Not surprising of Leonard Pitts to portray Rodney King as just a “hapless” black man who was victimized by the LAPD in his June 25 column, “King’s ‘Can we all get along?’ still begs for an answer.”
The definition of the word “hapless” means unlucky or unfortunate. King’s life was nothing like hapless. That is, unless it was “haplessness” that led him to commit armed robbery. Then, while on parole, haplessly getting intoxicated in the company of two ex-cons and then driving at high speed on the freeway. Then, when he drew the attention of the Highway Patrol, he haplessly tried to evade arrest. Then when finally stopped by LAPD, he haplessly refused numerous lawful orders of police and then haplessly attacked one of the arresting officers, resulting in his “beating” for continuing to haplessly resist officers.
It was not hapless, however, that only a small portion of the results of his hapless behavior was haplessly played on TV for days and days. It is this kind of thinking that Pitts purveys that stimulates other hapless people to riot, kill and destroy property.
King’s behavior caused it all.
Ruth Westlund
Vancouver
