http://convictsoapbox.com/2015/05/14/baltimore-justice-served/
Justice Prolonged.
Fro the past few weeks the unrest in the city of Baltimore has been receiving media attention. In the wake of eh murder of 25 year old Freddie Gray. Even some of eh city's big named celebrities of the city came in support of the protester's and the city as a whole.
Charging the Baltimore 6
On Thursday April 30th the head states prosecutor (Marylyn Mosbey) gave a conference officially charging the 6 officer that was involved with the homicide of Mr. Gray. Charges range from 2nd degree murder to assault and those are just the physical charges not to mention the charge of misconduct in office. The Baltimore police department turned their report over a day early. In order not to only keep tension down but also to attempt to show the citizens of Baltimore & the nation that they either had nothing to hide or that they did a thorough investigation. Before this report was released there where many form's of his information that Mr. Gray was trying to harm himself or that he was perfectly fine from the time he was arrested until the time of his death. The video footage that the nation saw says other wise. In the midst came to light particularly that the officer driving the van made a 4th stop that the C.C camera's that monitor the city didn't catch. This uncalculated stop was caught a stir up around the country or the city of Baltimore would it have ever came to light. I don't want to get caught up on what it's I'll just stick to the facts.
As Ms. Mosby explains the charges the F.O.P. was also writing a letter requesting that a special prosecutor be brought in stating that the charges came too soon and some critics also say that the charges doesn't fit the crime if there was a crime by the officers. Even though the states prosecutor broke down each and every CHARGE. Lets not forget these are only chanres. Meaning that they are only charged with the crime not indicted. For the critic's that think that the charges came too fast . Well here is some food for though Black, Brown and poor white individuals are charged just as fast for the same crime. The only difference is we knows that they will get indicted no if, ands or buts about if.
"The question of Race"
The question of race was risen in many conversation due to the fact that 3 of the officer's are Black & the other 3 white. At this rate it's not a matter or race. It's a matter of right & wrong. The police against the citizen's's and the abuse of power that's what this is about. This is about the police of Baltimore and all over this country going over board in their policing tactic's. Baltimore is a city of mixed cultures however the black communities are saturated with officer's black & white so no this is not about race it's about 30 years plus of a system of policing it just so happen that as the millennium came in and. mayor Martin O'Malley implemented his zero tolerance policy in 1999. The policing in Baltimore city became more a military faction than a common police force years later 2015 the death of Freddie Gray was the boiling point for the city of Baltimore as well as the murder's of Eric Gardner, Michael Brown, Tamere Rice & Walter Scott among many other's and the constant police murders throughout America. Let's not use the race card this time as far as the charged officers go.
"Protesting For A Cause"
On Monday eh youth of the city took to the streets to express their frustrations. They in turn burned, looted & tore down a few establishments in the city to show the frustration that they felt so needed to get out. And for this they where call thug's and criminal's. And not what they really where a bunch of tired children tired of seeing the way police treat the people of their city.
It may be safe to say that these young brothers & sisters things like this. Peaceful marching & protesting hasn't gotten the people anywhere at this point. So there has to be another way to get the attention of the nation, and the attentions of the system that they are under that perpetrates these policing tactics that they see on a constant basis. Now don't get it wrong I'm not endorsing violence in no way. How ever they got results the results that they wanted and those results was that their voices where heard by the country. And also that tomorrow they could be Freddie Gray or any other black or brown male in any city, country or state where the policing tactics are the same in Baltimore city. So don't misjudge the youth stop calling them thug's & criminals for they are our future and may be our next educators politicians, doctors & police. The anger that they consumed was over a period of time not just from this one incident.
The cry went out and the cites of this count try heard it, Seattle Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Oakland, Cincinnati & Chicago and many other cities felt those young & old in the ranks and joined in. And stood side by side with the residents of Baltimore
The media heard them too they played the burning of buildings over and over again. All day and all night why didn't they do the same when the people used the tactic of civil disobedience to get the attention of the country.
"D.O.J. Investigation"
Friday May 8th the new attorney General Ms Loretta Lynch place an Federal investigation on the Baltimore police department. This investigation will be the same as the one done in Ferguson. It will probe into racial profile. Biasness, Excessive force by the department and other form's of misconduct. Since 2011 the city of Baltimore has paid almost 7 million dollars to citizens of the city with a number of 102 lawsuit's for misconduct one persons was an 83 year old grandmother & one was a pregnant woman. However this process will take more time in Baltimore than it did in Ferguson.
As Mrs. Lynch announced this investigation the F.O.P. requested that the Mayor of the city be placed under an investigation of her own. Here we go now pointing the finger. It was okay when the officers had their way with the citizen's of Baltimore and the mayor announced free range. Now that the spot light is on the misconduct of the department the F.O.P. want's one for her action.
Now what needs to be done and what need's to be addressed is how commissioner Batts got on national T.V. and told the nation that Mr. Donta Allen told him that Mr. Gray was on the other side of the partition trying to harm himself. Then week's later Mr. Allen stated that he said no such thing if you lie about that Mr. Batts what use is it that you have lied to the people about. Let's not sweep this statement under the rug. He must be held accountable the same way he held the citizens of Baltimore for their right's wrong's. What's surprising is that no one called him out or called for his resignation after the fact.
"The City of Baltimore"
Baltimore is one of the largest cities in the nation that hold's a number of 600,000 plus residents. Many of these residents live in low income communities where the average house hold lives be-low the poverty line.
Study show's that it is more harder for a youth in the city of Baltimore to get out of the shock's & strains of poverty compared to their counterparts in other cities.
That mean's to grow up on the streets of Baltimore your doomed to a life of crime. Poverty means lack of money, lack of money mean's crime & leads on to either prison or the grave. So this is saying that the children of Baltimore city has not a snowball chance in hell at a chance of a productive life due to the socio-economic situation that they are placed in. This has been a problem for year's in Baltimore. So why is it that all these statistics and studies happen during the time of riots, tension & unrest in the city occurred. What was it that no one cared.?
In Baltimore there is a great multitude of the cites black males incarcerated or on some type of parole or probation. And when released. It becomes harder for the male to obtain steady employment. Due to the fact that he has become a third class citizen that most people would either not trust or just won't hire. Also the education system is in shambles in the city multiple schools have been shut down. Because of the budget. Tell me this if you place one teacher in a room with 30 to 40 students who will learn let's say 5 out of 30. These two problem's amongst many must be addressed. The nation is watching can Baltimore be the city that reads once again and not the city that bleeds. Can it return to the times of officer friendly and not the villains behind the badge. The citizens of Baltimore are in a traumatized state. Can the old Baltimore be restored. Its time to come up with a solution people we know the problems it's time to address them.
And to the leaders. Bro. Jamal Bryant, Bro. Jay Morrison, the youth of Baltimore, and those behind all the way to it's finally stage's I commend you however we have more work to do. This is just the beginning.
Rainbow
