Meanwhile in Baltimore since normalcy returned:
35 murders so far in the month of May. None were committed by police officers. No national news coverage either.
" The policy of America has been, for most of its history, white supremacy. The high rates of violence in black neighborhoods do not exist outside of these facts—they evidence them.
This history presents us with a suite of hard choices. We do not like hard choices. Here’s a better idea: Let’s all get together and talk about how Mike Brown would still be alive if Beyoncé would make more wholesome music, followed by a national forum on how the charge of “acting white” contributes to mass incarceration. We can conclude with a keynote lecture on “Kids Today” and a shrug."
I sincerely doubt that Michael Brown’s path in life would have changed if Beyoncé made more wholesome music and if there were national commentaries. I also sincerely doubt that white supremacy put Michael Brown on the path that he took.
However, if we were to look at one thing that could have changed the course of his life, it probably would have been his family experience. As his mother was willing to marry a violent former gang member, who had been in and out of prison on weapons and narcotics dealing charges…I can only imagine the way he was raised. Most, if not all of us here, teach respect for others and oneself, and care deeply enough for our children that we would protect them and do ANYTHING for them not to come to harm. We would not willingly, purposefully put them in the path of danger----and bringing a person like that into their life certainly puts them in the path of harm. Michael himself talked about how badly his family treated him.
One word, respect. If his family had treated him with respect, if he understood how to treat others with respect, he would not be dead today. He would never have committed a robbery, never have walked in the middle of the road, blocking traffic, and never have struggled with a police officer for the officer’s gun. Respect. If someone is not treated with respect by those who should love him the most, they will not treat others with respect.
Details on all Baltimore homicides
Not to difficult to see which group is losing most.
Birth control is a great thing but two parent families are an even better one. How a bipartisan plan is going to encourage young males to give over one lifestyle for one filled with responsibility is a conundrum in itself. Rolling over the teacher’s unions seems easier, by far, and doubling down on 50 years of ‘War on Poverty’ spending will be a breeze. It’ll surely work this time.
You make a good point. Michael Brown was flawed and his upbringing no doubt contributed to his mistakes. I guess you could say its the human condition. If all mamas — bikers’ moms, bankers’ moms, even cops’ moms — did a better job we wouldn’t have any crime at all. If that Charleston cop’s mom had done a better job inculcating respect for life and the law, Walter Scott would still be alive.
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-04-30-1430421319-5723685-danzcolorplus6347.jpg
Come to think of it, if previous generations of Americans had been raised to treat others with respect (in regard to housing and hiring) maybe we wouldn’t be dealing with the intractable problems of inner-city ghettos today.
Not suggesting solving the problems that fuel gang and drug-related violence will be easy, but where there’s a political will, there’s a way.
I know…we can designate U.S. inner-city neighborhoods as war zones, like Afghanistan and Iraq, and then no amount of spending will be considered too extravagant. No guarantees of success required. And the money would be spent in our own backyard, improving American lives.
A drop in the bucket, I know.
That our government wastes money isn’t much of an argument for spending on a new/revamped list of social uplift programs. That, if we’re going to waste it, we might as well waste on something that makes us feel better, yeah.
I think, rather than money, it’s societal change. Seemed like a good idea at the time, like so many do, but the consequences were unanticipated by those leading the charge.
If the voters of Baltimore do not feel the elected officials of Baltimore are responsive to the needs of the Baltiimore community, they should elect different officials. There is certainly no ambiguity about 40 years of single party rule in Baltimore.
As an outsider, my guess would be that the political leadership and policies have failed Baltimore, but I don’t live there. I’ll leave it to Baltimore voters to decide whether or not to continue the current trajectory or to make changes.
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t:
Might have been stated up thread, maybe just something I read elsewhere but the comment was mad that “people will end up with the police they deserve”, and the observation that this wouldn’t likely be a plus for the future prospects of the city.
Google Baltimore shootings for today’s toll.
I just read an article that there have been 38 murders in Baltimore this month alone. Prior months were like 21, 15, 13. Arrests are also down. Most parts of the city are still being patrolled and are quite safe, but West Baltimore is now a crime spree just waiting to happen. When I lived there 30 years ago that area was dangerous, but I’d still take the MLK parkway home from school at night; I wouldn’t now because if the car broke down, there’d be no help.
Saw a comment that one resident (age26, mother of SEVEN) said she just wants the cops to come back and only focus on the big crimes, not the little drug deals, domestic violence, thefts, etc. Only the big stuff. Well, the little stuff leads to big stuff.
Somebody should give Dreads the mayor’s phone number. Seems to me Dreads and the rest of Baltimore have the leadership they elected. Get them to do something.
It is ridiculous to think that the police are going to aggressively patrol when they know they will be arrested if they make a mistake.
It is too bad that they couldn’t have done an extensive investigation before throwing any possible charges they had at the police officers, to see what stuck. Sure, they managed to quell the riots, but they lost the trust of the police officers. If your leadership is not going to treat you fairly, that you have to make sure that you cover yourself, and don’t do anything that could even possibly incriminate you. Very sad for all the people who are getting in the line of fire by the criminals taking advantage of the situation.
Surely there is some middle ground between A) initiating a confrontation with a young man who had committed no crime which resulted in his death while in custody, and B) disappearing. Or is violent militaristic confrontation the only thing American cops know how to do now?
I remember my government teacher telling us not to complain about elected officials if we don’t vote. I didn’t vote this year (18) and not a single complaint about the government has left my mouth. :>
In the reverse, people lost the trust in police officers. Isn’t law enforcement’s job to protect and serve? Not abuse its citizens? Not to take them on drives that endanger their lives? To treat them fairly?
I’m all for firm and just policing, by the way. I simply don’t like a crooked system.
Make a mistake? They weren’t arrested for making a mistake ---- oops we brought you in but that knife is legal ---- they were arrested because they deliberately violated a man’s rights and caused his death.
It is not ridiculous to think that police can do the jobs they are well paid to do without brutalizing people who have done nothing wrong.
“In the reverse, people lost the trust in police officers. Isn’t law enforcement’s job to protect and serve? Not abuse its citizens? Not to take them on drives that endanger their lives? To treat them fairly?”
It sounds like people had lost their trust well before this incident. Baltimore had been cracking down on minor crimes for some time, hadn’t they? Seems that those in charge should have observed these problems and dealt with it a long time ago. However, if now the police are afraid to stop anybody, for anything, lest they be charged for something like false arrest, it’s a huge problem, and the citizens of Baltimore are paying for it.
What “minor crime” did Freddie Gray commit?
The police need not be afraid of anything, provided they themselves avoid committing criminal acts. I’m not quite sure why that’s such a problem for them.
The trust has been long gone. As a police officer it is your duty to protect and serve. With great power comes responsibility. You have protocols to follow and a goal to attain. If you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be a police officer.
Sometimes police officers do the best they can in the circumstances, such as the Michael Brown case, and their lives are still destroyed. We don’t know what happened to Freddie Grey yet and may never know. but at least the process should play out properly.