James Baldwin, Baltimore Police Thugs, Riots and Perhaps Justice?
James Baldwin, 1968Q. How would you define somebody who smashes in the window of a television store and takes what he wants?
BALDWIN: Before I get to that, how would you define somebody who puts a cat where he is and takes all the money out of the ghetto where he makes it? Who is looting whom?….you’re accusing a captive population who has been robbed of everything of looting. I think it’s obscene.”James was a brilliant man. The thugs I am most worried about are usually dressed in blue and sporting badges. (the police who routinely profile, beat and/or kill mostly unarmed citizens who are vulnerable)
In Baltimore, a young man died and six officers were punished with a paid vacation. Their names are Lt. Brian Rice, Officer Caesar Goodson, Sgt. Alicia White, Officer William Porter, Officer Garrett Miller, and Officer Edward Nero. If this were my neighborhood, I would be angry.Then after the kid was murdered, 3000 cops come in and enforce an insane curfew. So now a whole ‘nuther bunch of people are angry. A mostly black city, after being held virtual captives by thuggish police, are now being held actual captives by the same cops who have abused them for years. A powderkeg is an understatement.
And the president did not help a great deal with his snarky remarks.While all this is going on, the police are investigating and exonerating themselves. This seems like a bad idea.
“The violence that the police have been inflicting on communities of color has been sustained and deep … I think that the unrest, the uprising, whatever you call it is, again, a cry for justice here and a cry for justice across the country because the police continue to terrorize people — and the terrorizing is actually deadly,” McKesson said. ”
On Tuesday, TV Journalist Thomas Roberts interviewed protester Danielle Williams about whether rioting and looting were the best way to represent a community searching for justice. Williams said it wasn’t before quickly putting the spotlight back on Roberts and the wider media coverage of the Freddie Gray case:”My question to you is, when we were out here protesting all last week for six days straight peacefully, there were no news cameras, there were no helicopters, there was no riot gear, and nobody heard us. So now that we’ve burned down buildings and set businesses on fire and looted buildings, now all of the sudden everybody wants to hear us. Why does it take a catastrophe like this in order for America to hear our cry? I mean, enough is enough. We’ve had too many lives lost at the hands of police officers
And last night (Wednesday) the police arrested the man who filmed police who beat on Freddie Gray….
Hmmm for what?
News Flash:
“Baltimore prosecutors, in an unexpected announcement, said Friday they had probable cause to file homicide, manslaughter and misconduct charges against police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, who died after sustaining a spinal cord injury while in police custody.
In a news conference, the state’s attorney, Marilyn J. Mosby, described repeated mistreatment of Mr. Gray. Time and again, she said, police officers mistreated him, arresting him without grounds and violating police procedure by putting him in handcuffs and leg restraints in the van without putting a seatbelt him.
Ms. Mosby also said the officers had repeatedly failed to seek medical attention for Mr. Gray after he was injured. By the time he was removed from the van, she said, “Mr. Gray was no longer breathing at all.”
The death, Ms. Mosby said, is believed to be the result of an injury Mr. Gray sustained while riding in the van without a seatbelt.”
As she announced the charges at the War Memorial here, there was cheering from people in the crowd. Dozens of police officers dressed in riot gear stood nearby.
Ms. Mosby said six officers would be charged, one with second-degree murder. She said warrants had been issued for the officers’ arrests; she said she did not know if anyone was in custody.
“We have probable cause to file criminal charges,” Ms. Mosby said.
She said that the knife the police say Mr. Gray was carrying was not a cause for arrest. “The knife was not a switch-bladed and it is lawful.” She said officers had “failed to establish probable cause for an arrest.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/02/us/freddie-gray-autopsy-report-given-to-baltimore-prosecutors.html
Alan Blinder reported from Baltimore, and Richard Pérez-Peña from New York.
Hmmm…. so perhaps, with a Black Mayor, in a mostly black town, could there be justice?
Let us ho
pe.
Tim Flanagan,
associate editor at ThePortlandAlliance.org,
ThePeaceresource.wordpress.com and
TheWordsmithCollection.wordpress.com
RevolutionResource.org 