Police, Baltimore and 1967

Forty-eight years ago I was driving a national guard truck to Newark, NJ in support of troops trying to deal with the riots. I had a rifle, but no ammunition. I remember the time quite clearly. Even if I didn’t it’s not hard to recall; all I have to do is watch the news on TV and I see virtually the same thing over and over. This is progress? Where is the failure, society as a whole or one segment of society that perpetuates its own failure? Frankly, I don’t know the answer, but I suspect it’s some of each. 

In any case, the immediate issue is the police handling of suspects.  Given they are human beings, our expectations should be no higher than for the rest of us. Every emotion, good and bad is going to show itself, every mistake, every overreaction and yes every predujice. However, that does not mean we accept blanket condemnation of police, casually use “murder,” or blindly accept public accusations by politicians. It’s a tough, often dangerous job and at times I suspect impossible to always keep emotions in check. 

We criticize the officer who responds with “unnecessary” force and yet isn’t that exactly what the rioters are doing? It is not valid to merely dismiss violence as frustration or if it is, it applies in both cases does it not?

I refuse to believe as some Americans do that there is a general hate for black Americans; or a casual disregard for life or worse, police targeting black men for death.  

Having said all that, I try to put myself in the position of a Baltimore police officer. Are they being affected by what they see now? Six months from now how will they react when required to confront a group of black teenagers or answer a robbery call? Will they look the other way, when their action is discretionary just to avoid the chance of criticism? How will they do their job , how would you do the job?  Will the black community cry foul, just because they can, justified or not?

Will the more prejudice among police remind them, “see I told you so.” There is no question in my mind that the behavior of elements of the population in Baltimore and elsewhere merely reinforces negative perceptions they are supposedly incensed about. How can it be otherwise?  The overly aggressive officer is vindicated, the outright racists are delighted … and the cycle continues. 

In the end all this is not a police-black American problem. It is far deeper than that. Forty-eight years and nothing seems to have changed despite countless dollars and programs thrown at the problem. 

Do we even understand the problem? Clearly continuing to do what we have been doing since the 1960s is not working and yet listen to the pundits and politicians and you hear calls for more of the same. 😥 

Late Mon­day, a se­nior housing com­plex un­der con­struction in East Bal­ti­more was on fire, send­ing or­ange flames into the sky. Bal­ti­more Fire Mar­shal Shawn Bel­ton, a deputy chief, said the blaze ap­peared to have been in­tention­ally set.

The $16 mil­lion com­plex was be­ing built by South­ern Bap­tist Church and had 60 units of af­ford­able hous­ing, along with a cen­ter that would of­fer work­force de­vel­op­ment train­ing, mort­gage lend­ing services and HIV AIDS test­ing, said the Rev. Donte Hick­man Sr., the church’s pas­tor.

“The peo­ple that may have done this are the peo­ple I’m fight­ing for,” the Rev. Hick­man said, adding the church would re­build.

Sean Berry-Bey, a 33-year-old res­i­dent of West Bal­ti­more, said she was dis­turbed by the sight of loot­ers of all ages at a sneaker store, a hair sa­lon and a check-cash­ing busi­ness. “It be­gan as a cause and is end­ing in pure ig­no­rance,” Ms. Berry-Bey said.  WSJ