Watts, Genoa, etc.

[Paul Mackin]

I sent this message earlier but with too much incoming left dangling.


"Judith A. Panetta" wrote:

>
> Paul, I'm not clear what point you were trying to make with the Watts
quote,
> although the discussion has digressed from your original intention, I
> suspect.
>

Judy

I was trying to be funny--making a completely mock and bogus application
of a
sentence in the Watts essay I didn't like.   (was conveniently able to
lift the
sentence out of someone else's post--Rob's maybe). Anyway the attempt at
humor
was demonstrably lame since several people  (at least) interpreted me in
a way
I would not have wished.  The furthest thing from my head was that there
was
any kind of parity or proportionality between the grievances  of the
people of
Watts with  those of the stone and fire bomb tossing and crowbar
wielding
rioters of Genoa.  The only commonality was the violence (and death). At
least
no one--I hope--thought I was disparaging the peaceful demonstrators of
Genoa--agree with them or not they should be completely outside
anyone's  zone
of scorn.

Driving through Watts I personally never got shot at or saw anyone
getting shot
at.  Used to live just North of Venice Blvd not too too many miles from
the war
zone but it was a different world from Watts--plus it was the 40s  and
even
Watts was a different world from what it became.

                    P.