The origin of the recent Los Angles officer police hunt is linked with the L.A.P.D's history of racism. In decades past, the department was known for its racism against black and Latino people. One example of this abuse came in 1992 when the Los Angeles Police Department beat a black man, Rodney King. This beating was caught on tape and made its way to televisions all over the country. It now seems that the departments past actions are coming back to haunt them due to Christopher J. Dorner.
Christopher Dorner's online manifesto not only pledged his revenge against all L.A.P.D officers and their families, but it also claimed that his firing was due to racism showed by the L.A.P.D. However, his dismissal was actually due to him lying about his trainee kicking a suspect. His career as an officer for the L.A.P.D actual only lasted about three years, from 2005-2008. The Chief Charlie Beck is reopening Dorner's case to let people's trust with the department grow. He wants to show that the department is no longer extremely racist and to repair relations with the black and Latino peoples of Los Angles. However, he does emphasize that reopening the case won't let Dorner off the hook.
The manhunt has already gone to extremes. Dorner has already shot and killed three people, an officer's daughter, her fiancé, and an officer.. On Thursday morning, a truck that looked like Dorner's was repeatedly shot at, but it was actually only a truck with two women delivering newspapers. Both women survived and the police department is going to provide the women with a new truck. The manhunt now involves the L.A.P.D, the San Diego Police Department, the Riverside Police Department, various police departments in Nevada, The United States Marshal Service, and the F.B.I.
It was very surprising when I heard that the root of this problem was racism. This further drives home the point that racism is one of largest atrocities that has ever existed. Dorner's entire drive is that he feels that racism cost him his employment. This doesn't justify his actions of revenge, but it should make us all think about how we treat other people. The way we treat others can drive them insane because they will feel like they're garbage if we offend them. We don't have the right to belittle anyone because of their differences. The next time you want to insult someone you should think about Christopher Dorner and his revenge quest due to how poorly people treated him.
To see the article click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/us/los-angeles-police-to-reopen-dorner-case.html?ref=us&_r=0#h[MDpHiw,2,TkaTbw,2,4,TshTsh]
To see a timeline of the manhunt click here: http://timelines.latimes.com/statewide-manhunt-ex-lapd-officer/
I agree with you that racism is one of the worst things that some humans believe in. Racism has existed since the beginning of man, and will probably exist as long as there are differences in skin color and culture in humans. It's something that we can help to stop. We don't have to do something big, it can be as little as changing what we talk about at the lunch table.
ReplyDeleteI just honestly do not understand racism. What is the point, to punish a group of people becuase of what one person has done, or what you think that they did or even might do, just based on strong stereotypes. Besides doesnt everyone in the U.S. have origins to another country. everyone is different and should not and can not be punished for that.
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