Cleaning Up Riot Aftermath

Since Mayor Tom Bradley is allowed to indulge in hindsight and blame Chief Daryl Gates for slow response time and causing the riot to escalate, I would also like to be indulged.

Do the media think or even care that their repetitious and prolonged playing of the King videotape for many months may have caused the change of venue? Does the prosecutor regret that he didn’t put King on the stand? Does the D.A.’s office wonder if the verdict might have been different if King were also charged and brought to trial for his actions that night?

Does Bradley think he should have been more temperate in his remarks after the verdict and maybe calmed the distraught? Does Gates regret that he didn’t send his officers in quickly with orders to “shoot to kill”? Does the media regret being so “on the scene” that looters and lawbreakers were eager to join the action?

ROSEMARY WISNER

Sierra Madre