Ask Forgiveness From All the Rodney Kings

Until the video of the Rodney King incident appeared, I suspect that many people felt that police brutality was infrequent--and besides, “they probably deserved it anyway.” That has all changed now. Police ruthlessness, even if just in a few isolated cases, is now real and present to all of us.

As a caring society, how do we respond? Several considerations need full attention and immediate response:

-- We must recognize that racism and discrimination are very much a part of our intergroup relationships in Southern California, and we must take serious steps to rid our communities of this evil.

-- Violence begets violence, while respect for human dignity and human rights begets harmony in a community. Every effort must be made to reduce the violence that has spilled onto the streets in so many terrible forms.

-- We must admit that many segments of public service do treat minorities and the poor with different levels of respect and conduct; that must change.

-- All law-enforcement agencies need to introduce a remedial program as soon as possible to retrain every officer in race and community relations, using the King incident as a teachable moment.

-- Public officials must state clearly and forcefully that no disregard for human rights will be tolerated by public servants, especially those in law-enforcement; appropriate public review groups must be formed as monitors.

-- Police chiefs, sheriffs and all law-enforcement leaders must demonstrate the highest level of responsibility in word and in action, both publicly and privately. If this level of public trust and confidence cannot be recaptured or sustained, then those in leadership must seriously consider stepping aside.

-- Public leadership is not about who is right or wrong. Rather, sound public leadership proclaims a vision of human decency and respect, lives that vision out in word and example and calls the community to the higher road in living out the best that each of us has to offer for the good of the entire community.

Rodney King’s tragedy is now our community tragedy. If Los Angeles is to recover its standing as a great city, then positive and proactive steps need to be taken by all our leaders: governmental, religious, business and community.

We need a public observance in which we ask forgiveness from all the Rodney Kings victimized knowingly and unknowingly, and in which we begin a desperately needed communitywide healing. Anything less is a betrayal of the public trust and confidence which the people of the City of the Angels rightfully expect and deserve.