Like most people, I watched with a mixture of anger and sorrow, the events taking place in Baltimore this last week. I live in Los Angeles and lived through the King Riots ( neatly called the Civil Unrest then) I'm sorry, "Civil Unrest" doesn't burn down entire neighborhoods in my opinion. Call it what it is. A riot does ultimately effect change, even in it's brutality. Painting it with a softer PC brush does not change the violence. I feel for the people whose anger bubbles up into this. I am angry at people who feel the need to loot businesses, taking the protest for social change as an excuse to steal. What does the new television you took have to do with protesting police brutality? I am unclear on that.
A woman I knew went on a hand-wringing diatribe about how "White people" should shut up about the situation in Baltimore, as if by being white we are not entitled to an opinion. While it is true I will never understand what it means to be a Black male stopped by the police, I do not believe we should just sit silent over the situation simply because of the color of our skin. The death of Freddy Grey while in Police custody was wrong, certainly, and just a flash point of other problems that need a solution. Is burning down the City the solution to the problem? I don't think so. I saw an article about a group of men who stood together as a human barricade between protestors and police, encouraging peaceful protest. Amazing and brave. People like these men give me hope.
Today marks the 29th anniversary of the Central Library Fire. While it was never proven with any certainty, a creep named Harry Peak snuck into the stacks and started a fire. The amazing thing is that all the staff and the patrons were able to get out in an orderly fashion, thanks to the MANY fire drill practiced in the old firetrap. The fire did ONE good thing, it made the people of Los Angeles realize what a treasure the old building- and ALL Libraries in the City-were. Today I work int eh renovated and expanded Central Library. It's a beautiful building. If you haven't been there, and you live in Los Angeles, WHY NOT? Come on down. It's an amazing place.
I know the city of Baltimore will rise and will heal just as Los Angeles did after the King riots. Hopefully a dialog will begin in those communities and real change will begin. Is it perfect now? Not by a long shot, but awareness of the problem and a willingness to get better is a good start
I remember wheen we came back to work the following week, and were instructed to bring "cookies and punch and balloons" to the branches to let everyone know what a happy and safe place the library was for all - except, I guess, for the branches burned down in the "civil unrest." Which seemed pretty uncivil to me. I agree, how does burning down entire neighborhoods, trashing, stealing, looting, etc. help, except perhaps to make us "white people" think even more poorly.........................I remember that weekend - I had never been in a curfew before (well, except the ones my folks imposed on me in high school) and it was eerie to look outside while it was still light and hear - NOTHING! Except on Saturday evening, the HUGE part at the far end of my block, thrown by black Pasadenians (???) in flagrant violation. Alas, the party erupted into violence, and there were fights, and a fatal shooting on the sidewalk. BUT - they sure showed the police they weren't going to be held down (a quote at the time from a "party" goer.) We were then asked to bring all sorts of food, diapers,etc. to local churches and schools because people now had no place to shop. Irony doesn't begin to cover it. The following year, Eve Bunting won a Caldecott Medal for her children's picture book "Smokey Night," which was powerful, but glossed and "sweetened up" the situation. I obviously have mixed feelings, and I obviously have no answers. It is scary to watch this play out, and recall that horrile weekend in Los Angeles back in 1992.
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