Opinions vary on extent of post-riot change

Friday, April 26, 2002 | 10:17 a.m.

When Thomas Leigh drives through West Las Vegas, he sees an area far better off than it was before April 30, 1992, when a riot followed the first Los Angeles police officers' verdicts in the beating of Rodney King.

"It is remarkable the positive action the Urban Chamber of Commerce has initiated following the riots," the 82-year-old retired Army colonel said. "It has made a great impact.

"I am elated at the improvements: The VA clinic, a quick care center, a new post office, a social service center, the neighborhood city government center and new housing developments with moderately priced dwellings. Things have significantly improved."

But when Leigh gets together with his buddies for their weekly bridge games, he finds himself outnumbered when it comes to discussions about the extent of such changes.

The bridge club, called simply "The Group," recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. At that occasion, its members discussed the 10 years since the West Las Vegas riot while they played cards.

Seven of the 12 members present said things are somewhat better for blacks since the riot. Leigh was one of only two who said things have significantly improved.

Three members said that everything -- including the economics of West Las Vegas and police relations with the black community -- has remained unchanged.

The members of The Group, their average age 81, endured bigotry, job discrimination and other roadblocks to become successful businessmen, homeowners, civic leaders and family men.

"It's too early to tell if there has been significant change since the riots," said William Sander, 66, an Air Force veteran. "Maybe 10 years from now we'll have a better picture."

Floyd Clark, 87, said the extent of changes is debatable.

"I'd say a lot of the changes are cosmetic efforts to give an image that things have greatly improved," Clark said, noting that many police agencies changed policies in the wake of the Rodney King incident only because of "the exposure that L.A. cops received from the videotape of the beating."

Irving Foster, 89, an Army veteran, said the civil unrest of 1992 will be forgotten, like many events he has seen in his long life.

"It will be forgotten 15 to 20 years from now because attitudes of people change," Foster said. "So many new things happen over a period of time and people tend to forget some of the older things.

"I remember watching World War I soldiers marching down the street when I was a child. How often do people even think about World War I today?"

Leigh said he believes the reason the Rodney King riots may be forgotten is because, in time, racism won't be as prevalent. That statement sparked the most spirited debate among the players.

Few agreed with Leigh, who responded: "It took hundreds of years for racism to get a stronghold on America, so we are not going to get rid of it in a decade. Look how far we've come since the '60s. In 50 years I truly believe things will be a lot different and people won't be judged by their color."

Sander said: "It's not impossible what the colonel is saying. I just don't agree with him."

Dave Perry, 76, a Navy veteran, said the real reason that the riots after the King verdict may be relegated to a footnote in history is that, in the grand scheme of things, they may not have been that big a deal.

"What riots?" Perry mused. "I lived in L.A. at the time of the Watts riots, where you saw from every street a city burning. I remember other incidents of hoses being turned on people and dogs being released on them. What happened in 1992 was not of that magnitude."

While members of The Group can't change the world with its mere discussions of pertinent issues during hands of bridge, they do their best to make things a little better in their community. Following the 20th anniversary card game, members pitched in for a $1,200 donation to Fighting AIDS in our Community Today.