"April 29th More Power To The People...."

[Ben E Lou]

Wow. 20 years since the LA Riots (aka, per Dre, "The Day The Niggaz Took Over.") And I still can't help but think we could end up seeing Ice Cube's predicted sequel if Zimmerman is found not guilty.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Biggest difference from then & now is that this time the victims of the rioting might be more inclined to fight back. Not likely to catch anyone off guard (which might have been the case 20 yrs ago)

[Dutch]

The biggest difference is that the rioting is going to start in a Walmart.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Biggest difference from then & now is that this time the victims of the rioting might be more inclined to fight back. Not likely to catch anyone off guard (which might have been the case 20 yrs ago)

A gun board I frequent (Im a firearm nut...Ive always like them but lately have kinda made collecting them a hobby) is chok full of prognosticating conspiracy theorist, that this whole thing has been a media creation to incite anger to provoke another riot...which will then lead to citizens defending themselves caught on tape - Leading to stricter gun rights.

I mean, I love a good conspiracy theory and all but thats just stretching it.

back to your normal thread I have nothing else to add

[kcchief19]

Is it odd that the LA Riots always reminds me of the finale of the Cosby Show? The finale was April 30, and I remember Bill Cosby going on TV to ask everyone to stop rioting and watch the show. It was a striking contrast between Cosby and the rioters.

I'm afraid of a sequel too. We're almost overdue -- it was 17 years between Watts and the LA Riots. I'm not sure things are any better now than they were 20 years ago.

[MrBug708]

The blacks got so mad at the whites that they went after all of the Koreans

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

I'm not sure things are any better now than they were 20 years ago.

I think it depends on what "things" you're talking about. I think I'd argue that opportunities are greater, glass ceilings fewer, and ignorance lesser, but that demagoguery on both sides of the political fence has probably made potential for explosiveness worse.

[JediKooter]

Everyone just needs to calm down and eat some pie.

[JonInMiddleGA]

"Can't we all just get along"

Umm ... no, but thanks for asking. Any more questions before we wrap this up?

[Rizon]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

"Can't we all just get along"

Everyone always quotes him as saying that, but he actually said it slightly different. Not sure when the word "just" appeared. Might have been a clip from In Living Color.

[Crapshoot]

The guy got beaten because some cops had a hard-on for authority. The riots were despicable, but the bullshit with the cops was absurd.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

I think it depends on what "things" you're talking about. I think I'd argue that opportunities are greater, glass ceilings fewer, and ignorance lesser, but that demagoguery on both sides of the political fence has probably made potential for explosiveness worse.

I agree, but I think that's largely only true outside the areas where the riots will take place if it happens again.

No one is going to be turning over cars and beating people in the suburbs. It will happen in areas where there is no hope. I'm not from LA so I may be wrong, but I'm guessing in South Central the opportunities are lesser and ignorance greater. The poorest neighborhoods in my city aren't any better off than they were 20 years.

JIMGA tapped on what my concern is. If riots were to break out, there are a lot of people who won't sit on the sidelines anymore. Cable TV and the Internet has emboldened and deluded too many people into thinking it's their job to be ready when something goes down. I have an uncle with a six-figure salary living in a Dallas suburb who thinks he has to have canned guns, bottled water and ammo on hand for when trouble breaks out.

In my part of the country, we've always had these types. Back in the '80s they were "survivalists" who thought they needed to be ready to lay low when society goes south. Now they are empowered to look for a fight and become vigilantes to "take their country back."

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

If riots were to break out, there are a lot of people who won't sit on the sidelines anymore.

One factor in that is what I'll just call "critical mass". I believe the location of any hypothetical rioting will play a big part in determining the response.

That stuff goes down in a fairly large urban area (i.e. major metro) that doesn't have a strong middle/lower-middle class population in close proximity, I don't see as much response. I think we'll see more pushback from shop owners & victims than we did 20 yrs ago but they'll either be overwhelmed by numbers or simply bypassed if they don't play the helpless victim.

Shit starts in a place where you've got a sizable pop of angry middle/lower middles, with relatively easy access to the flash points ... things might get quite interesting in a hurry.

[molson]

People are angrier in some ways now but there's a LOT less crime in this country than there was 20 years ago (23,760 U.S. murders in 1992, 14,748 in 2011, and the crime rate is dropping even faster than that in the big cities). Maybe it's all bottled up and has a potential to explode, but maybe we're just a little less violent as a society too.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by molson

People are angrier in some ways now but there's a LOT less crime in this country than there was 20 years ago (23,760 U.S. murders in 1992, 14,748 in 2011, and the crime rate is dropping even faster than that in the big cities). Maybe it's all bottled up and has a potential to explode, but maybe we're just a little less violent as a society too.

But video games and porn are making us do bad things!

[molson]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

But video games and porn are making us do bad things!

There's been a lot of talk about WHY crime has gone down so much, and nobody knows for sure, but the reason I've latched onto is indeed, video games, porn, and other indoor activities. Less time hanging out outside in groups, more time hanging out on twitter and porn sites. Though, crime is even down a ton in the poorest inner cities, where internet access may not be as universal. I still think there's something to it though.

[RainMaker]

I'd add that I think people would stay on the sidelines still. It's easy to talk about jumping in and fighting back. It's another to actually do it. If you've got a family, a nice life, anything, you aren't going to risk it.

[Jughead Spock]

Originally Posted by molson

There's been a lot of talk about WHY crime has gone down so much, and nobody knows for sure, but the reason I've latched onto is indeed, video games, porn, and other indoor activities. Less time hanging out outside in groups, more time hanging out on twitter and porn sites. Though, crime is even down a ton in the poorest inner cities, where internet access may not be as universal. I still think there's something to it though.

Can't we all watch some porn?

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by molson

There's been a lot of talk about WHY crime has gone down so much, and nobody knows for sure, but the reason I've latched onto is indeed, video games, porn, and other indoor activities. Less time hanging out outside in groups, more time hanging out on twitter and porn sites. Though, crime is even down a ton in the poorest inner cities, where internet access may not be as universal. I still think there's something to it though.

Yeah, I just love when you get those people claiming that those two things are causing crimes. And all the numbers show that murders and sexual assaults have been going down as those things have gotten bigger.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Yeah, I just love when you get those people claiming that those two things are causing crimes. And all the numbers show that murders and sexual assaults have been going down as those things have gotten bigger.

This fits into my theory on how to end the wars. Instead of dropping bombs on them, we need to drop hookers and drugs. Those people are WAY too uptight and need to get laid and high.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

If you've got a family, a nice life, anything, you aren't going to risk it.

Not as many can say that as could a few years back.

[molson]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Not as many can say that as could a few years back.

People may be doing worse statistically, but a lot more people also have a lot more access to "luxury" technologies that keep them out of trouble and keep them off the streets (literally) - video games, internet, social networking, porn.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

The guy got beaten because some cops had a hard-on for authority. The riots were despicable, but the bullshit with the cops was absurd.

Until the beatings stop, the beatings will continue!