While I can see both sides of the issue, I still feel incredible sadness at the results of this verdict. It is unfortunate that some feel that our society has abandoned them and it is even more tragic that some individuals decide to take the easy way out and just blame the system. While our system is not perfect, violence is not the way to fix it. While some may receive a harsher sentence than others, I still feel we must look at the other variables other than racism which cause such biases.

While I was growing up, I thought that racism and racial tensions were on the decline. In high school I was fortunate to go to school with people who came from almost every imaginable nationality and race. I was also fortunate to have friends who had various handicaps. I learned that underneath, everone is not so different.

Now, as I get older I have come to realize that not everyone was as fortunate as I was to be exposed to different people. Our society still has a long way to go before the narrowminded become a distant memory and the "suppressed" all begin to take an active part in correcting society's stereotypes and misconceptions.

It may be more difficult for someone like Rodney King to rise above the violence, but he must take responsiblity for the actions which placed him in the position to be beaten by the police, just as the police officers must take responsibility for their part in the crime. Each person has a responsibility to acknowledge their contribution to this event which ended so violently.

I would hope that Archipelagans will not condemn either the Officers or Rodney King, but rather feel compassion for them since they must live with the consequences of their actions. Both parties are victims, and rather than point fingers, we should take this incident and use it to help solve some of the problems that our society faces. The Rodney Kings and rioters of the world need to take more pride in themselves and believe that as individuals they can make a difference and that they do matter even if society doesn't seem to care. Those of us more fortunate must not be to hasty to condemn those who do not try to improve themselves after all we do not know what it is like to live that person's life.

I'll get down from my soap box now I just hope our children (mine are a long, long, long way from being born ) will grow up in a friendlier world.