The Most Unlikely Philosopher Part II

“i just want to say – you know – can we all get along? can we, can we get along? can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids? And … i mean we’ve got enough smog in los angeles let alone to deal with setting these fires and things … it’s just not right. it’s not right, and it’s not going to change anything. we’ll get our justice. they’ve won the battle, but they haven’t won the war. we’ll get our day in court, and that’s all we want. and, just, uh, i love – i’m neutral. i love every – i love people of color. i’m not like they’re making me out to be. we’ve got to quit. we’ve got to quit; i mean, after all, i could understand the first – upset for the first two hours after the verdict, but to go on, to keep going on like this and to see the security guard shot on the ground – it’s just not right. it’s just not right, because those people will never go home to their families again. And uh, i mean, please, we can, we can get along here. we all can get along. we just gotta. we gotta. i mean, we’re all stuck here for a while. let’s, you know, let’s try to work it out. let’s try to beat it, you know. let’s try to work it out.^[“

rodney king understood what many people today do not. he understood that one person’s bad actions has an impact on unintended victims. bad acts have consequences beyond the act itself.

mr. king knew that getting along together takes work. a good society takes effort. it just doesn’t happen.

mr. king also knew that it takes everyone to buy into the notion of peace.

again, a pronouncement from a man with a grievance. a man who felt he was wronged and felt he needed justice. what does his statement mean to us as a society? society is about the fact that there are the vulnerable such as children and the elderly that need to be protected. the world is damaged enough, why make it worse? we should not act in q destructive manner to separate families. we should make the effort to work our disputes out.

justice, peace and a healthy society takes work. we must all work together. we need to get on the same page. destruction and terror does not heal wounds or provide justice.