Thursday, September 9, 2010
Anger flares in LA after police shooting of Guatemalan immigrant
There have been riots in the Westlake district of L.A. These riots are primarily Guatemalan immigrants expressing contempt towards the Rampart police station. The rioters crouched on roof tops and hurled objects at the police. The riots came to a climax when on sunday afternoon, a Guatemalan immigrant named Jaminez was shot and killed by a police officer. The police testify that Jaminez was intoxicated and threatening someone with a knife. The officer reportedly tried to talk him down and make him drop the knife but Jaminez supposedly could not be convinced. The neighborhood has erupted into angry chaos because of the incident, and because people are "angry at the way the police treat hispanics" as a whole. The shooting has undoubtedly made the rioters even more distrustful of the police. This connects to our topic "what is the proper role of civil society?" Should the people of westlake protest so violently and emotionally? Should police attempt to refrain from using gun violence in an area where there has been strong police protest, in order to allow the anger to die down?
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In order for the violence and anger to die down I believe the city as a whole should take action. Although Hispanics are typically "mistreated" as stated above, Bringing a knife to a riot is not going to make the situation any better. The young man may have not intended to hurt anyone but the police will not see that. The police will see a "intoxicated" hispanic man and usually the will get violent. The community should step back and let time tell when it comes to immigration because it will always be a problem in America.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Raevynn, no one side is going to prevail in this ongoing violence. The hispanics rage is not just going to go away unless some sort of action is taken by the city, not by the police. When the police try to diminish the riots this just brings out more rage in the hispanics and is the gateway to violence. The police can only do so much until they reach for their holsters. They are trying to regulate enormous crowds of outraged people therefore their voices and non forceful tactics are of no use. In almost all occasions where police try and diminish riots, gun shots are fired before they are finished.
ReplyDelete^^^^^
ReplyDelete-Jordan Goodman