goclark
goclark's JournalThe Riots in Los Angeles ~ my home town
A must see ~ CNN SPECIAL on Rodney King, a CNN Special, it must be on video now.....
A DAY FOREVER IN MY MEMORY by goclark
Our family moved to LA when I was a teen. At the time of the Riots I was living in the mid-west. My precious mother, she passed last year, was living in Los Angeles. I am African American.
Can you imagine the pain of seeing your city / your neighborhood burning to bits and you are miles away? Imagine the pain as your TV Screen flashed frustrated and out of control people burning homes/ businesses less than a mile from your house. I learned later that one business that was burned to a crisp was a Chinese Take Out Place that made you pay extra for the tiny package of soy sauce. One gas station that overcharged was burned to the ground. From what I heard after the Riots, the “considerate” business owners were spared.
I could hardly dial the phone to call my husband at work. He was working for a big White Owned company that had huge holdings in Los Angeles. They wanted him in LA immediately so they dashed us by limousine to the airport.
In flight they announced that we could not land in LA because of the situation - we had to land in San Diego. I called my mother from San Diego and she was crying ~ I called some neighbors to come and stay with her until we could get there ~ I was holding back the tears so she would not worry about me. I think we paid about $100 to get a Car Rental, there were only about 3 cars left.
The roads were blocked, no way out of San Diego, so we had to stay in a hotel ~ they were almost booked to capacity. I remember my husband slipping the guy at the desk $$$ to get the "last room." I didn't sleep at all that night. By then the power was off on my Mom's phone! At the break of dawn we were finally able to take the road. Traffic was moving like a snail, hundreds of cars, in both directions, were bumper to bumper.
I could not believe my eyes as we came to what may have been 15 miles closer to my "City of the Angels" --- nothing but smoke--- nothing but smoke---nothing but smoke. No cell phones, no cell phones those days.
It seemed like years but it was only hours when we pulled up in front of the house. There she was, sitting by the front window, waiting for me! I have no idea how long she must have been sitting in that chair. Tears are rushing down my face as I hit the letters on this keyboard. I don't ever remember hugging my Mom as tightly as I did that morning.
Can you imagine what it feels like to see POLICE with huge rifles pointing toward the bumper to bumper cars as they are stationed on the roof of the May Company on Crenshaw Blvd. less than a mile from your house?
Can you imagine what it feels like to see the Outstanding CNN presentation with Rodney King relieving his story ~ it is MUST SEE.
Just to view Rodney King say, "Can't We All Get Along?" is heart wrenching. His words then are just as meaningful in today’s Political Climate ~ "Can't We All Get Along?"
Wake Up Democrats
This is what I've been noticing for a while.
I've noticed --- when ever they show a Teabag Rally / The Rethug Primary "Debates" or even Romney now ~ there are not many people there. Media rarely interviews actual people in the audience. Media seems to focus on Sarah and Michelle and the other nuts that are clueless. Media is careful to not zoom in for Rethugs.
Rarely do you see Rethugs act like they care about the size of the rallies, it doesn't seem to matter to them.
Where are the faces of excited people standing behind ANY Rethug when they address their "devoted" followers? What you see are " clueless faces.
Many of those "FACES" IMO are paid to be there.
Where are all the outstretched hands of those attending the Rallies/Debates -- outstretched like for Obama, Biden, Hillary?
NONE of them can hold a candle to the IQ or the Public Speaking ability of Democrats. None of them appear to have true passion for all that should be for our country ~ for sure not Romney or ANY of the current gang.
Watch the Rethugs in Congress Speak -- they say mean things and block the votes but they have no substance to their message. Their IQ appears to be well below average IMO.
ALL THAT SAID ~ In their back pockets they hold ~ The Voter Suppression Laws all across this country while we wait for some magic to occur and stop it.
They hold Karl , they hold Cheney with no heart ~ you can bet he is still pulling the strings with his Elves.
They control the Supreme Court
They control Congress ~ able to block everything we have put up there.
They control THE $$$$$$$'s in the USA and they are not giving up a minute of sleep about sharing their $$$$$$$$$'s with those that are fragile.
They are ready,willing and able to steal this election AGAIN.
Wake Up Democrats,Wake Up!
We can not let this happen!
I just set my tv to record this great film introduced by My President - Barack Obama
I grew up in segregated Maryland and as a "Colored" little girl I could not sit on the first floor of the theater, we had to sit in the balcony.
Can't remember the year exactly, I think it was the early/mid 50's that it changed but it was a big event for my People. We were finally "allowed" to sit on the main floor.
During those segregated times, our Colored teachers asked all the children in the Colored Elementary Schools to write an essay about Marion Anderson. She was going to perform in a White Theater Downtown. Negroes were not able to sit anywhere in that location.
Guess what ---- I WON the Contest!
My grandmother surprised me with a beautiful blue dress, new patent leather shoes and a little blue purse to match my dress. Friends and neighbors from miles around came to wave goodbye to us! It was a grand occasion, just extra special for the Colored community that evening!
When we arrived, we were not taken to seats, they escorted us Backstage. I could tell by the look on my mother's face that she was upset but she held my hand and told me that I looked pretty and told me how proud and happy she was to be the mother of the Poet.
Back stage we were given chairs and in a few minutes ~ there she was -- the majestic Marion Anderson smiling and warmly greeting us. She asked me to say my Poem and of course I was happy to do it. People backstage gathered around and clapped for me. I loved every minute of the attention.
What I didn't realize until years later was that Marion Anderson must have arranged the whole thing! If they wouldn't let us sit in the audience then she would give us the best seats in the House ~ As she received wild applause from the audience, she walked gracefully off stage and enjoyed watching me with Mom clap big big claps for her. She threw me a majestic kiss and I threw one back to her ~ it was some enchanting evening.
I realized years later that not only did we have the best seats in the house -- she was making a statement that the next time she performed there, Colored people needed to sit out front.
Every time I walk in a theater and take my seat down front, I think of the time that I met the Great Marion Anderson.
I am so proud that we made History that evening.
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