A major part of my paper is the response to police brutality by the American republic. Often, when discussing police brutality there is certain language used that tends to devalue experiences of the victim. In 1992, during the second day of rioting in L.A after the Rodney King trial president George H.W Bush addressed the nation to address the trial and the riots. This could provide a look into coded language that was used to discuss these topics. Coded language is a term that refers to words that may have other meanings when used in a certain context. An example is the word “thug”. Thug is almost always in reference to a Black or Latino male, and in many perspectives is seen as the new polite way to say the N-word. In Bush’s speech he uses …show more content…
While Bush displays disgust to the King case, and how it had played out later in the speech, calling it “revolting”, it has an ingenuine undertone by his earlier statements towards the rioters and excluding what they had been rioting for. Bush uses “brutality” in a derogatory way, smoothing over the rioter’s cause. Presidents do not have the option to display their true feelings towards a situation, because they must remain neutral for the nation. However, the harsh condemnation of the riots are not neutral, and brushes over the King tragedy, immediately going to the “justice will be served, because America is fair and free.” narrative that destroys any condemnation there was for the justice system originally in reference to the King case. Since 1988, the Justice Department has successfully prosecuted over 100 law enforcement officials for excessive violence. I am confident that in this case, the Department of Justice will act as it should. Federal grand jury action is underway today in Los Angeles. Subpoenas are being issued. Evidence is being reviewed. The Federal effort in this case will be expeditious, and it will be fair. It will not be driven by mob violence but by respect for due process and the rule of law. We owe it to all Americans who put their faith in the law to see that justice is served. But as we move forward on this or any other case, we must remember the fundamental tenet of our legal system. Every American, whether accused or accuser, is entitled to