L.A. Riots Were No ‘Moral Uprising’

I always get a chuckle when I see an “update” article on the Los Angeles riots (“Searching for a Legacy,” by Peter H. King, April 21). Inevitably, a community “activist” denies that a riot occurred. It was, instead, a “moral uprising.” Tell me, what was moral about Reginald Denny’s beating? Did I miss some lesson when gun shops, liquor stores and hardware stores were looted down to the bare floor? If a lack of education prompted the “uprising,” is that why so many schools were broken into--so the rioters could rush into an empty classroom and start studying?

It was a riot, dear friends. A looting, burning, violent orgy of destruction and theft. To characterize it as anything else is, at best, irresponsible. At worst, it is an equally criminal act of denial and blame.

Rock Johnson

Palm Springs