A Senators Pain

Term Paper Title	A Senators Pain
# of Words	761
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.04

A Senator's Pain

        Tommie Porter
        English Com. 2  Sec. 19
        Dr. Chichester
        12/11/95
        Paper 4 - Final Draft

        Most Californians know exactly what they were doing when the historical
were read that acquitted the four LAPD officers, and sparked the civil unrest in
Los Angeles.  Anna Deavere Smith does an excellent job representing Los Angeles
citizens in her theatrical piece entitled Twilight: Los Angeles 1992.  Smith
writes, "Every person I include in the book, and who I perform, has a presence
that is much more important than the information they give" (Smith: xxiv).  In
this statement Smith tells the reader that the facts each character gives is not
as important as his her presence, because anyone can give facts about an event.
Smith wants the reader to pay close attention to the feelings expressed by each
individual she interviewed, because feelings tell more about a person and an
event than the facts.  In Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 the monologue by Bill
Bradley entitled "Application of the Law" contributes more to Smith's piece than
does the monologue by Elaine Brown entitled "Ask Saddam Hussein," because when a
Senator notices the reality of racism it seems authentic.  Although both Bradley
and Brown give similar information it is ironic that a white Senator showed more
anger toward racism than the former Black Panther.
        When Senator Bradley begins telling his story his he points out how our
society still has inequalities as he says, "I mean, you know, it's still...
There are people who are, uh, who the law threats in different ways" (Smith:
214).  The following statements Bradley makes during his interview shows his
anger for racial differences.  When Bradley informs the reader about an African-
American Harvard Law School student who experienced unjust treatment by the
police.  Bradley's anger is expressed through his statement, as he says, "He
pulls over.  Police car pulls in front...behind...beside of him.  Police jump
out, guns, pull him out of the car, throw him to the floor, put a handcuff on
him...All the while pointing a gun out at him" (Smith: 215).  It is not fair
that this African-American Law School student has to put up with racism just
because his skin color and the "well-to-do" neighborhood he was driving through.
Bradley's anger shows the reader that racism should not exist because our
Constitution say...

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