All Lives Matter

 A Thug Is A Thug Is A Thug. How anybody could have the audacity to politicize a perfectly good word because of its “racial” implications is ridiculous. One man speaking to reporters claimed that when he fought for his country he was considered a patriot, but now that he fights for "his people," he is considered a “thug.”

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary's definition of the word thug is as follows: " a violent criminal, or a brutal ruffian or assassin, Deliberately cutting fire hoses, burning down a drugstore,  pelting police and causing them bodily harm, looting and acting without regard for the lives and safety of others-lashing out-is the behavior of brutal ruffians. A thug is as a thug does, irrespective of race, creed or socio-economic background.

Freddy Gray's unnecessary and as we have now come to learn, illegal arrest which caused his fatal injuries are inexcusable. Yet I experience conflicting emotions while listening to pundits intellectualize, politicize and proselytize the cause of the Baltimore riots.

Rebellion, political protests and clashes between the haves and have not's is not a new phenomenon. Thomas Jefferson said that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing....The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”   Of course he was writing from the safe distance of Paris, much like I am writing this from the comfort of my living room far away from the chaos that engulfs West Baltimore.

Gentrification is slow to reach West Baltimore. Residents of West Baltimore have had to endure the burned out, vacant row-houses that have discouraged investment in the neighborhood for decades.  In marginalized communities across the United States predatory lending is rampant; credit is king and debt is a way of life creating a culture of poverty, which ensures that the cycle of poverty continues for generations. In 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Baltimore rioted in protest of the same conditions that plague Baltimore today:  subpar housing, distrust of law-enforcement, unemployment, inadequate schooling, social and economic injustice.

We have learned that Baltimore spends the third highest per capita on its public schools. According to the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore ranked second among the nation’s 100 largest school districts in per pupil spending.

Of course it’s easier to get angry, burn buildings down and lay blame everywhere but where it belongs than it is to be pro-active about  doing the work that will create positive and long term change such as finding after-school or community based programs that offer support to low-income families so that their children are given an opportunity to escape the conditions that keep them trapped. Naturally, in a capitalist economy there will always be barriers that can impede progress such as race, class and gender but these are facts of life. I doubt you will find any successful person who came from humble beginnings that can say their journey was a simple one. There is no quick fix to achieving success; one has to want it and earn it. 

 

Today, unlike 1968 Baltimore's top brass is black. The mayor and State's Attorney are black. Three of the six indicted officers are black. Stephanie Rawlings Blake has already come under fire for the language she used to describe the lawlessness that erupted in Baltimore. She has since back tracked and said she shouldn’t have used such language.  Of course, I disagree: a thug by any other name is still a thug.  Criminal behavior should never be condoned or justified. But, she is a politician and she can’t alienate her constituents or the police department she must rely on. A house divided against itself cannot stand.   In the meantime, while we await the outcome of the Freddy Gray investigation with baited breath, I can’t help but wonder if the protestors chanting black lives matter in response to the recent deaths of black men at the hands of law enforcement might take to the streets to voice their outrage over the death of an innocent NYPD officer. Officer Brian Moore was doing his job; attempting to protect the community he served from thugs like Demetrius Blackwell, who shot him in the face and killed him. The irony is heartbreaking. Enough is enough.  All lives matter.