Kaali Roberts
Dr. Brown
English 306
29 September, 2016
Rhetorical
Analysis of LA Riot
55
people dead, 2,000 injured and 7,000 people arrested; on March 3, 1991, four
white LAPD officers were filmed by onlooker George Holliday, who witnessed the
brutal beating of Rodney King after a high- speed chase. The four officers were
acquitted of beating King in the year of 1992 (CNN). This sparked a riot in South Central, Los
Angeles which resulted in one of Rodney King’s most epic speeches that included
his most memorable quote, “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get
along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people
and kids?” (abc News, 2012). This powerful symbol is well known for attempting
to create unity between African Americans and Caucasians during a very
turbulent time.
In
the interim of such a racially divided time in Los Angeles, where minorities
began to rebel by inflicting pain upon anyone in the South Central area who was
Caucasian, Rodney King decided to defy the odds and take to the podium on the
third day of the riots. In doing so, King’s speech attempted to highlight the
problems that we are facing today, which are still deeply rooted in the past.
This involves discrimination and racial inequality. As simple as King’s
statement was, his plea for racial unity during this volatile time in the
United States was heard by millions of people worldwide.
The
90s was marked as “arguably the most tumultuous, controversial and racially
charged decade since the 1960s” (MICD). Prior to the Rodney King event, the
most markedly notorious incident of social unrest occurred after a riot that
erupted in Liberty City, Florida when police officers were acquitted in the
murder of an African American male who was unarmed .After the looting and
burning of locally owned businesses transpired, King decided to speak out
against the erratic behavior of civilians in hopes of bringing everyone
together. This directly intertwines with ethos as he uses his “celebrity status”
to persuade the audience; the credibility he attained from the infamous beating
not only allows his audience to empathize with him, but validates his
statements in his pursuit to address the social unrest. By doing this, King
shows the audience his ability to overcome tribulation, forgive and heal after being
brutally beaten by police and inadvertently gives the idea that violence does
not solve the bigger problem at hand, which is to ultimately get along with one
another.
In
recognition of the issues at hand, King willingly spoke in front of press to
publicly air his plea for better times. This plea sought for strength, unity
and compassion toward each race and also brought attention to the problems and
inequalities of the world. When Rodney King voiced his concerns in front of
essentially every person in the United States, making it a point to reach out
to everyone included in the racial divide, he managed to evoke pathos. When
King asks, “Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and kids?” (abc
News, 2012), he provokes the viewers to think about these two groups of people and
their vulnerability, especially in a time like this. Stereotypically viewed as “innocent”
or “fragile”, King brings light to the fact that these two groups of people are
particularly susceptible to the violence surrounding them. When the children
and elderly are brought to the audience’s attention, they can begin to
recognize how this form of protest could affect individuals negatively. This
allows room for the viewer to experience feelings of empathy, sympathy and
solicitude.
In
addition to the importance and impact that his speech was meant to have on
viewers, King’s intonation, word choice and preceding words that helped the
audience understand why he begged for peace through reason appealed to logos. As
King elaborates on his quote, he says, “Can we stop making it horrible for the
older people and the kids? I mean, we have enough smog here in Los Angeles, let
alone to deal with setting these fires and just, these things aren’t right and
are not going to change anything” (abc), by doing so, he explains in logical
order, the cause and effect of rioting; that is, viewers are able to understand
his logic behind why “we should all get along” (Rodney King). His first
question, “Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”
allows the audience to consider the topic at hand. This question, another thing
to consider amidst the events that have occurred. He then goes on to articulate
all of the events that have ensued from the lack of action taken against these
issues— “We already have enough smog in Los Angeles, let alone to deal with
setting these fires” (abc). While it isn’t explicitly stated, King statements
suggest that the rioting should not be implemented as it is not beneficial to
the community or the environment.
This
form of protest has resulted in the use of this quote to aid in the unification
amongst one another. It is now used universally and is a term applied to calm problematic
or uneasy situations. Asian American demonstrators have had marches through the
streets of South Korea carrying a sign that says, “We Can Get Along- Rodney
King” (abc) showing the strength and power of one quote which can not only
stand for rioting, but many other troubling issues across the world. By
utilizing his most powerful instrument, which is his voice, King was able to reach
out to thousands of Americans. In one quote, King managed to appeal to all
three rhetorical strategies, ethos, pathos and logos. King’s form of protest
was very effective and timeless, as it is still relevant in many situations
today and is a constant reminder that unity is still an important factor that
can alter our way of living positively.
Works
Cited
ABC
News I. "King: 'Can We All Get Along'" ABC News. ABC News Network, 17
June 2012. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
MICD.
"1990s: Racial Tensions Heighten and American Society Is Defined by Its
Racism - Townsley Race and Racism." 1990s: Racial Tensions Heighten and
American Society Is Defined by Its Racism - Townsley Race and Racism. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.
Rodney
King Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.
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