Baltimorei

[flowerseverywhere]

My heart breaks for the citizens of Baltimore who only wanted to go to work this morning whose businesses are burnt down.
For the seniors who were looking forward to moving into a new affordable housing complex whose 60 units were burnt down.
Cellphones everywhere recording as people were taunting the police with words and physical objects.
To all the kids who will miss a day of school to keep them safe
to everyone who suffered injury last night

I especially feel sorrow for the Grey family.

sadness heaped upon sadness. A terrible situation made worse. Good people work so hard to make their community a better place to live and so much effort and hard work destroyed in one night.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I so agree with you. I've only been to Baltimore once, years and years ago when my Mother left my father and took me to Mexico for a few months, and on the way to Mexico we stopped in Baltimore and I remember her saying it was even more depressing than the part of Boston my father's late parents had lived in. That said, I know from living in a lower income neighborhood myself that there are some great people in such places - not all are the type the media would have you believe. I have been burnt out a bit on all the police issues which I am sure everyone here has gathered by now are definitely on my radar and of importance to me. I will look into the deceased black man who died while in police custody and try to find out more of the background before I post much more as right now I don't know enough to post on this.

I find this so depressing as there are times I've thought about living in Pittsburgh - maybe not quite the racially explosive potential that Baltimore has, but some of the similar old city trying to find its bearings in a completely different economy than in its heyday issues. That part of the country in general - the Northeast - seems to have some brutal income inequality going on - I even realized this when I was 10 living in Southern New Hampshire though I didn't throw the words income inequality around. I just knew that money wasn't spread around fairly.....but I digress. I can see such issues happening in other Northeastern cities (Hartford, Philly, New York, DC come to mind) and I'm hoping this can be nipped in the bud in Baltimore without the over the top issues from the Ferguson fiasco last year. Time will tell.

Here's a wish that Baltimore stops burning pronto and that nothing happens to stir the pot - that things simmer down and cooler heads come up with a way to restore peace. Rob

[Yossarian]

Great photo summary here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...y-funeral.html

Tough day to be a fireman.

[bae]

Tough day to be a fireman.

The rioters are cutting firehoses while they are being used.

I'd kill someone who did that.

[CathyA]

Doesn't anyone else feel like we're just tolerating this crap? I feel like too many hands are tied to rid these thugs of society......that we're too concerned about THEIR rights. That's just B.S. and will lead to the downfall of this society. And for the most part, I don't think you can constantly make excuses that certain people just can't escape poverty, haven't been given enough chances, etc., etc., etc.etc.. I'm really pissed off.

[CathyA]

Seems like you'd be justified in shooting people who were doing that, or looting a store, or trashing police cars, or throwing rocks and bottles at the police (enough to break their shields). But no.......the police would get in trouble. What can we do???

[ApatheticNoMore]

And for the most part, I don't think you can constantly make excuses that certain people just can't escape poverty, haven't been given enough chances, etc., etc., etc.etc..

I think certain individuals are just dangerous, but that yes whole parts of society (poor ghettos etc.) HAVE NOT been given enough chances to escape poverty, obviously.

[Alan]

I think certain individuals are just dangerous, but that yes whole parts of society (poor ghettos etc.) HAVE NOT been given enough chances to escape poverty, obviously.

There are different types of poverty, which are you referring to? It seems to me that what is most obvious in these events is the poverty of culture/morals/responsibility. How do you escape that without taking it upon yourself to do so?

[Tradd]

During the 68 Democratic convention chaos in Chicago, Old Man Daley said looters would be shot on sight, I believe. Too bad that's not an option now.

[ApatheticNoMore]

There are different types of poverty, which are you referring to? It seems to me that what is most obvious in these events is the poverty of culture/morals/responsibility.

even if that's true, a couple generations of real attempts to provide economic opportunities and it probably wouldn't be anymore.