Letters: L.A. and Rodney King

Re “Legacy of a flawed martyr,” Opinion, June 19

Dennis McDougal rightly portrays the late Rodney King as a man who accidentally attained fame but couldn’t cope with the reality of his unfortunate upbringing.

This prodigal son of L.A., who was brought out of the anonymity of an ordinary outlaw life, was ill-prepared for the legacy he left. His exhortative question, “Can we all get along?,” during those turbulent days of the riots two decades ago reached each of us and brought much reflection to our racially polarized society.

King’s untimely death makes me wonder what we could have done as a city to help him get along with himself.

Berta Graciano-Buchman

Beverly Hills

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