Baltimore Riots

[Gusington]

I have been watching cable news for about an hour and just want to hear what you guys have to say about the riots that broke out a few hours ago after days of relatively peaceful protests. I know what I think. What do you think?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

According to someone just a little more progressive and aware than I, using the word "riot" is racist, you racist.

[Nefaro]

According to someone just a little more progressive and aware than I, using the word "riot" is racist, you racist.

;D

[endfire79]

I've heard some parts of Baltimore are rough.  My wife worked for a telecom company around there and used to fly over every few months.  The cops warned her about a few areas, recommending to drive right through non stop.  I guess typical city though, some parts great, some parts awful.  I'd wager a lot of those hooligans were the usual scummy opportunistic riff-raff that comes over every time this type of thing happens.  The only difference between them and Sharpton is that they've got the honesty to show they're crooks on CCTV and Facebook while pretends he's helping local communities.

[Steelgrave]

I think I'm surprised it was peaceful for a few days. And watching people dance and swagger out of stores carrying loot....wait, what was this riot over again?

[Gusington]

Did someone actually say that the word 'riot' is racist?

I have family near Baltimore and have been there 100+ times. And there are some parts that are total warzones. Surprise - that's ground zero for this. Another really freaky thing is seeing the Nation of Islam and 'The 300' men in these areas trying to keep the peace. Never seen that before. Have also seen clips of mothers grabbing their sons and beating the crap out of them for being involved...never seen that before either. And also saw some footage of police, after having crap thrown at them and their car, literally grabbing whoever they could and taking them down, hard.

Another particularly nauseating thing is the city government there saying one thing (declaring a curfew for tomorrow) but not telling the police in the streets that the curfew was not actually tonight but tomorrow night. It's total chaos down there...doesn't seem to be any communication between the gov't and the police/fire dept. or any kind of plan.

Not a big fan of rioters attacking firemen either.

[Bison]

It's just a precursor unfortunately.  It has the potential to be a very tumulus summer and unfortunately I suspect there will be little leadership coming out of Washington regarding the issue or the crimes being committed.   

[LongBlade]

I'm not surprised.

There are multiple inputs to make this as bad as it is.

First, the issue of Ferguson was never settled in the public's mind. It was IMHO inevitable that the unrest would resume as soon as the weather turned mildly favorable.

Second, there have been abuses of police power, however isolated (or not) the case may be. A blurb going on the news tonight said that Baltimore had recently paid out big bucks over the last five years for settlements. That's hardly an environment to calm unrest.

Third the city and state leadership was absent in this, and in the case of the local mayor, probably counter-productive.

Fourth, at a national level having a black president who hasn't attempted to change anything (other than to increase dependence on the dole) has, after six years, started to produce cognitive dissonance in the minority urban communities. The lack of leadership on top of this has exacerbated the situation.

I'm probably leaving some issues out, but the bottom line is this is hardly a surprise to me.

Tragic. For all sides. But predictable - and I'd have called it all but certain.

Sadly, I'm afraid we must get ready for a long summer of unrest unless the leadership - and local circumstances - change dramatically.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Did someone actually say that the word 'riot' is racist?

Yup.  It was your stereotypical smug, self-hating SJW white chick speaking in reference to Ferguson.  The twit in question is Meredith Heller should you wish to torture yourself by reading her drivel.

[bayonetbrant]

From a very good friend of mine who lives in Baltimore

I don't even know what to say here - I am sitting in Oklahoma City and I am just so saddened by the behaviors at home in Baltimore. So many neighborhoods destroyed tonight and the results will push the businesses that supported the neighborhoods out. The mourners - the family and friends of the young man who died - are standing by, mouths agape, and wondering why their voices were ignored. Men and women who stood by those neighborhoods got to watch as a community center was burned down after all of their hard work. And tonight, many of us who might have understood the anger are now really wondering what's next?

Any sympathy for the dead and his family will now wane because looters took the memory and stained it with the soot and ash of burning buildings that helped sustain the people that burned it. The idea of advancing issues in equality and to promote an environment free from brutality will now take a back seat for all to the memories of burning community resources - and when the focus should have been on fixing what went wrong in the back of a police transport, we are now hearing about a Senior Center ablaze - attached to a Baptist Church. You can be angry. You can fight the system. but if you choose to fight wrong by turning against your own support, then perhaps you might no longer be deserving of my sympathy and support.

And as I listen to the press reports from hundreds of miles away, I leave you with this - I hope that tomorrow and in the coming weeks, I hope that the leaders of this community in Baltimore continues to call for peace, but more importantly, I hope that those leaders begin to call for arrests. The 'carrots' are failing and while some might argue that the 'stick' brought us here, no one can show me that the behavior here can be contained any other way.

[bayonetbrant]

[Gusington]

It's the looters that make ke the most nauseous. Maybe looking up Meredith Heller will push me over the edge and vomit on my phone.

[Centurion40]

It's just a precursor unfortunately.  It has the potential to be a very tumulus summer and unfortunately I suspect there will be little leadership coming out of Washington regarding the issue or the crimes being committed.

Oh yeah, just wait until the first big heat wave.  :o  BOOM!

[LongBlade]

At least one mother knows what to do about the situation.  O0

[Boggit]

The news here in the UK say that Baltimore gangs are targeting police and their families. Have you heard about these assassination plans? I think that won't do anything to resolve things peacefully.....