dagblog - Comments for "What Do We Do After Baltimore?"

Churches have been pushed to

rmrd0000 — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 17:32:47 +0000

In reply to What Do We Do After Baltimore?

Churches have been pushed to the background in the lives of many Baltimoreans. Some churches are trying to become more involved in the black community.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/14/baltimore-black-churches-freddi...

There is an excellent book

rmrd0000 — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 12:27:46 +0000

In reply to What Do We Do After Baltimore?

There is an excellent book "Hero's Fight African Americans in West Baltimore and the Shadow of the State" by Patricia Fernandez Kelly that looks at how programs set up to aid poor blacks in Baltimore actually stifle development. The goal of programs is to transform "socially deficient" blacks into idealized middle-class citizens. There is no attempt to change the societal constructs that keep poor people in poverty. One example noted is that misbehavior in class that used to be handle by teachers and principals has now become a police matter.

Many quote the Moynihan report and cite the breakdown of the black family but ignore the conclusion that racism is what led to the breakdown of the black family. Fernandez Kelly relates a conversation with a colleague about why Kelly spent so much time with a young black girl who was progressing well in school. Before Kelly could respond, the colleague suggested that Kelly spent time with the girl to keep her from getting pregnant. The colleague saw the girl as something flawed. Because poor people are viewed as flawed, the situations that keep poor people oppressed are ignored. We will have an ongoing battle before the approach to poor neighborhoods changes. There was a dagblog about the shaming of people using food stamps. People saw imaginary shellfish. The poor are critiqued at every turn.

Two Baltimore police officers

rmrd0000 — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 18:17:41 +0000

In reply to If you watch the TV news here

Two Baltimore police officers told CNN that they could not do their jobs because they can't be proactive. They can't be proactive because officers were charged after Freddie Gray died in police custody. The message sent is that citizens have to agree to run the risk of being maimed or family being maimed in order for police to do their jobs. This is the equivalent of a Mafioso saying there are nice things in a home or business and it would be a "shame" if the home or business were damaged. They offer you protection at a price.

The Baltimore officers were suggesting that black Baltimoreans give up the liberty of criticizing the police for the security offered by heavy-handed policing. A few physical transgressions are acceptable along with paying out millions in legal settlements. "Talking back" to an officer is free speech.

If you watch the TV news here

Anon — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 17:46:24 +0000

In reply to No, I'm saying that black

If you watch the TV news here, the unstated but fairly clear subtext is that increased violence was because the police were holding back, implying that we should let them protect us even if a few (black) perps get roughed up. But from what I've heard, the increased violence in May was fallout from turf wars over who gets to sell all the oxycodone and adderall that was stolen from pharmacies during the Monday evening Freddie Gray riot. I have yet to see the drug angle mentioned on TV broadcasts.

No, I'm saying that black

rmrd0000 — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 03:16:42 +0000

In reply to You're saying the Baltimore

No, I'm saying that black homicides have decreased dramatically a fact that goes unnoticed

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/distorted-exaggeration-black-bla...

Edit to add:

The decrease was nation wide

You're saying the Baltimore

NCD — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 02:53:24 +0000

In reply to The homicide levels were at a

You're saying the Baltimore PD was doing well, until the recent incident?

The homicide levels were at a

rmrd0000 — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 02:01:35 +0000

In reply to Agree 100%, but cops didn't

The homicide levels were at a 40 year low in Baltimore. Crime levels was deceased in multiple urban areas. The line in the sand is that the Baltimore police cannot be given a free hand to abuse citizens.

The crime rate has decreased. The teen pregnancy rate decreased. The abortion rate decreased. At what level do socials ills have to decrease for spinal cord trauma to be untenable? Do all blacks have to allow themselves, their children, and their relatives to be abused before Baltimore City police do their job? Criminals will be criminals. Criminals will shoot each other. What rights do law abiding citizens have to give up to make police do their job?

Agree 100%, but cops didn't

NCD — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 00:32:06 +0000

In reply to The Baltimore police object

Agree 100%, but cops didn't kill any of the 43 dead in May It's a Sao Paulo like level of homicide.

How do you attract and keep good cops in a city like this? Would a highly qualified candidate with multiple employment options want to work in Baltimore? Would a good cop who could get a job elsewhere want to stay?

That is a a very big problem for the Baltimore PD. The cop in Cleveland who shot the 12 year old was fired in a town outside of Cleveland, and then hired in Cleveland. Same story of filling positions with low quality 'bad' cops.

A progressive Senator or a black Mayor, or even black cops (as in the other one who signed off on the incident report in SC), doesn't solve that very tough problem of the candidate pool. A very tough PD Chief is a starter, but they are, apparently, hard to find, and in limited supply.

"As long as the real economy

moat — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 23:58:04 +0000

In reply to What Do We Do After Baltimore?

"As long as the real economy doesn't work for minorities the underground economy will remain a vibrant, yet dangerous choice."

The "majority" economy is the same. It is not like there is this really fine market where the inequality experienced by many could be replaced by a system of fair exchange by changing some set of rules.

There is no default fairness going on.

The Baltimore police object

rmrd0000 — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 18:39:20 +0000

In reply to There is no "after" for the

The Baltimore police object to citizens recording law enforcement officers doing their jobs. The citizens view the death of Freddie Gray, the video of. SC officer shooting a man in the back, and the out of control activity of a police officer at a pool party in Texas and see no reason to trust police.