis...
What planet are you on? Everything is blamed on Obama? Every other word out of you liberal lock step following Obama lovers is, "it's Bush's fault."
Yeah, and after DECADES of laughing your azzes off at the Mormon Cult, its silly golden tablets and whacked-out stories of and from Joseph Smith, you've got one of its most devoted Cult Followers who ACTUALLY BELIEVES THE CRAP IN THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE and he is your new Savior of the GOP!! Suddenly, one of this Whacko Cult's primary Leaders is the new ICON of the GOP.
You guys and your silly, interchangeable values. You don't even know what your values are. You sell out to the face-man of the moment, true values be damned. You'd all follow Hitler if you thought he could win and he wore your party's button...
None of you have any real values that you stick to or truly believe in.
You have no idea what a JOKE you all are to the rest of us. a MORMON is leading you now, and you all follow, he is showing you the path. OMFG, how hilarious can it get...
LONEREB---------DO all of those white college kids driving drunk deserve a Rodney King beating too ? Kinda makes you, think you dumb ass civil war re-enacter, doesn't it ?
Punk Rocker-----Good to see you here, and good post like usual.............
blah blah blah... everyone need to shut the @!$%# up, just let him rest in peace... people need to learn to let it go n be along with each other.. i'm tired of see em acting so stupid over color.. fyi life is short come on and have good time! i m tired of people whiny bout color skin.. they need to grow up and learn to accept who yu are not judge by skin..that's sad to see em war over stupid @!$%# color skin..
Don't we all find it interesting that he is engaged to a woman ON THE JURY THAT AWARDED HIM $3.8 MILLION! HUH!
CoCo, is that a fact? Is that woman a "sista" or is she a white woman?
Everybody deserves peace in their lives. I guess Rodney finally found his. RIP Rodney you had a heavy cross to carry during your short life.
Good comment I couldn't of said it better.
RIP Rodney King
so true. he carried a heavy load for all of us f..ups
You could have said it better if you would have said "Good comment, I couldn't have said it better." Go back to English class, people. It is NOT could of, it is could have, hence the contraction could've.
BarbaraB, here's your grammar lesson for the day. It isn't correct to say "couldn't of." The correct phrase is "couldn't have."
Carry on.
Well, look at the grammar police. I am as critical as the next person when it comes to the use of proper grammar in certain situations, but this is a news forum. People don't come here to write a paper for English class. Why don't you add something constructive to the conversation rather than commenting on someone's grammar skills.
Watching-404403, you might want to take some grammar classes yourself before you go on a rant criticizing other people's writing skills. Last time I looked, "carry on" was not a complete sentence.
meems and Watching...Thank you! That particular misuse of the English language has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time!
OK. I was ready to post a comment, but instead I will continue reading and learning all about grammar and writing skills. What this site needs, is spell check. CARRY ON....
Ford man, one night of drunkenly resisting arrest, got 55 people killed, millions of dollars wasted by property destruction, and he takes another 3.8 million to boot. Some are saying he was an innocent (thug) man. I think the man's brain would fit in a thimble, and still have room left for a gallon of beer.
This is an MSNBC site...correct grammar and spelling are not necessary. Check their articles.
Duh!! I stink I needs to learrn mo anglish so dats why I comes her to dish place.
It wasn't just Rodney King being beaten on that video tape, it was Blacks and every other minority that's been abused and beaten by every racist and bully cop in every major city across the country for decade after decade. Rodney was just the iconic focus as a victim of systemic racial prejudice and brutality which is still with us today... you can see it celebrated in many of these posts and the high count of up votes to Toronto Critic's trolling.
Ecce Homo.
The "cross" he carried he strapped to his own back. He brought his troubles on himself.
culheath keep that attitude up and race relations will never improve in this country. As long as you keep blaming this generation for sins of the past and act like it is OK to take it out on us. We this generation will never be able to trust you. I'm sorry if four hundred years ago some anglo-saxon a$$ took advantage of your people. 400 years ago my people were too busy playing the Germans off against the Russians to see which would leave us with more local control. 124 years ago we left Europe and settled in Wisconsin not the south. So I owe you nothing. I owe my grandfathers who worked 12 hour 6 days weeks to get our family started here but I don't owe you.
Jamie, "Carry on" means "continue." It is a complete sentence. Silly goose!
Ah, but you do owe me because I'm white and people like you are trying to preserve the systemic bigotry that brings the whole country down by persisting in not taking responsibility for the modern bigotries exampled by the Rodney King situations and even your post which assumed I was Black.
I'm a white American and I despise the racism and all the stupidity and fear that gives bigotry it's birth and the way it keeps our country from fulfilling it's promises and potentials. I grew up in Detroit and was witness over and over again to the brutality and injustice meted out on my Black friends by the systemic racism of the police and justice system.
Now as an old man (63), I live in central Florida and see it repeated here all to frequently 20 years after the Rodney King episode and that puts the lie to your whining post that the oppression of Blacks and other minorities is a thing of the past. Even though some progress has been made over the years I still see it played out here every day and that proves to me that we still have a long, long way to go to rid ourselves of stupidity and evil that is racism and bigotry in general.
We must stop the oppression of criminals, thugs, etc. A group of Less than 15% of the population commits 54% of the reported crimes, so it just goes to show more black thugs get physically involved with the police.
Complete your thought and tell us what percentage of that "Less than 15% of the population" do you suppose are thugs?
Then tell us what percentage of that "Less than 15% of the population" has been assaulted or harassed by police compared to the majority of the population.
Culheath------------Thank you very much for being who you are....I am also white and wish these fools would get some diversity training...........I have seen some of the same instances as you and also continue to see them and my opinion is in alignment with yours...........God I hope before I die we see justice........And it is not only minorities it is the poor alike........And to think what this country( well in the eyes of the northern colonies) was founded on.........Look how long ago it was founded and how far we have come but the last little bit of progress ( Which is in people's mindset ) seems like it will take the longest.............For me atleast I am doing my part and raising my kids and as many as I have influence over the right way( Well with today's politics I guess it is the left way) I would hope that one day conservatism means sticking to the values we have and them being just ones and I will be able to call myself conservative.....But today being conservative is a mental illness......
cant we all swim along???
To john-3471016 that is not funny. He misses out on a second chance at marriage, and a longer life. How would you feel if that happened to one of your loved ones?
Classy.....NOT.
He was never a good swimmer!
He was a better Pinyata.
CPR does not mean Club Perp Repeatedly.
guess not
This is GOOD news. There is justice in this world, after all. Rest in Hell, Rodney.
cunical, justice in what?
With an attitude like that I believe it's you that will be resting in hell when your time comes.
shows you how dumb the folks were, they burned down their own neighborhood.
Most of the businesses were owned by Asian-Americans and were resented by the rioters.
That's the part I remember... "We'll show them, we'll burn our own houses down". Afterwards, doh, we screwed up, lol.
So you prefer they "smarten up" and come burn down yours?
Yeah they were Asian owned business's who served the primarily black community of SCLA.
OK so I already know I'm going to get called a racists for this comment.....BTW I don't care.
Rodney King breaks the law, is high resists arrest and gets a beat down. Should he have received the beating he got .... probably not. Cops placed on trail acquitted by a jury of there peers. Black community riots because they did not like the verdict (well that was the excuse). They burn their own neighborhood attack random white people in the street who's only crime is being in the wrong place at the wrong. They loot stores stealing such essential only essential items (TV's, VCR's remember this was the early 90s..etc). Oh and of most of the stores looted and burned belonged to Asians, who's where only attempting to make a HONEST living. It has been said the Asian community did not treat the Black community well. I would wager to say they treated them the way they were treated.
But of course the black community was not acting in a racist manner. Because we all know that blacks are only the target of racism.
Yea, When GZ gets off there will be the same black folk destroying their own hood, again!
Could not be truer in the deep south. The Blacks here NEVER considered themselves racist only the Target for the last 20 years. This way, they can scream "racism" at the drop of hat whenever they are doing something undesirable, like talking on a cell in the movies, or having restrictions placed on them with regards to Social Security benefits after their 8th illigitamate child, or disturbing the peace at 3am with their thumping cars. Where is the black leadership asking them to get a life and be better. Remember Eve Carson.
He probably shouldn' have received the beating he got? Are you serious? No one should have been beaten that way. How in your simple mind could you ever debate whether he deserved that kind of treatment? Should the black community have burned down their own community? Hell no! But what if they would have went into the white communities to riot? The police would have never allowed it to happen. As long as they were burning their own community the police didn't care. As far as whites being attacked for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I feel that they were also victims because of there color. Why is it that you feel more sympathy for the whites that were attacked and not Rodney King? Weren't they both attacked because of the color of their skin? True Rodney was evading arrest, but that does not mean the police had free will to beat him. What about the all white jurors that found the cops innocent? Anyone who watched the video could see that those guys were guilty. Just shows you how much society values a black mans life. What if Rodney was a white guy high on meth and the cops were black? Do you really think they would have been found innnocent? And no blacks are not the only target of racism but when was the last time you read an article where a black committed a crime and every comment posted is full of racist rhetoric stereotyping all blacks? Yet when a white commits a crime it is seen as an isolated incident that doesn't define the whole race. When was the last time you heard of a black male being arrested and serving years in prison before being released becasue they were innocent? When was the last time you ever heard of that happening to a White? How many more times does that happen to a black person? Even though you didn't address the O.J. trial in your comment, other did. Why did people get angry when O.J. was acquitted but not Robert Blake? Weren't they both celebreties that killed their wives? The only difference was that O.J. is black and Robert is white.
No Andrew Wolfe I prefer they grow up and quit acting like children. 50 years ago we voted to give educational and other breaks to level the playing field. It hasn't helped because those that took advantage of it turned their backs on their people. So now in states with no racial majority those breaks are still used by everybody against one race and Holder says that's OK.
It's so obvious you people have no comprehension of what "systemic racism" means. You are drowning in your stereotypes and repetitiously using them defensively to avoid any degree of self-reflection. What it does reflect is weakness and fear.
What Rodney King's crime the first place? These police tatics happen all over the country everyday.NYC will explode soon with stop and search any black or Latino anytime.I believe at least 10,000 people will die over this foolishness. I can see it coming!!
I wonder what would have happened if RK would have been white? Would there had been so much news coverage? Who made a huge profit from all pain and suffering that occured during that time span? Was it NBC, ABC, or all of the above?
RIP Rk, may your family find peace and comfort...
LOL systemic racism is certain blacks constantly blaming whites for their shortcommings. You will notice that I said certain because there are many black people who work hard and make lives for themselves and they do not use that "My ancestors were slaves" as a crutch.
There are those that make something out of their lives and there are those that always blame their problems on someone else.
Ok, The pile of crap has left the planet...Who really gives a rats ass? Last time I looked when a person of other color (White, Asian, Hispanic, ) got thier ass kicked by the police....You didnt see them burn down thier city.. kill innocent people.....Loot the stores, riot or generally act like a bunch of idiots.... I worked keeping idiots of all races securely locked up for years and I am no way remotely racist, but you wonder why there is profiling? You can blame all the little punks that have to run around with thier pants by thier knees wearing thier wimpy RED and BLUE while they are selling crack and worse to whoever they can.. The worst thing about this is there are so many Great African American people in this country that have to suffer because of all the black punks out there ruining it for them. Let them destroy thier neighborhoods...The only ones that are "Keeping them Down"...are themselves. Martin Luther King would have spit on you a-holes.
Tired of all the BS, when was the last time a white or asian was severly beat by the police and then the police were found innocent? What I find amazing is that you don't even mention the injustice that took place by the judicial system. Why is it that? As an African American, I definitely didn't agree with the burning and the looting but do not act like there weren't any other races looting either. Regardless of that, it should have never happended. Do you think that the looting and rioting would have taken place if the jurors would have done their job and found the officers guilty? Sorry I forgot, no one wants to discuss that.
Tired of the BS----If you are not remotely racist how come to you what some people of color are doing makes your opinion of their entire community ? And the let " Them " destroy " Their " neighborhoods also speaks for itself.....Respond back after you graduate from diversity training bigot>>
@Ndfan-3998424
Last Month but it is often..
The riots were done by spineless slimeball thugs who still need to be locked up and some of them who murdered innocent people need to be executed still to this day...
I bet this was revenge by the police department. If you haven’t had a new television in twenty years, since the last LA riots, it is that time again. Pelosi said looting, food stamps and unemployment benefits are the best ways to stimulate the economy.
Excellent comment
Russell, only if your IQ is struggling to get past the number of fingers and toes.
"...food stamps and unemployement benefits", please; if you have no facts/figures, create your own...why let the details get in the way.
Well, at least we wont have to hear about him getting arrested again.
bobby-1795019 - 'Well, at least we wont have to hear about him getting arrested again.'
--------------------------------------------------
Hey, Bobby, I need to ask, where have you been all these years? I guess we missed you hiding your true identity and real self behind the white sheet; one with the pointy-headed hat.
And, when you go to church today, be sure to pray! Love must triumph....
Let's hear some more from midwestern white folks about the plight of urban blacks in california
Yeah, Noelle - Bobby MUST be racist by his attitude.
It CANT be that King was arrested several times after the beating. It CAN'T be that, at the time of the arrest, he was on parole for armed robbery.
Why should anyone hand-mumble to a mythical god-creature? It's never been shown to produce any result. How about casting aside your mythical crap and maybe try things like Logic and Critical Thought and Real Education...
Romneyismynightmare: I've got news for you. As long as midwestern white folks have to help pay for the lifestyles of the urban blacks in California, I want to hear any and all opinions of theirs. Any tax payer, regardless of color, has the right to have an opinion on ANYTHING they help to pay for. Including the urban city structures.
Hey retard we get it - you don`t believe in god !
Frogmorton, you too will die. And, what is Logic, Critical Thought & Real Education? Being that you've placed yourself so high---please explain. Someone/Something, call it God/Almighty/Creator/Allah/Alien(s) or whatever made us/created us/invented us...do you find logic in this? Or maybe you think you came from a monkey wihch came from a fish which came from??? Explain it to me please because I'm confused.
" I've got news for you. As long as midwestern white folks have to help pay for the lifestyles of the urban blacks in California,"
So tell me Stunnedby, how much of your big tax bucks go towards the urban blacks in California? Is it more then the federal aid Red States mooch off of from my tax dollars.
With your deficit and Pelosi and Boxer and their idiot schemes for mass transit etc paid by federal dollars your money never makes it out of never-never land. When I hear fact check say that Walker lied because gee the trolley system costs 94 million instead of 100 million and it doesn't all count because 55 million of the first 64 million is federal money. Where exactly does that 55 million come from? It comes from the transportation budget which gets a large chunk of its money from federal highway taxes paid when you put gas in your car. Well here we have long distance to drive we have to buy more gas than someone in Milwaukee but the trolley won't stop at the corner of cornfield and soybean.
If you're talking about the high-speed rail system (schemes for mass transit), that's been put on hold. Second, California was recently shortchanged when it came to receiving federal funds to the tune of about $30 billion. And still, California is one of the top ten states that puts more into the federal government then it takes out. Once again, how much tax do the midwestern white folks pay for the blacks living in California?
Wow. Really? Just like the billions before me? That's deep...
Am I supposed to get you a dictionary? You really don't know what these words mean or represent?
WTF does THAT mean? How have I placed myself "so high" -- because I don't blindly accept one of the more than 3000 cults ever worshiped on this planet? Even though NOT ONE OF THEM has EVER proven its divine claims or proven its deity(s) exist? Please explain your silliness...
Essentially, you said: something created us. Wow. That's deep, too. But it doesn't mean I have to put blind faith in a ridiculous, flawed, filthy cult book. Nor do I have to sit around and hand-mumble to mythical deities, none of which has ever been proven to exist, and pretend one of them is listening and taking notes. And, you have no evidence to show WHAT created us, or how...
Well, that was one of the more stupid comments made from someone who has clearly never opened a science book in her whole life...
Yes, hon, you are. And no amount of explaining that I can do on a internet message board will help your mental state.
Sad.R.I.P. Rodney.
Yes it is sad, but look on the BRIGHT side one LESS vote for obama the liar and chief!!!!
There still won't be enough neo-fascists, survivalist militia groups, or white supremacists to elect Romney, though, PAS. You must be so disappointed.
No sailcat I am figuring if Obama gets elected I have until then end of 2014 to give away all my stuff I won't need it in the federal prison system. I will not comply with the HHS mandate. I will not pay the fine and so will be in contempt of court. Because I do not acknowledge the governments right to force me to violate my moral code. I will become a burden on society and get an exemption to a law I refuse to obey. In other words I will win.
Yes, you will win the right to stand still while life and the rest of society passes you by.
Great prize.
Lonereb, I just know you are typing furiously on your keyboard, but all that comes up on my monitor is, "Waaaaaaaahhh!"
Hopefully now Reginald Denny who is disabled for life because of a drug addicts decision to put lives in danger driving 100+ mph caused the riots can get closure. Denny's being white and law abiding by stopping for a red light led to his being ripped from his truck and beat nearly to death was the reason the black men chose him. The black men who were not arrested even though they were on camera. All these years he has had to watch Rodney King break law after law with little consequences and waste huge amounts of money.
Reginald Denny took the high road and chose to live in life quietly. Maybe he should now write a book about his beating by the black men who tried to kill him while burning down the businesses and homes of the hard working innocent Asians.
No great loss
WOW!!!! I hope he's at peace.
Once a thug always a thug.
Adios dirtbag.
Once a daddys boy in daddy's pocket an will.. always is the one who will talk smack about things he does not understand. I bet you grew up rich, well endowed, and had nothing to work for. As is your sentiment.. you sir.. are a dbag
Rodney King may have been high on crack when he got his ass beat by LA Police.. but the point was not what he did, it was how he was treated.. I am white.. but in reality this brought light on the bs that Black People have to deal with when it comes to police...
It opened peoples eyes, and as much as u want to talk crap about the riots etc... it happened for a reason. Everything does.
You idiot I have seen allot of white people beaten up by groups of blacks and they were not the damn police dept. Where were there millions in compensation for what was done to them. None of that has a damn thing to do with whether you work for a living or not. You have put together the goofiest conglomeration of comments I have ever seen.
Johnnie:
Obviously, you are jealous of "GlassJaw" for being...how did you put it ? "Well endowed" ? A little envious, are you ?
Where were you Russell when your fellow whiteys were getting beat ? Hiding in the bushes jerking off ? Who would they take to court for compensation ? So it is okay for RK to get beat because you saw some white people get a beat down by people of color ? Were you one of the cops? Because it sure sounds like the same mentality they probably had...You are definitely prejudiced without a doubt by your comment.......It is usually harder to tell if someone is on here but your bigoted justification of the RK beating really leaked your racism..
Shouldn't the beaten down white person get to suck off 3.8 million from the taxpayers? Seems only fair.
R.I.P! Rodney may you find peace on your journey.
With fracking and lateral drilling, he will be soaked with oil when he arrives at his destination. He will ignite spontaneously.
Geesh give it a rest!!
Thank you downtownjuliebrown, Enough is enough! Basta, Basta
He will finally meet the 51 others that were kiled because of his actions that day.
R.I.P? Lol, you're funny, he's already roasting over a fire.
This man needs A 21 gun salute. FAREWELL DIRT BAG.
Such a sad loss, I became endeared to Rodney when I discovered the sweet, caring soul he truly was when he appeared on Celebrity Rehab. Breaks my heart that he could not see himself for the person he had the potential to be .
Funny how a brother's personality changes when he isn't on PCP huh?
Ted Bundy seemed like a sweet caring soul when he thought people were watching. Even when he served in the Republican Party as an aide to the Washington Gov candidate Dan Evans. But, when he thought people weren't watching... WHOA!
This is so true and yet at the same time you have Gangs of just about every color but strangely I have not heard of one gang that is white. (but could be wrong) I have seen the reports of genocide or ethnic cleansing as the squeamish stomached ones prefer to call it that is going on around the world. Patricide, Genocide, Racial Obliteration, National Wars, Religious Wars and why because mans heart is set to self destruction.
Sandee, yeah tell that to the guy whose head he tried to bash in when he robbed him.
Celebrity rehab, Hahahahahahaha, I f he had stayed down like he was told, none of that would ever have happened. Its usually a good thing not to piss off the cops.......
Is this comment meant to be a joke? Because i am taking it as a joke!!!!!
You of course mean other than the police...the largest armed gang in the country.
Yeah, you very well could be.
Aryan Nation. KKK. Hell's Angels and HUNDREDS of other Motorcycle gangs who are involved in varying degrees of drug manufacturing, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, violence, instilling fear, assaults, various crimes involving guns, knives, explosives, and other weapons, including murder.
And then, there 's President Cheney and VP Dumbya Bush and their gang of low-life, right-wing cronies...guilty of their own array of crimes.
Don't forget about Obama's friends-Half his cabinet are tax evaders and many of his friends are Chicago crooks and thugs.
Yes, such a sad loss, some drunk driving moron who nearly ran someone over then attacked police died. Let us all be politically correct and pretend to be sad. Too bad it took this long for the police to finish what they started.
He helped to bring light to a horrible system of injustice (police brutality and racism). Those are the facts no matter how the revisionists on this post desire to recreate what happened. At the end of the day, King asked "Can't we all get along?" Apparently, many here simply do not want to and instead prefer to hold onto their racist tendencies. That gets us a long way toward peace. I am being facetious of course.
"Horrible system of injustice(police brutality and racism". What about all the senseless killings and people getting hurt by blacks who can't be civil or control their anger, so they go around and riot,beat people up and shoot people? Read the news lately? Apparently not, I like how people like you want to throw the racism word around, but you neglect to talk about crime statistics, current news involving blacks committing horrible injustices. Stop trying to act as if the blacks are so innocent, I guess it is racism when a person or group doesn't like blacks because of their track record, or shall I say criminal record,attitude, or way of thinking everyone owes them something and if they don't get it, they'll hurt people and riot. Go look up some real stats, and stop blaming other races for your inability as a race of people to act civil and follow laws.
Actually Frogmorton one of the big book thumpers in the Mormon church has been in the US Senate for years and is a Democrat...Harry Reid. You know the guy who thinks he runs the church and the US. He now has 30 jobs bills on his desk that he refuses to bring to the commitee or the floor for a vote.
I don't know how Romney and the Mormon church got into this discussion but I thought it best to set the record straight that the Democrats also elect Mormons...and I see nothing wrong with that!
He was the dumbass to run from the law to begin with. People lost their lives because of his stupitidy. HE should be in prision for his part in their deaths. Law officers should have stopped after he was handcuffed aslong as the man was behaving. Give him a pat on the ass and let him go while people are grieving for their loss. Along with all the people who go hurt, business destroyed. It is his STUPIDITY this all started!
I have never liked Rodney King. Nor will I ever. Not because he's black, but because he was a criminal.
we wouldn't know if they even took the time to investigate.how would we know...
Just look at the record of folks charged with related offenses. You'll see.
zzzzzzzzzzz who cares?
Obviously, YOU care. You come to the story page to say you don't care? If you didn't care, you wouldn't have had a keystroke available and would have just kept it moving. But you read the story and took time to post. You remind me of those girls I used to date in my teens. When they felt I was ignoring them, they would call me just to tell me they weren't going to call me anymore.
Some of the negative comments here are priceless. You just can't make this type of ignorance up if you tried. Regardless of what this man did he was a citizen and had rights. He was beaten unmercifully by a gang of vigilante rogue police officers who chose to play judge and jury because they were fortunate enough to have the law on their side. What they did not realise is their hate would be seen around the world. Rodney king was put here for a purpose regardless of what your small minds perceive him to be. The anger that erupted after the verdict of these officers may seem dumb to some but it sent a clear message that "where there is no justice there will be no peace". That message was loud and clear.
Greg, after you learn to spell correctly, try looking up his arrest record. If he had been in jail where he belonged, this would have never happend. Then, when you lead that many police officers on a chase (in excess of 115 mph) and then don't respond to their commands.....heck, I would have kicked bis butt as well.