The Shocking Story of Rodney King: Racial Equality in America?

Rodney King, an African American was brutally taken down by police because he was driving drunk, using unjustifiable amounts of force on him, which was videotaped by a neighbor. This historical event wasn’t necessarily interesting, (at least not in a positive way), but eye opening. I had heard about this in ninth grade, but before that, I was pretty oblivious to the lingering racial tension, even a small extent, due to the painted illusion of America really being a Utopia, perfection in a bottle after the racial struggles (and later victories) of the Civil Rights Movement. In the black community, this event justified their feelings of inferiority around the police, giving truth to the popular song by Chamillionaire called “Ridin’ Dirty”, saying that the police look for a reason to blame African Americans, and this notion seems true, due to many instances of similar events captured on tape. (I am not making this stereotype of all police officers and forces, but I cannot deny those who do have this immoral mentality). Instead of protesting against the police, though, they took it out on everyone, making others afraid of them, kind of going to Stokely Carmichael’s views, and reincarnating some of them, resorting to violence as one of their main actions. This cast a nail into the coexistence of all Americans, damaging the newly formed bridge linking this vast diversity. Who knows whether these feelings will ever be eliminated, but we will know for sure that there will always be that hole, the evidence that things, at one time in history, were not always perfect, sealing this infectious wound with an open-ended promise of equality, yet again.

Impeachment: Ideal Punishment for Clinton?

Although Clinton didn’t make the best personal choices, he still helped our country economically, socially and other countries abroad, still courageously upholding the American name, making a call for impeachment absurd. He helped by sending American troops (with NATO) to help save those in Bosnia and Croatia from Yugoslavian domination. He also enacted the “Don’t ask; don’t tell” policy for the military and he desired a diversified cabinet, blind to discrimination of all kinds. Finally, he set forth a policy, trying to compensate for the economic debt set forth by Reagan’s presidency. If you are still caught up on the “Miss Lewinski” part of this, ask yourself this; of all of the presidents who have had affairs, who has been impeached besides Bill Clinton? This should not be a ruling factor. Ever heard of Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy, and their supposed affiliation? What about Warren Harding and Carrie Phillips, or Franklin Roosevelt and Lucy Mercer? Just because Clinton’s marriage might not have been going too well for him does not make it right for the whole nation to know, much less vote him out of presidency for it.

Iran Contra Affair

If any government activity covertly keeps information from the citizens of that country, like the Iran Contra Affair (initiated by the U.S.) starting in 1985, they will eventually find out about it, sometimes sooner than anticipated. This specific event got out in a Lebanese news broadcast, making American's at home more skeptical of their government's choices. The "Irangate" could be somewhat heroic, trying to free American hostages; what makes it "shadier" would be the fact that we were willing to trade guns, ammunition, and any other way of arming Iranians that were supposedly "moderate factions" as said by Robert McFarlane, in exchange for hostages, along with the bigger reason--more money for Contras. Although Reagan wasn't allowed to do this (give in to terrorism by bargaining for the release of hostages) he did, partially because the profits made from selling Iranians these armaments went towards funding of the Contras, or the anti-Communist group appointed for overthrowing the Nicaraguan political party (the Sandinistas). This was an even bigger concern than the hostages, although Reagan, when speaking to the people of the country, made a big deal from it; while referring to the reading, only one person was specifically released after the first year, giving us the idea that we were more in this for the Contras rather than the hostages (N of N, p 1083).