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Comment by PaulDavisThe1st | Hacker News Reader

For those of us of a certain age, the phrase "can't we all just get along" connects quite naturally to Rodney King. So if you heard it, or for some other reason wanted to use it in a written piece ...

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I don't know what you're trying to imply. Rodney King was beaten and shocked by four police officers, 63 people died and approximately $1 billion of damages resulted from the Riots. Zeldman's grief is understandable to the extent that one can emphasize with the internal conflict of choosing to remain employed by a company that is under scrutiny by people in your professional/personal community and ran by a man who is proving to be rather unpredictable.

There's likely more to Zeldman's personal struggles with respect to his health and other financial concerns than what he discloses (rightfully so). But at the same time, evoking the rhetoric of King during the Riots is indeed perplexing when measured against what Zeldman does speak about more openly: his commitment to the open web in light of the aforementioned drama. In this regard, as the kids say, "It's not that deep".

Edit: +++ "in light of the aforementioned drama"

I think it's to say that, in the face of his beating and the aftermath, King said, "can't we all just get along?" instead of calling for the heads of the cops, the mayor, or whoever else he might have considered blameworthy.

But that's the whole point! The expression is jarringly mild and reasonable given the circumstances.

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