Rodney King

It was March, 1991, when Rodney King became a household name in America. Following a high-speed chase with Los Angeles police, King, who died recently, was finally apprehended. As video footage later showed, King was pulled out of his car and then struck over 50 times by the officers using their clubs and night sticks. The officers were later arrested on police brutality-related charges. Their trial was highly controversial  as the officers were acquitted. This set in motion the Los Angeles riots in which 53 people ended up dieing and millions of dollars in vandalism occurred in response to what many felt was the unjust ruling of the court.

It was during this time when King uttered his now-famous question: "Can't we all just get along?" Indeed. The question is as appropriate today as it was then.While I am sure we can get along; that is, we have the ability to do so, I wonder more and more if we really want to. The United States Congress is a perfect case-in-point. For over three years now these men and women have been circling each other, trading insults and seeming to go out of their way to do anything but work together to address problems they all agree our nation faces. Collegiality is not their goal. For the Democrats and Republicans, what is most important is seeking power at the expense of each other.

Effective communication is extremely difficult when people are hell-bent on not getting along. While I am convinced this type of self-inflicted roadblock will not last forever, I do not see it changing any time soon. I only wish I knew what it is going to take to reverse this ugly and destructive trend. Unfortunately, at present far too many Senators and Congressmen are blinded by their own ideology.  The best part of effective communication is that it is driven by a deep commitment to cooperation. People of different beliefs, perspectives and backgrounds come together to work toward a common good. This is not happening now. Sadly, Rodney King's simple yet profound question remains unanswered.