Armed But Not Dangerous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRc_FlmW2Jc

It is in this news broadcast during the L.A. Riots that we can attempt to fathom the desertion by society these minorities may have felt. It is evident in this video that they were left alone to fend for themselves in Koreatown while surrounded by looters. There is not a sight of help from society to support them during this catastrophic period in time. The owner of the store is not present to defend his store but in this video, we can see that the owner enlisted the help of others to ensure the safety of his store. Abandoned with no help, men stood guard of the store while armed with either a handgun or rifle. There are men shown on top of the building, in front of the building, and going around the building to secure the store. These men creatively made a vehicle barricade to use the headlights to spot trespassers while simultaneously using the vehicle's body as cover. The actions of these armed men tells the story of abandonment by the society they live in and their will to survive through an event they had never expected to enter.

This video shows armed men only securing the store's premises and upgrading their defenses. There are no scenes of these armed men using their weapons to defend their store or choosing to open fire freely. This illustrates their trigger discipline indicating that they do not have a desire to injure anyone. They told the reporter that they are there to defend the store and that is what the news have captured on video. The size of their security and weaponry is a show of force to the looters, sending them the message that this store is off limits. We don't know if they ever used their weapons, but we can expect that looters are aware and can visibly see the weapons. These men in the video are seen roaming around the store and no where else. The overall message that one can expect from this is that they do not want any part of the chaos, but merely to be left alone.

Barry Huang