From Brian Truong:
Regardless if you are korean or not, how do you feel about the 429 riots in LA. What
if you were put in that position as a shop keeper and how would you react? Would
you yourself bring a gun and shoot the shop lifters or figure out a different
solution?
I felt disgusted at the lack of response by the LAPD. It's so sick how they started an uprising like that, and we Asians are the ones who ended up paying for it. I don't even care if I'm Vietnamese and they're Korean, Asians are pretty much all under one banner in my eyes. And to shoot MORE people up would just be tallying up more wrongs. We're trying to prove something to the government, and two wrongs don't make a right. There has to be a better way. Words > Bullets.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the 429 riots video, my first response was that we do need a gun to protect ourselves. I never supported the idea that people should own a gun at home until I watched this video. Especially, in this case, when the government was unable to protect the people, people can have chance to defend for themselves. Actually, I still have some confusion about this video. Did the LAPD purposely deny giving help and watching the black people and Korean people fighting each other, or the LAPD did give help, but they do not have enough police to help the Korean people?
ReplyDeleteThe LA riots was a horrible thing that happened and i do not wish it to happen to anyone. It wasn't fair for the Koreans as their shops were attacked and broken into. If i was in this situation, i would definitely get a gun. A gun would help me protect myself and my business.
ReplyDeleteI think that Sa-I-Gu taught me a lot about race relations. As a Filipina American and as someone who simply feels, I really don't know to express how much the events on that day saddened and angered me. I remember seeing a documentary about Sa-I-Gu and there was a scene where an elder Korean woman whose son died during the looting was crying and visibly angry because she didn't know where to place blame or fault. Do we blame the police? Do we blame ourselves for letting out families and people go out into what essentially became a warzone? Do we place people who stole things? And what was being protected? Who was everyone each fighting?
ReplyDeleteIf I was a shopkeeper, I don't know I would do. I would want to protect my livelihood - but is that my workplace or my body? i doubt that i'd have a gun because I just don't think I could shoot someone who struggling differently but as hard as I was
It was really tragic watching the videos from 429. It's surreal to believe that people would target one race and put entire families out of business and out on the streets because of a single incidient. It's unfair and reflects on human nature. Humans blame people they can take advantage of versus the people who are really responsible for their problems.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know what to do as a shopkeeper. Before, I would think to immediately call the police, but obviously in their case no police were coming and it was the police's fault in the first place. I would probably try to salvage as much of the goods as I could before the looters took it all.
I think if I was driven to the edge like many of those Korean shopkeepers, I might've gone so far as to get a gun. These people have families to take care of and to feed. And those people were so careless to just steal whatever they could, taking away from hardworking Americans (who were probably barely staying afloat themselves).
The riots in L.A were an unforgettable event. If i was a shopkeeper i would be horrified about how people react to this when the situation occurs. Stealing from shopowners who barely make enough money or do not make enough is terrible. I would instead barricade my store to try to prevent this from happening again. Bringing a gun and threatening people would not work and some people may get harmed who are innocent bystanders.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for the people that went through the 429 riots. They didn't deserve it since they didn't do anything bad/wrong. If I was a shopkeeper, I definitely would keep a gun with me but not use it unless I have to so I can be protected. I would try to talk to them or do something else so there won't be any violence.
ReplyDeleteThe riot was a horrible event, and if I was the store owners I would be furious. Not only that the LAPD did very little to help, but also theres only so much that you can do to the extent that you do help yourself anymore. All that hard work that you put into your store is gone in a matter of minutes. I think a taser should do the trick, but guns, no. I personally would not shoot the shoplifters, but that will just leave me with no other option. In the end, Asians are the one paying for it.
ReplyDeleteI would feel completely violated if I were the shopkeeper. I would already feel inferior in LA because obviously I am the minority, and my guard would constantly be up. After all of the hardships that the shopkeepers went through to build a life for them here in America, it was completely unfair for them...but I would not bring out a gun and start shooting people.
ReplyDeleteI understand the shop owners who shot guns. They didn't mean to kill people, they just wanted to threat the shoplifters and protect their shops and life. If they had tried to kill the shoplifters, they would have not shot guns to the sky or any where. Showing and broadcasting the Korean shop owners' shooting guns were another kind of the major media's playing to hide the truth. The 429 riots was horrible event and the reason why it occurred is complicated, but it made chance to look back and take care of Korean American community and Korean Americans' image.
ReplyDeleteI think thats a position i would have to be put in, to know how i would react. Knowing the police probably wouldnt consider my side of the story and might arrest me is hard to deal with while people are taking everything i worked for leaving me with nothing. Its a bad situation and im not sure exactly how i would react.
ReplyDeleteIf I had been in the same position as those Korean shop-owners, I very well may have reacted the same way, especially since widespread rioting and looting poses such a significant threat to saftey and property. It's a very difficult situation for those shop owners because they can't abandon their livlihood and see it ruined, yet at the same time, if possible, extreme caution should be taken whenever discharging a firearm in a populated area because they could end up killing or maiming an innocent bystander.
ReplyDeleteIn tough times like that, i would bring a gun for protection against shoplifters. However, even with guns it didnt stop people from looting everything in the store. Therefore, its pretty scary to think about not having a gun since most store owners do not carry weapons with them. I would think to myself if it would be worst if i didnt have a weapon to stop the shoplifters.
ReplyDeleteIn defense of the Korean Americans, I believe that in their eyes they had no choice but to retaliate and their actions were their means to defend themselves especially when they couldn't turn to the police to protect them. They were in immediate danger, and what else could they do? Of course I don't encourage the gunfire but that's what anarchy brings. I feel guilty for them though for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting involved between the cross fire and being antagonized through the media.
ReplyDeleteThe 429 riots were really tragic and unfortunate. If I were a shop keeper I probably would have reacted the same way they did. I would bring a gun but be careful about who I'm firing at.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a shopkeeper in LA, I would close up shop and get out of there once there were riots. Shooting people definitely does not help business and if im not making a profit then I really have no reason to stick around. Time to find something new to do.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole thing was just very unfortunate. If I was a shopkeeper, I don't think I would go a far is to take out a gun and shoot people. One the riots started I would have gone somewhere else where it was safer to be.
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