Is it Old News, or Can Revisiting the Rodney King Incident Move Us Forward?

As an L.A. resident for the past 13 years, I have endured most of the events capsulized in Solomon Moore’s piece (“Torn Between the Present and the Past,” March 4). It is sobering to read about them, as he has condensed and analyzed them so thoroughly.

What is most impressive is that Moore was able to remain objective and deliberate in his search for some type of solution, neither condemning nor propping up the victims or elitists of deep-seated racism. I will definitely watch for more of Moore’s writing.

John Lacy

Via the Internet

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It is difficult for me to believe that you would stoop so low as to drag out 10-year-old news like the Rodney King episode. Many years ago, my Daddy told me never to disobey a police officer or I would probably get bonked by a billy club. That was in a quieter, more peaceful Los Angeles in the 1930s.

Rodney King got his millions for being disobedient. The police officers, who were doing their duty, served time and lost their jobs. Los Angeles now has a substandard Police Department and is almost a completely dysfunctional city. But leave it to The Times to try to create new discord by printing pictures of the arrest and a feature story that tries to inflame racial hate. It’s just what Los Angeles doesn’t need.

Charles Jenner

Los Alamitos

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I was disappointed with Moore’s article. It is so egregiously inflammatory that people should ask themselves where the bigger problem lies--with the LAPD or the L.A. media. I recommend that the public view “The Rodney King Incident: Race and Justice in America” from Films for the Humanities & Sciences (www.films.com) for another look at the incident.

Greg Meinhardt

Westlake Village

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In the 10 years since the Rodney King beating, I have read many articles on the subject. Most, including yours, fail to mention one fairly important piece of information: There were two other people in the car with King.

Does anyone even remember their names? Whatever became of them? Shouldn’t they be somewhat of an example of what to do when the police stop you? A story on their current situation and mind-set would be interesting.

Bruce Konschuh

Fullerton