officers - The Black Vault

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such underprivileged surr6undings.
"We were just getting back what
was rightfully ours," she said. "We
don't get half the opportunity that
they give anybody else."
Richardson, the retired school
equipment inspector, was among
the majority who could find no
excuse for the rioting. The verdicts
triggered anger stemming from
many past injustices, he said, but
for many of the rioters there was
no social or political statement.
"Most of those people who joined
... did it for fun," said Richardson,
a Wilshire District resident.
"They saw things out there to be
taken, and they took things out of
the stores. It didn't have anything
to do with that Rodney King
incident."
When people were asked by
the poll who or what was
responsible for the violence, 27%
blamed it on thugs, gangs and
agitators; 19% cited anger over the
King verdicts as well as a generalsense
of rage and frustration, and
16% pointed to poverty, bad economic
conditions and lack of jobs.
Only 8% ·singled out racism as a
cause of the violence.
Blacks and Anglos were not in of the Crenshaw District, said of
accord on the subject of responsi- the healing process: "I think it's
bility, with 37% of whites and only starting. now. A lot of people are
10% of blacks blaming the violence just upset and really appalled at
on thugs and gangs. Conversely, what's happened. They don't want
13% of whites cited rage over the' this. They want to get along with
King verdicts, compared to 22% of everyone. They don't want this
blacks and 24% of Latinos. . devastation in their neighborhoods.
The three ethn!c groups also. And they're going forward to help
tended to see thmgs somewhat in their communities and other
differently when asked if r~sponsi- ; . communities with the cleanup."
bility for the rioting lay more'with .
society or with the residents· of
South-Central Los Angeles, where
much of the violence occurred, ·
Overall, more than 60% blamed
society, but 35% of whites and 30%
of Latinos pointed to South-Central
residents, as opposed to 9% of
the blacks.
Almost 70% of those surveyed
expressed optimism that the· city
could heal .itself. Blacks were the
most hopeful and _whites the least.,
Kate Templeton, a black resident
Although virtually all of the
blacks surveyed said their
., , neighborhoods suffered damage
. during the rioting, 67% of Latinos
and 48% of whites said their
neighborhoods were at least slightly
damaged.
Yet, 37% of whites-a bit more
than any other group-said they
felt physically threatened during
the violence last week. Among
both blacks and Latinos, 33% said
they felt threatened.
Asked what the healing process
will require, 28% of all those
surveyed said it will involve nenewed
efforts among groups to
communicate, get together and understand.
one another. Just over
20% stressed the need to improve
the economy; 12% said education
must be improved; 11% called for a
harder crackdown on gangs, drugs
and lawlessness, and an equal
number spoke of the need for more
government financial aid.
Ben Baca, 46, a Latino who
works as an auto painter for the
city of Los Angeles, expressed
long-range optimism about the
city's prospects, saying: "After
World War II in Europe, everything
was so devastated, and people
managed to put their lives
together. It takes time. This is
nothing compared to that. {But] it
will leave a scar, let's put it that
way."