Comments on: Memories of Insurrection

By: Big Government » Blog Archive » Meet ‘Bon Bon’ Hurd: Chatty ACORN Protester Has Deep Roots in Organization

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:38:17 +0000

[...] Hurd lives in LAâ€™s Pico Aliso housing project. One of the most gang-infested projects In LA. Yet I find nothing about her organizing or protesting the real plague of her neighborhood: the [...]

By: Celeste Fremon

Celeste Fremon — Wed, 02 May 2007 06:40:23 +0000

Pokey, yeah, no kidding. I think for all of us that was the most startling and awful TV image. I saw it with the kids a Kirby juvenile detention center, but because the sound on the TVs weren’t on, I didn’t at the time know what I was seeing. Not until much later.

By: Pokey

Pokey — Wed, 02 May 2007 04:56:55 +0000

Most Vivid Memory of the Riots

At approximately 6:45 PM, Reginald Denny, a white truck driver stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Florence and South Normandie Avenues, was dragged from his vehicle and severely beaten by an angry mob of young black men as news helicopters hovered above, recording every blow, including a concrete fragment connecting with Denny’s temple and a cinder block thrown at his head as he lay unconscious in the street. The police never appeared, having been ordered to withdraw for their own safety, although several assailants were later arrested and one sent to prison. Denny was rescued by black neighbors who, seeing the assault live on television, rushed to the scene.

By: Woody

Woody — Tue, 01 May 2007 23:13:08 +0000

Just because someone from New York owns the local grocery store is no reason to burn it down and leave an empty shell in our area. I guess the rioter think they are better off with the businesses and jobs leaving. It’s no wonder that they are poor. Stupidity makes people poor.

By: Pokey

Pokey — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:01:38 +0000

Richard is right about the stores in South Central, almost all were/are Asian owned and most were/are liquor / mini marts with high prices.

The area has suffered as unionized African-Americans Jobs (construction, service & maintenance) earning relatively high wages were replaced by Illegal Central American immigrants. Now 55% of the residents are Hispanic.

The Latino population in the census tract south of Florence doubled from 1990 to 2000, while the black population dropped by 12 percent.

By: richard locicero

richard locicero — Tue, 01 May 2007 16:19:14 +0000

Maybe because they didn’t consider those businesses part of their community, Woody. Its very complex but the sad fact is that most of the stores burnt were owned by recent Korean Immigrants and many were liquor stores. The proportion of booze joints in South Central was apalling. After the riots local activists agitated for fewer liquor licenses to be granted. But that is only scracthing the surface. While “Watts” is like “Harlem” in most people’s minds the fact is the largest group in South Central today is composed of Latinos from Mexico and Central America with extraordinary tensions. Many commentators noted that the anti-immigrant initiative Prop 187 drew support in both the San Fernando Valley and in South Central. And the Janitor’s strike had tepid support, to say the least, in the black community. A Generation ago most janitors were black and in unions. Now they are latino and non-union – and minimum wage. Same, in many cases for hotel workers – maids, housekeeping, restaurants. This is a very diverse place these days.

By: Woody

Woody — Tue, 01 May 2007 13:41:14 +0000

I’m too short on time this morning to read the whole post, but I was always flabbergasted that crowds would burn down their own community and drive out businesses that serve them to protest.