Los Angeles Riots 10 Years After

i was living in the idyllic beachside paradise of isla vista, 11 miles north of santa barbara during the Los Angeles riots of '92.

but that night i drove down to LA to attend a Dodger game with famed record producer, Taavi Mote.

everyone told us not to go. we didnt listen.

the outrageous verdict had been delivered in the late afternoon right before i was picking up Taavi. we went to the game, enjoyed a refreshingly nice evening talking about music (but not the music business), girls (but not ours), and baseball.

even though Los Angeles was on fire, a decision had been made at Dodger Stadium to keep that news to itself. There were no announcements made, there were were no video feeds broadcast unto the jumbo screen, there were no mumblings in the stands. People at that time had car phones, not cell phones, not really. So pretty much everyone had been left in the dark.

i drove Taavi home, gave him some tapes of some local Isla Vista bands that he should get record deals for, and then i listened to the cds that he gave me as i drove in my car oblivious to the mayhem behind me.

it wasnt until i drove through montecito, an hour into my journey back home, that i turned on the AM radio and heard what the city's reaction to the not guilty verdicts that the Simi Valley jurors had agreed upon. the city wasnt pleased.

the riots taught me that riots are emotional, not logical. logic would say that all those who were upset would have driven to Simi Valley to burn things. everyone in LA has a car, Simi Valley wasnt but 25 minutes away from downtown LA. but nobody did that.

and nobody drove to Beverly Hills, which was even closer, to loot.

the most visibly upset Los Angelinos, the most emotionally violent, burned up their own neighborhoods, and looted their local businesses.

and element of karma was displayed during the riots. yes, many innocent businesses were robbed and destroyed. but also many businesses who had treated their neighbors rudely were burned, and many businesses that had been kind were protected from the mobs.

not too many people talk about that. but i know that now i hear from time to time at a market, dont let me see you at the next riot. so, yes, i think the balance of power was shifted ever so slightly. ask oj.

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