In Remembrance

In remembrance of the tragic shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999 exactly 10 years ago. It occurred on a Tuesday morning while I was working in downtown San Francisco. A regular day until the news hit the airwaves. We were in shocked as we watched the tragic event unfold live on television. 2 young men armed with rifles and explosives entered their school and started shooting randomly at their teachers and classmates, concentrating in the school cafeteria. The after-math revealed 12 people killed and 36 seriously injured and the gunmens committed suicide. It was the 3rd deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. 10 years ago I had not entered the teaching field yet, but was aware of how Columbine High School, a predominantly white, suburban, affluent and isolated community would be dealing with the an array of questions surrounding the tragedy. To all those families who have lost their young one and to the entire Columbine High School Community, the scar will continue to heal as time pass. My hopes and prayers are with them.

And, in remembrance of the Los Angeles Riots of April 29, 1992, 17 years ago. This event made a huge impact on me. I remember that evening so well. I was working that night (waitressing at Sequoias) and around 5:30pm, the chef, Ronnie Reed made an announcement after hearing from the radio that a riot was taking place at South Central LA and that downtown San Francisco was also prone to a riot. All the waitstaff and kitchen staff were glued to the radio for updates. Eventually, that evening my sister and I made it home safely and my family were glued to the television set all night. The LA riots was a pivotal moment in history that shook everyone's nerves and fears. It was an immediate explosion of resentment and anger that have been infesting in the poor communities such as South Central LA. The incident of Rodney King only triggered it to explode in violence. Rodney King, a black man was a victim of white police brutality, a common occurrence in the black community but only surfaced to the public's attention after it was videotaped by a witness. The four white officers beating King was acquitted and only given minimal punishment. It was unbelievable and was a testament of the ugly ills of America's racial injustice. All riots in our world's history are symptoms of oppression, that are explosive and are difficult to contain when politics (government) continue to ignore the disenfranchised and underprivilege. The Los Angeles Riots taught me the complexity of racism and how easy politics fail its role to the people it's supposed to serve. It happens way too often, and so revoluntionaries and riots become inevitable though as violent as they can be, they are powerful and explosive.

Thanks for reading!