<i> A look at noteworthy addresses in the Southland.</i>

KEN KESEY

On The Riots “What if all of our star-gazing is just so much snake oil? All of our on-cue up-looking to the High and the Mighty, to the unburnable star-spangled banner and the unneeded space shuffle, to the memory of martyred Kennedy and of Martin Luther King, to the very glory of the King on High Himself! . . . is all just so much smoke screen to keep our eyes off the pain of a Rodney King here below?”

“Jesus himself. Do you think you would have found Him roaming these rioting streets with wounded eyes lifted from the suffering prophetic graphite of inner city, suffering to seek clarification from the executive level?”

ANTONIA HERNANDEZ

A Deep Sense of Loss “As someone who has spent most of her life in Los Angeles, I can’t explain the emptiness I felt when I first heard the verdict in the Rodney King beating trial nor the sadness I felt as I watched as part of the city I love burn during the first night of the riots. The city has experienced a deep sense of loss . . . in lives, economies and community. The destruction goes well beyond the visible damage to businesses and dwellings, to the very heart and soul of Los Angeles. “

Our Challenge “The angry accusations, the finger-pointing and the tendency to scapegoat certain groups during our recent upheaval showed how wrong we can be. We witnessed the ugly side of Los Angeles, but it is also a very real side of the city. Our challenge now is (to) address the problems, needs and concerns which allowed these destructive and opposing forces to clash. The disturbances in Los Angeles showed how destructive individuals can be when they feel they have nothing to lose and feel closed off from the processes of change.”

“The nation is watching as the people of Los Angeles determine what our course of action will be. . . . Los Angeles . . . is a picture of the future of this country. Everyone must have a vested interest in seeing that we succeed because if we fail, the future does not bode well for the U.S. . . .”

Looking Ahead Sunday: Donald M. Stewart, president of the College Board in New York, will deliver the keynote address at Whittier College’s 89th commencement at 5 p.m. at the Harris Amphitheatre. Call (310) 907-4277.

Thursday: Long Visalo, vice minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cambodia, and Cham Prasidh, deputy minister, will speak at 6:30 p.m. at the UCLA Faculty Center. Call (213) 624-0945.

Announcements concerning prominent speakers in Los Angeles should be sent to Speaking Up, c/o Times researcher Michael Meyers, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053