[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

its the 20th anniversary of the 1992 LA Uprising.. upon reflection, is los angeles a better place? Well yes. That early 90s perfect storm of brewing racism, economic disenfranchisement, gutting public education and public services to the most needing, and a gumbo of gang violence fuelled by an increase in drugs and guns on the street resulted in 1992. Those conditions are no longer around at the level of that time. In that calm after the storm, the city as a community has come together much more than before. We have worked hard to resolve our differences with each other, with law enforcement, with the corrupt governments, with public education, with inter gang violence.. this has not necessarily been a result of local government assistance or encouragement, rather a sincere Angelino rebuilding. However, the city as a whole still has a problem. The establishment thinks building plastic facades of big box retailers, anchor-chain strip malls, and fast food restaraunts is community development. Its not, it only makes a plastic band aid to cover up the burned out eye-sores the riots intentionally left behind. the riots were a statement. a penultimate "fuck you" to the corrupt elements of Los Angeles society. Well, unfortunately while many of us have rebuilt wonderful communities, the upper echelons still suffer from the same disease the brought Cortez here in the first place, greed. They divide and conquer this city through real estate games just like they did then. They want to destroy what we have rebuilt, destroy our communities and replace them with ghetto consumers. well, if they keep pushing us, they will find a culture shock. the youth, the lil homiez on the block today weren't even ALIVE during the Uprising. This shit is all a new revelation to them, they are young Siddhartha leaving the palace, finding out that life is suffering. Well, if this plastic facade is replaced with actual community development and empowerment, then LA is due for another rise in crime, and another big "fuck you" kind of Uprising by a whole different pissed off generation that forgot all about the 93 Truce, that forgot all about the 90s in general. That don't remember a genuine Los Angeles. Crime in LA is a gesture of protest and civil disobedience. It rises in retaliation the rise in corruption and greed and economic gaps in LA. We are falling back on old ways. Reaganomics has been back the past few years. Things can get shitty real fast.. I pray for them. "You can't blame the youth, and you can't fool them." Big up to Los Angeles. Peace and Unity. But we can't have peace until we all get a piece..