The tide was turning for me. 1991 saw the end of the Soviet Union, the end of the cold war, and a new group of independent countries - the former Soviet Socialist Republics. There was a renewed hope for peace. And it was yet another victory for Ronald Reagan. His military buildup was done at a pace that the USSR was unable to match. Reagan's idea of "peace through strength" was yet another success of his. Again, it was hard not to notice.
March 3, 1991 saw the brutal beating of Rodney King by police officers. As a defender of the police, I remember saying that if the police had given him a dozen whacks, given the danger he put them and the public in, I think people would understand. But over 50 times? I predicted that some of the officers would lose their jobs and go to prison. But after a Simi Valley jury acquitted 4 of the officers, the city of Los Angeles was devastated by 6 days of rioting and looting. Businesses that had nothing to do with the police or Rodney King were destroyed. I was disgusted by it. Property damage was estimated to be over one billion dollars. I recall Korean shop owners, armed and ready to defend their businesses and their livelihoods. Ultimately, the National Guard was deployed. Tanks were on the streets.
Over 50 people were killed and more than 2000 were injured. Some were shot and killed by the police and the National Guard. Then there was the case of Reginald Denny, an innocent truck driver who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. With traffic blocked in the streets, Denny was pulled out of his truck and had his skull smashed. He was a white man viciously attacked by a group of blacks. Where was LAPD during this chaos? Mostly standing by and doing nothing.
Yet, I still loved cop shows, because there the good guys would get the bad guys. But in 1990, one of my favorite cop shows had ended. Miami Vice. I am not "cool" and never have been; nor have I ever cared about "cool." But Miami Vice was cool. It was different. The music was cool, and early on the music often substituted for dialogue. The cars were cool. The clothes were cool. And the women were hot.
Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) wore a tee shirt with a white sports coat. Yes, he was cool, but he was intense, and no one was more determined to get the bad guys than Crockett. Not that many years ago, my then adult daughters were clothes shopping with me. They have much better taste in clothes than do I. As I walked into the men's store, the very first rack had white sport coats. As I started to reach for one, I heard my older daughter yell "No!" I asked "what do you mean?" In her direct fashion (the only way she knows to be) she said: "This is not the 1980's and you are not Don Johnson." I replied: "Then I'll come back when you are not here and buy it." Her retort: "And I'll return it!" No, I didn't get the coat.
When I was a kid, the Westerns were the shows where the good guys won. But the Westerns were replaced by police dramas. Two years after 1991, "Walker, Texas Ranger" began. I loved the show and the theme music. In 1993 our kids were only nine, six and six. But when episodes were shown at 11pm on a Saturday night, we let them stay up to watch. And we all sang the theme song.
I am not obsessed with cop shows; I am obsessed about seeing good prevail over evil. However, my wife and I have watched a few other cop shows over the years. In no particular order: Hawaii 5-0, Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Law and Order Criminal Intent, Southland, NYPD Blue, Chicago PD, Blue Bloods, Flashpoint, Rookie Blue, The Rookie, CSI Miami, NCIS, NCIS L.A., NCIS Hawaii, NCIS New Orleans, FBI, FBI International, and FBI Most Wanted. There are probably others.
In 1992 Bill Clinton ran for President for the first time. I voted for him. Once. In 1993, Michael Woo was a liberal Democrat running for the office of Mayor of Los Angeles, against businessman Richard Riordan. But this was no longer 1971 or even 1981, when I would have automatically voted for the Democrat. My recollection is that I was hearing "identity politics" talk from Woo, and that is an idea that I found to be deeply offensive. Plus, Riordan just made more sense to me. So, I voted for Riordan.
In 1991, a dozen eggs could be had for 99 cents. A gallon of milk cost $1.05. And gasoline? $1.14 a gallon. Imagine that. 1990 saw the launch of the Hubble telescope. It was very exciting, as I have always had an interest in astronomy. With the Hubble, we could look deep into space and far back in time. Looking up at the night sky with my telescope and binoculars, I was able to see the wonders of other planets. I could see Saturn's rings, and even about 10 of Jupiter's moons, including the 4 inner Galilean moons. With my backyard telescope, those moons only were visible as tiny specks of light. But if I watched long enough, I was able to see the 4 Galilean moons traverse across the much larger body of the planet. Star clusters were absolutely fascinating. It was impossible for me to look at the wonders and vastness of the universe without thinking that this could not have happened without the hand of G-d.
After 9 years of walking with a cane, I had my first hip replacement in October of 1992. The other hip was 6 months later, in April, 1993. These 2 surgeries were quite the ordeal, as my doctor did not use cement to keep the implants in place. Instead, the idea was to let the bone grow around the implant. For two months I could not sit comfortably, as I had to make sure my hip was higher than my knee, in order to avoid a possible dislocation. I could not drive. Getting in and out of bed was a challenge. And the only wat to take a shower was by sitting on a shower chair. Of course, I was not allowed to put any weight on the operated hip. Therefore I had to use crutches, or hop with a walker. And I had to wear the compression stockings around the clock. But I could not bend my leg to put them on. Once again, my bride was there to take care of me every step along the way. (Yes, pun intended.) By the end of 1993 I was able to walk without a cane. One's perspective is certainly affected when the simple act of walking is not something that can be taken for granted.
One other thing was certain. At this time, I may not have yet considered myself to be a conservative; but I was clearly no longer a man of the left either.
No comments:
Post a Comment