Baltimore Burns.

[drmike]

I've been transfixed on the television tonight (while tending to my under the weather family).

This Baltimore rioting, what the hell...  I know exactly why I can't stand cities and remember the lessons of the MLK fueled summer riots of the 1960s.  Cities aren't safety zones, no matter how big the PD is or how much gentrification happens.

They are rioting because the cops failed to care for an arrestee nabbed under questionable probably cause.  Then on the 45 minute not so many block trip to the PD station the guys gets his spine nearly severed in two places.  A spine doesn't easily sever.   That's a lot of force at play or sudden G force slamming a guy around in the paddy wagon.

Freddie Gray it seems clear was murdered by cowards hiding behind badges.

Black city, black mayor, black council... unlike Ferguson, this can't just be tossed on racism.   Sure the officers who arrested and transported Gray appear to white, but half of the PD isn't.

I literally watched for 2 hours as hoods robbed corner stores and set fires in the streets then stole cars and rode through fires and set the cars on fire.  All while police held in place a block away watching.   This isn't America.  This is the type of lawless anarchy you expect in a Third World Country.

Last time in Ferguson it was Mike Brown.  This time in Baltimore it is Freddie Gray. What is next, Bob White in ___name that city___?

 

[Francisco]

I think people need to remember the guy that emptied an entire clip in that dudes back. He's getting murder 1 charges and got fired. The police department acted on it instantly once there was proof of wrongdoing. There was proof for the guy that got choked out in New York but they decided to be buddy cop instead of dealing with it properly.

Francisco

 

[drmike]

I don't think quicker action by the PD and DA to declare what happened would have stopped the rioting.  But, I do think they are dragging their feet. Five officers appeared and spoke somewhere (grand jury or deposition otherwise).

I support protesting and all scene needs to be made rights.  The rioting and looting is just unforgivable. 

We need more of the Koreans from Los Angeles and the Rodney King riots who held rooftop positions armed with rifles.  Hoodlums didn't dare go doing bad to those businesses.  Where are the shop owners?  Hire armed guards, or go sit there all night yourself with a shotgun.

Sad situation in most US innner cities.   Wonder how long until whites and Latinos start protesting then getting ugly over lack of employment, poverty, sub par schools, crappy crime infested neighborhoods, etc.?  Poverty outcomes have no racial boundaries.  Same goes for police abuse.  Plenty of Asians, Latinos and whites murdered by cops, but no one takes up the matter as what is - not race - but abuse of power.

 

[MannDude]

I like the mother who was shown on camera finding her son acting like an idiot and slapping him around on camera:

Nothing gets you rapper-esque street cred faster than getting slapped up by your Mom on national TV.

It's unfortunate that a man died ( Freddie Gray ). I'm unsure why people think destroying a community is an ideal way to state your displeasure with an issue.

They haven't released why he was arrested in the first place, only that he was arrested by bicycle police who saw him fleeing. Freddie was no stranger to police, being 25 and having a record of eighteen arrests, it's safe to assume they were familiar with him and that he was familiar with them...

Was his death a freak accident? Something more sinister? We'll never know, and even if we did find out the facts it wouldn't matter to the people who are burning their city, stealing from small family owned businesses and attacking police officers and even slashing the fire hoses of firemen who have arrived to put fires out.

Anyhow, stay classy Baltimore. Mayoral elections should be starting soon so replace the idiot mayor who gave them 'space' to destroy the city and held off on requesting backup despite prior knowledge, warnings and first-hand accounts of what had happened the night before.

 

[drmike]

That mama tending to her misled man child --- they need like 200 more of those out there.

Gray's story went something like he made eye contact with 2 bicycle cops, then proceeded to take off running.  They chased him and apprehended him.

Minimum for probably cause has always been shaky under the youth goes running when police come around.  For all we know the cops or one of them involved threatened gray or roughed him up before or something more seedy involving his documented drug dealing.  Just saying, drugs and cops are a career advancement and personal enrichment plan, have been since we went stupid on prohibition many decades ago.

There is an arrest video out there and I'll say having seen it that Gray looks injured at that point.  His body seems limp bean like.   Delay getting him into the wagon and more slumping.  Possible he was fatally injured when they chased and apprehended him.

Police should be more intelligent and determine if someone is injured and get them proper and immediate medical care.  They failed at least on that point regardless of their angle.

That mayor, boy oh boy, she literally said in press conference about giving looters space.  I'd be beyond pissed if I lived in Baltimore.  On my block, I'd be gun totting and keeping it real, for real.  But then again Maryland isn't exactly a gun rights paradise, quite the contrary.

 

[drmike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gie_BZoxoxo

 

Nina Simone's 1978 song Baltimore originally wrote by Randy Newman

----------

 

"Baltimore"

 

Beat-up little seagull

On a marble stair

Tryin' to find the ocean

Lookin' everywhere

 

Hard times in the city

In a hard town by the sea

Ain't nowhere to run to

There ain't nothin' here for free

 

Hooker on the corner

Waiting for a train

Drunk lying on the sidewalk

Sleeping in the rain

 

And the people hide their faces

And they hide their eyes

'Cause the city's dyin'

And they don't know why

 

Oh, Baltimore

Ain't it hard just to live?

Oh, Baltimore

Ain't it hard just to live?

Just to live

 

Get my sister Sandy

And my little brother Ray

Buy a big old wagon

To haul us all away

 

Live out in the country

Where the mountain's high

Never gonna come back here

Till the day I die

 

Oh, Baltimore

Ain't it hard just to live?

Oh, Baltimore

Ain't it hard just to live?

Just to live

 

[MartinD]

It's all a bit... stupid.

I see no benefit to the rioting at all and those perpetrating it are just as bad as anyone they're apparently 'demonstrating' against. I hate to bring race in to it but I can't see this happening every time a "non PoC" dies in police custody.

I have a very good friend in Baltimore and he's saying most of the folk out rioting are idiots, too.

 

[mitgib]

It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.  - "The Other America" Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. March 14, 1968

The part that I highlighted in bold is really hitting home for me.  I worry how far all these situations go before rioting seems like a mild reaction

 

[Munzy]

Is this actually happening in "Baltimore" or one of its suburbs?

 

[DomainBop]

It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.  - "The Other America" Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. March 14, 1968

The part that I highlighted in bold is really hitting home for me.  I worry how far all these situations go before rioting seems like a mild reaction

In answer to mitgib's question: historically, rioting by "the unheard" seems like a mild reaction in retrospect after their anger progresses to the next level and Marie Antoinette losing her head.

In Baltimore, the situation (community anger over police brutality) didn't start with this latest death.  The anger has been growing for a long time.  Last October Baltimore's mayor and police commissioner released a 41-page report "Preventing Harm" on police brutality and held a press conference to announce their plans to reduce police brutality in the city. 

According to statements made by the police commissioner at that press conference, state laws are one of the reasons that "bad cops" are allowed to stay on the force after there is an "incident". (quote "Police leaders cannot suspend an officer without pay until he is charged with a felony.")

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/sun-investigates/bs-md-police-report-20141007-story.html#page=1

most of the folk out rioting are idiots, too.

That's true in almost every riot.  If you're angry with person A/ institution B/ gov't policy C, you're not going to solve anything by burning down your own house and neighborhood.

 

[k0nsl]

 

[ChrisM]

This guy wins the internet!

 

[MannDude]

Is he... burning a bucket of KFC chicken?

Edit: And pouring out a bottle of grade soda drink?

I agree with most of what he said but the burning of a bucket of KFC and and dumping of the sweet nectar that is grape soda drink goes against the last part of his message.

 

[zzrok]

What the heck is happening in that facebook picture?

 

[k0nsl]

Compilation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWJM2wZb1Ew

 

[MartinD]

This guy wins the internet!

lol, Murica,

Twat.

 

[MannDude]

Watched 20 minutes of the RT live-stream today. Broad daylight, people still throwing rocks and stones at cops.

The amount of restraint these police are showing is too much. This is the time for police to be 'brutal'. They don't even retaliate. After being pelted with rocks for five minutes they move as a group forward. The protesters then go run away down the block. This repeats. What a shame that they can't or are not being allowed to do anything and are just sitting ducks.

National Guard is on the scene, but Baltimore is too busy trying to place 'city' and trying to handle this on their own.

 

[MannDude]

Livestream for those curious.

It's 10AM and they're still or already throwing rocks.

Bout time to go clean house I'd say. Do some mass sweeping rough arrests. Officers are equipped with weapons, use them. Stop being pussies because the media is there and stop letting people ruin your city.

 

[MartinD]

I quite like this image though...

 

[MannDude]

Yeah, there are still quite a few folks there who are tired of this as well and have done good in attempting to control their peers. Was impressed with the pastors who were roaming around the streets the other night trying to get the youth to stop acting crazy.

Just watched police pelt someone with paintballs or rubber bullets or something. Guy was just laughing it off and provoking them more.... Once again, way too much restraint being shown by the police.