I am sure that when most people think of April 29, they will think about 2009 and the end of the first 100 days of Barrack Obama's presidency. Some will speak of the calm that he has provided, others will say that he actually answers questions and is seen as very humorous and leveled. Others will criticize every small detail that the President has done but I think that we can hope for better days in our country just like we did on this same day in 1992.
You all remember April 29, 1992, right? The day of the verdict of the Rodney King trial in Los Angeles where police officers were filmed on tape beating a black suspect. The (white) police officers were acquitted of the crimes and the outrage spread like wildfire. A mob was born and as with most mobs senseless violence and rioting happened. It was once of the worst days for our country, the miscarriage of justice, and one of the first times that I felt outrage and frustration that this could happen in America.
We have turned the page in some sense, but I am not making a racial argument as much as I am a change in perspective. One thing that I can admire everyone on (The Parties of Yes we Can, Just Say No, and I am an Independent but Not Really) is that we are not having the trivial conversation that Obama is the Black President. For the most part we are talking issues seen and unforeseen (Pirates, Pandemic Flu, Torture, Iraq, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Banks, Cars, Newspapers, Health Care and so much more) I am sure that this may be more subjective than in 1992 but there is no obvious presence that he is doing a great job because he is black or he is doing terrible.
Of course there are the partisan pundits but some of you must realize that most of these baseless arguments that they make are nothing other than to make news and for them to remain important and paid. I was surprised during the Chicago Tea Party a few weeks ago that a CNN reporter was bashing Fox News and later found out that she was rejected when she applied to work there. Look how much the people who criticize the politicians get paid. MSNBC pays Keith Olbermann (former ESPN Anchor) an estimated $7.5 million per year. The leader of the Party of No, Rush Limbaugh has a $400 million contract through 2016 for his radio program. There are others that I can mention, as CNN "grades" the President and government, the spectators, the pundits, and the networks are profiting. Did you notice that none of the networks with their 100 day coverage didn't even mention the Rodney King trial or the Los Angeles Riots of 17 years ago? I wonder why? (and you should too!)
It is a great comparison and brings a fundamental question of our "progress." In my humble opinion, the Presidency of Barrack Obama has not ended racism and prejudice, it has just ended one chapter and started a new one. Just like the first 100 days, it is just the beginning and like many beginnings, it is just the start. There will be many 100 days for this President. The honest and fair grade for our new President is an I for incomplete because he will be judged more for his last 100 days than his first. Finally we can all say that on April 29th, something good happened but we can still remember the history of 1992 so we don't repeat it.
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