Post-Riot Series: ‘Separate Lives’
It seems that everyone is flying the “Me” banner these days--rallying around the “gimme” chant. The day after the riots, I asked a black man what he thought motivated the unparalleled looting and destruction. “Need and greed,” he responded. I suggest that all residents of Los Angeles draw up a gratitude list to counterbalance the myriad grievance list. It could go something like this:
There are “free” clinics in Los Angeles where my children can be vaccinated. They have interpreters.
Judges here are not killed by drug dealers.
In my former country I made $4 a day.
I am not living in Somalia.
I am not living in Serbia/Croatia.
There are laws to protect my daughter from sexual abuse. There are laws to protect me from being beaten by my husband.
The state helped me pay for college. In my former country they didn’t care if I could read or write.
The gratitude list could go on indefinitely. I think it’s time that each and every one of us in this city takes positive inventory of our lives here.
TARA A. MURPHY
Venice
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