Baltimore Riots On TV

I expect people in Baltimore or any other similarly situated community to seek change through non-violent means and have no problem with rioters being prosecuted and repelled by force via the police or national guard. But I fully understand why every time this happens (police brutality), people resort to violence. Non-violent protests and effective political organizing are largely the domain of the well educated middle and upper class. The civil rights movement got a big push with the participation of middle and upper class students from elite northern universities. Cesar Chavez was recruited into community organizing by Fred Ross, a graduate of USC.

Right now, there is an organizing vacuum in communities like Ferguson and Baltimore. ACORN was actually a very effective community organization that used to have a strong presence in communities like Ferguson and Baltimore, but was viciously attacked by Republican operatives, leading to its downfall. Thus, the fact of the matter is that it is silly to expect people in Baltimore to lead a significant non-violent movement against police brutality instead of rioting in the current political and social environment in these communities. That doesn't mean it is ok to riot. But it also doesn't mean that we can just write off these communities as being degenerate when they lash out in the same way communities have lashed out in the US for the past fifty years when confronted with the same injustice.

Hey idiot. Acorn was attacked because it was about the most corrupt organization around. The only communities to lash out have been black ones. And quit overplaying the police brutality card. It is being way overstated. There is little police brutality. All the blacks who were killed were criminals. Most were lifelong criminals. The guy in Baltimore had a rap sheet a mile long. And the Baltimore police force is mostly blacks.

Star wrote:

This riot is made up mostly of teenagers using the police injustice excuse to act out.The rioting gained momentum from kids wanting to just join in the "fun".It's not as deep and as political as many are making it to be.

Agreed, just fun-seeking "yutes" because everyone else is too strung out on heroin to move.

From ABC news in March:

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency says Baltimore has the highest per capita heroin addiction rate in the country. Estimates of the total number of addicts in the city vary, but experts agree it's staggering.

In a city of 645,000, the Baltimore Department of Health estimates there are 60,000 drug addicts, with as many as 48,000 of them hooked on heroin. A federal report released last month puts the number of heroin addicts alone at 60,000.

The problem in the city is so acute that the federal government has designated Baltimore part of what it calls a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, making it eligible for special federal assistance to local police.

Tom Carr, the director of the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA program — a joint federal, state and local effort — says the heroin epidemic in Baltimore dates back to the 1950s and is now an engrained part of the city's culture.

"It's an old 'heroin town,'" says Carr. "It's accepted by all too many people down there as something that's normal behavior."

"It's almost a rite of passage for some," he adds, noting that heroin habits are often passed down from generation to generation.

Isn't that a nice family tradition?

With Gary wrote:

These kids are capable of this. They are smart and innovative.

They already did it peacefully earlier this winter.

Supposedly more mayhem is planned by the teenage trouble makers for about 3 or 4 this afternoon. Stay tuned. The national guard is in town now.

The city is not being razed to the ground. This is a large city and a small percentage of people rioted at maybe a dozen intersections across the city. The communities affected last night have largely cleaned up the messes. I ran errands around 8 pm last night in Baltimore city and saw plenty of other people out and about on usual business.

I'd encourage anyone who is appalled or saddened to donate to help rebuild the senior center--the pastor of the church building it is linked below. (I'm not a member of the church.) That building is in a rough part of town and will serve some people in real need.

Bet nobody here ever heard of the Murphy Homes

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/keyword/murphy-homes

So many broad sweeping judgments. I get the feeling, so few of you all posting on this board, have any idea how difficult some have it. Compared to your life. With very little contrary influence in the lives of people living in urban poverty, it's a wonder there is not more violence.

One of Baltimore's most well known athletes, Ray Lewis, makes a passionate plea to the people rioting:

"Stop rioting or I'll kill you".

Guy In Baltimore wrote:

With Gary wrote:

These kids are capable of this. They are smart and innovative.

They already did it peacefully earlier this winter.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/blog/bs-md-city-college-protest-20150108-story.html

Here is the thing, even these non-violent protests (the one to which you linked) are not going to change minds because they are lashing out at the wrong people. If you want the education budget increased, go speak with the education committee. Go to their office and demand an audience. Don't block highways and disturb the common citizen. That is not effective civil disobedience. That is akin to the Chris Christie bridge crap. It is bullying and being annoying to your fellow citizens.

I think these kids do have the leadership. The problem is that they are not being guided in the right direction. The media is not picking up the stories of kids doing good. They are covering the kids beating windshields in with rocks.

It is really sad because I have worked with these kids and I know they are intelligent. They aren't being given a GD chance in the world.

damnws wrote:

White cops need to stop killing black people. And more white people need to do something other than complain when riots take place. White people don't care until it hits close to home.

Exactly. The riots are rightfully happening, because the police in American or out of control. The solution is to get rid of the cause, i.e. the bad police and bad police practices. The rioters are doing a good job. Thank you to them.

With Gary wrote:

Here is the thing, even these non-violent protests (the one to which you linked) are not going to change minds because they are lashing out at the wrong people. If you want the education budget increased, go speak with the education committee. Go to their office and demand an audience. Don't block highways and disturb the common citizen. That is not effective civil disobedience. That is akin to the Chris Christie bridge crap. It is bullying and being annoying to your fellow citizens.

I'm not claiming that the students staged an effective, well-thought out protest. I'm not claiming that shutting down the roads isn't annoying, but they did prove capable of protesting without violence. That protest wasn't national news as far as I know. An ineffective protest is certainly much better than what happened yesterday.

Guy In Baltimore wrote:

I'm not claiming that the students staged an effective, well-thought out protest. I'm not claiming that shutting down the roads isn't annoying, but they did prove capable of protesting without violence. That protest wasn't national news as far as I know. An ineffective protest is certainly much better than what happened yesterday.

I hear you. I understand what you are saying and I agree with you.

Juan wayne wrote:

Houston sucks wrote:http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Bicycle-rider-dies-in-crash-with-HPD-car-6220466.php#photo-7869729

No Roy - rioting is the domain of Blacks. Hispanics don't riot. Amish don't riot. Whites don't riot. Russian-Americans don't riot. Take your libtard PC views and hit the road you loser!

Now there's something I would like to see: an Amish riot. "Gettest Thee out of my farm, heathen!"

To clarify, the rioters are doing a good job by protesting the atrocities directly, not by the misguided attacks that serve to justify things for police. Now that I see the videos, it's apparently that very little of the former is being done, and mostly the latter, which is of no usefulness in getting rid of the cause.

The cause is black people commit too much crime.

J.R. wrote:

To clarify, the rioters are doing a good job by protesting the atrocities directly, not by the misguided attacks that serve to justify things for police. Now that I see the videos, it's apparently that very little of the former is being done, and mostly the latter, which is of no usefulness in getting rid of the cause.

Get used to it.. wrote:

The cause is black people commit too much crime.

J.R. wrote:

To clarify, the rioters are doing a good job by protesting the atrocities directly, not by the misguided attacks that serve to justify things for police. Now that I see the videos, it's apparently that very little of the former is being done, and mostly the latter, which is of no usefulness in getting rid of the cause.

No the problem is POOR people commit too much crime. Poor white people commit just as much crime and do just as many drugs as poor black people.

This is a socio-economic issue. It always has been and always will be. It's hijacked by race lines but at the core it's a problem of economics.

More police will patrol areas of high crime. These areas tend to be poor areas. Poor areas tend to be populated with more african americans.

I know of areas in Louisville, KY's west end or the Dixie "dieway" area that are highly poor, high in crime...and highly white.

Alan

Get used to it.. wrote:

The cause is black people commit too much crime.

The cause is modern day institutionized slavery.

The cause is the white male. Always.

runningart2004 wrote:

Get used to it.. wrote:

The cause is black people commit too much crime.

No the problem is POOR people commit too much crime. Poor white people commit just as much crime and do just as many drugs as poor black people.

This is a socio-economic issue. It always has been and always will be. It's hijacked by race lines but at the core it's a problem of economics.

More police will patrol areas of high crime. These areas tend to be poor areas. Poor areas tend to be populated with more african americans.

I know of areas in Louisville, KY's west end or the Dixie "dieway" area that are highly poor, high in crime...and highly white.

Alan

... and if those whites rioted, looted, and burned would the enlightened classes be saying that they are simply disenfranchised people who only want their voices to be heard, or would the phrases "bitter clingers, rednecks, white trash, criminal element" be used to describe them?

This is not just a poor problem. The primary problem is that we don't expect better behavior from blacks so we end up making excuses for the rioting. It only leads to more rioting. No one should accept rioting as an acceptable substitute for civil participation in the political system. For decades the left in this country has granted their constituency the right to become violent as long as it is for a cause they agree with.

Fighting back with the power of dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l42EeAXOh5U

Tunney wrote:

In short, they rule.

Which is amazing.

Once you remember that our government switched from protecting individual's right to granting privileges, favors, and power to "victims of social injustice", then the mystery vanishes.