LAPD and California Highway Patrol officers chased, arrested, and beat Rodney King, a twenty-five-year-old Black man, in 1991, and the fateful encounter would lead to a verdict of “not guilty” for the four officers that brought the city of LA to its knees. Long standing racial tensions bubbled over the surface, and inflamed by a video of the altercation, people took to the streets, burning, looting, and brutalizing their fellow civilians. The LA riots happened just under thirty years ago, yet from a historical perspective - so recent. And they are one of many. Tulsa in 1921. Watts in 1965. Ferguson in 2014. So many in 2020. Why? Are black Americans actually being unfairly targeted by law enforcement? Or is that just the perception? The answer, as is so usually is, seems to be more complicated than many in the media would have you believe. I do my damndest today to answer some really complicated, complex, and culturally volatile and polarizing questions in this “Why can’t we all just get along?” edition, of Timesuck. Donated $7000 to the SBP. Founded in 2006 by a couple in St. Bernard Parish, its model is focused on streamlining the recovery process, which includes quickly rebuilding homes and restoring local businesses, and supporting policies that aid long-term recovery. Go to https://sbpusa.org/ to donate, volunteer, or find out more. Watch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_PXWkpXRjEk Merch - https://badmagicmerch.com/ Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89v Want to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever current page hasn't been put in FB Jail :) For all merch related questions: https://badmagicmerch.com/pages/contact Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcast Wanna become a Space Lizard? We're over 9500 strong! Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast Sign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.