OJ didn't do it . . .
Location(s)
It's hard to believe, but it was 12 years ago today that a jury in Los Angeles delivered a "not guilty" verdict in the trial of OJ Simpson. Simpson, as you recall, had been charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. The two were found murdered in June 1994. Simpson was immediately implicated in the murders, and was arrested after the infamous slow-speed Bronco chase.
The whole trial was quite a spectacle. It began in January 1995 and lasted 8 months. Detectives, prosecutors, witnesses, defense lawyers -- everyone associated with the trial became instant celebrities. Judge Lance Ito, Mark Fuhrman, Marcia Clark, Johnnie Cochran, and a cast of family members, friends, and acquaintences appeared on TV daily. Despite the length of the trial, the jurors deliberated only four hours. (For an interesting view of the trial, check out this "By the Numbers" article from the Chronicle-Telegram of Elyria, OH.)
While he was not convicted in criminal court, Simpson was eventually found liable for the murders in civil court, and was fined.
The trial was the center of a nationwide conversation about the dispensation of justice in America. Is there a different system for whites and blacks? Rich and poor? Famous and unknown?
What I do know is that it produced another of those "where were you when" moments. I learned of the verdict while seated in the dining room of the ferry between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Portland, Maine. I had attended a wonderful archeology conference out at the Fortress Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island. My sister went along for company. What a great trip we had! The weather had cooperated famously and the Canadians were absolutely gracious hosts, wherever we stopped. It's such a beautiful place -- all my photos look like postcards!
So here's the scene -- picture a room full of a couple of hundred white folks seated in a bright sunny dining room being served by a couple of dozen black waiters. When the verdict was announced, there was disbelief around the tables, but over in the corner of the dining room, where the waiters had gathered, there were high 5's. A curious situation. I like to think that race, celebrity, and wealth don't matter here in America, but it was impossible to watch the reactions in that dining room without wondering about it.
So, where were you?
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Comments
Alive and..... Well?
Thanks for the reminder Paula. I don't remember where I was when the verdict was read. I have to admit the entire thing sickened me and the thought of another day with the circus on TV was just not tolerable. However, the issues surrounding the events that followed still go unresolved. Randy often talks about growing up in Denver in a high school where there wasn't a real minority- 1/3 black, 1/3 Hispanic, and 1/3 white. He grew up thinking that racism was no longer a current issue. He grew up thinking that people were at least used to being around those of a different background. Our move to the South was a learning experience for us both. Fear still has grip on many people..... and what do we do about it?
Always a surprise
I, too, have not been exposed to overt racism, not because it didn't exist, but because I have spent most of my life in places where everybody looked pretty much alike. Perhaps the most egregious example that I witnessed was back in the late 1970s, at the start of the Iranian hostage crisis.
In late 1979 I was working on a project near Earle, Arkansas, a small town in northeastern Arkansas. Shortly after the hostages were taken, several were released. One happened to be a Marine from Earle. Well, we headed into town for lunch one day and were surprised to see people lining the main street. It seems the Marine was coming home, and a little impromptu parade had been quickly planned. Not wanting to miss this newsmaking event (media from all over was there), we lingered over lunch and joined the crowd along the street. Soon, a convertible with one very happy, smiling Marine made its way down the street to applause and cheers. As the car passed, someone behind me said, "See that. Not even that Ayatollah wants that d*** n*****." Yep, the n-word. It wasn't so much the words; I'd heard people use that language before. But the tone and the attitude of this speaker were new to me. I don't think I'd ever heard anything so hateful. It was an epiphany for me, the realization that race was very much a polarizing issue.
I want to think that things are better now, almost two decades later. But then, I still live in a place where most everybody looks like me.
OJ
mak
Thank you for posting the great story about OJ and his trial. You really had a different perspective of Justice, sitting in that restaurant dining room. I enjoyed the picture that you posted and would like to see more. I tried to post a picture too. But I still can't figure it out.
How to insert a picture
Here's what I do to insert a picture . . .
1. Find the icon that looks like a mountain landscape with a yellow sky in the toolbar and click on it (Insert/edit image).
2. A window called Image Properties will open. With the Image Info tab open, click on Browse Server.
3. A new window called Image/File Browser will open. Go to the bottom of this window and click Browse.
4. A new window will open that allows you to find the photo on your computer. Navigate to the photo you want and select it. The name of the file will appear in the File name box. Click Open.
5. You are now back at the Image/File Browser window. The information about your picture now appears in the box at the bottom of this window. Click Upload file. Your photo will be automatically scaled to the allowable size. You should be able to see it in the preview area, and the name of the photo file will appear in a list above the preview. (As you upload more images, this list will grow -- it's your very own little online storage area. Cool.)
6. Find the name of the photo file in the list (it will appear highlighted) and click Add at the end of the line.
7. Now you're back at the Image Properties window. The name of your file is now in the URL box. Add any Alternative text that you'd like to describe your photo, then go to the Align menu and choose where/how you want the picture to appear in your post. (I recommend experimenting with different settings to see how they work.) When you've made your selection, click OK.
8. Your photo is now in your post. If you decide you want to change its location, just right click on it to go back to the Image Properties window. You can also change its size by clicking on the photo -- handles will appear on the corners and sides; slide them around 'til the photo is the size you want. You can also move the photo around; just make sure the pointer has changed to the crossed two-headed arrows.
That's what I do. I know there are other variations. I have also discovered that it is possible to copy and paste images into a post too, but I don't think they show up in your online storage area then.
Good luck. It looks complicated, but after you do it once or twice, you won't even think about it anymore!