Rodrico and Karen I really appreciate you alls commentary on Baltimore. You have done an excellent job. I have been in several facebook arguements over the uprising in Bmore. I argue that uncivility (rioting and civil disobedience) are cornerstones of our democracy. We as Americans Revolt! And what is happening across the country is a critical part of our American Democracy. Power concedes nothing without demand. I am orginally from DC. We used to roll up to Bmore every once in a while to hang out at the harbor and hit a few clubs. The city was really poor. The harbor was nice, but the clubs where wack. I have many family members from Baltimore. There are areas that are just broke down. There is extreme poverty, drugs and crime. There are other black neighborhoods in Bmore that are really nice. But in those bad neighborhoods you better watch yourself. The cops in Bmore have a tough job. Cops everywhere have tough jobs. Which is why we must recruit people capable of doing those very hard jobs effectively. Cops must first be able to communicate civily with people, treat all people with respect and they also must be able to save lives and use the right level of force to gain compliance. This is part of their training. I recruit and train law enforcement officers. I am not convinced that we can train out bad behavior and bad psychological intent (racism/power hunger and stupidity). We obviously have lots of bad cops in the current police force. We have to identify the bad officers and remove them. At the same time the black community and others have to engage in making the community better. I use to work in Anacostia DC as a community organizer. We must get to know our neighbors and engage our youth. We can develop opportunities for each other to do better. We have to take responsiblity for our neighbors and youth who are engaged in destructive behavior. Rod and Karen -When is it time to talk about the state of the Black Community? The Hispanic community also needs attention as do poor white communities. The this is the Black Guy who Tips. This is that Black meeting place, Ratchet and Academy and all. . So when do we talk about ways our communities can become the best? Yall are my hero's thanks for doing great work!
nubs - 9 years ago
Hi Rod and Karen, thanks for the show. Really sorry about the block of text, but sometimes y'all have a way of explaining things that gives me a different perspective. Anyway...
I want to respond to the segment where y'all were talking about the underlying causes of the riots and protests in Baltimore. I've heard some people talk about the hypocrisy brought up by people who supported the Arab spring, but frown upon the unrest regarding Freddie Gray and the murder of black lives in America. While you both were talking about how the burning down of CVS's and Quik Trips are simply symptoms of a larger issue, I remembered the cause of the Arab spring. It was a man in Tunisia who burnt himself to death in protest. While self-immolation is crazier than burning a building, that man was pushed over the edge. If I remember correctly, unemployment was high and people were living under repressive conditions. According to the New York times, "Mr. Bouazizi, a fruit vendor, set himself on fire in front of the local governor’s office after the authorities confiscated his fruit, beat him and refused to return his property". This was all in the same day. I'm not saying a burning man is the same as a burning CVS, but I couldn't help but see both situations as examples of what happens when people and communities crack under years of abuse.
Also, a link to the NYtimes article, just because.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/weekinreview/23worth.html?src=twrhp
Rodrico and Karen I really appreciate you alls commentary on Baltimore. You have done an excellent job. I have been in several facebook arguements over the uprising in Bmore. I argue that uncivility (rioting and civil disobedience) are cornerstones of our democracy. We as Americans Revolt! And what is happening across the country is a critical part of our American Democracy. Power concedes nothing without demand. I am orginally from DC. We used to roll up to Bmore every once in a while to hang out at the harbor and hit a few clubs. The city was really poor. The harbor was nice, but the clubs where wack. I have many family members from Baltimore. There are areas that are just broke down. There is extreme poverty, drugs and crime. There are other black neighborhoods in Bmore that are really nice. But in those bad neighborhoods you better watch yourself. The cops in Bmore have a tough job. Cops everywhere have tough jobs. Which is why we must recruit people capable of doing those very hard jobs effectively. Cops must first be able to communicate civily with people, treat all people with respect and they also must be able to save lives and use the right level of force to gain compliance. This is part of their training. I recruit and train law enforcement officers. I am not convinced that we can train out bad behavior and bad psychological intent (racism/power hunger and stupidity). We obviously have lots of bad cops in the current police force. We have to identify the bad officers and remove them. At the same time the black community and others have to engage in making the community better. I use to work in Anacostia DC as a community organizer. We must get to know our neighbors and engage our youth. We can develop opportunities for each other to do better. We have to take responsiblity for our neighbors and youth who are engaged in destructive behavior. Rod and Karen -When is it time to talk about the state of the Black Community? The Hispanic community also needs attention as do poor white communities. The this is the Black Guy who Tips. This is that Black meeting place, Ratchet and Academy and all. . So when do we talk about ways our communities can become the best? Yall are my hero's thanks for doing great work!
Hi Rod and Karen, thanks for the show. Really sorry about the block of text, but sometimes y'all have a way of explaining things that gives me a different perspective. Anyway...
I want to respond to the segment where y'all were talking about the underlying causes of the riots and protests in Baltimore. I've heard some people talk about the hypocrisy brought up by people who supported the Arab spring, but frown upon the unrest regarding Freddie Gray and the murder of black lives in America. While you both were talking about how the burning down of CVS's and Quik Trips are simply symptoms of a larger issue, I remembered the cause of the Arab spring. It was a man in Tunisia who burnt himself to death in protest. While self-immolation is crazier than burning a building, that man was pushed over the edge. If I remember correctly, unemployment was high and people were living under repressive conditions. According to the New York times, "Mr. Bouazizi, a fruit vendor, set himself on fire in front of the local governor’s office after the authorities confiscated his fruit, beat him and refused to return his property". This was all in the same day. I'm not saying a burning man is the same as a burning CVS, but I couldn't help but see both situations as examples of what happens when people and communities crack under years of abuse.
Also, a link to the NYtimes article, just because.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/weekinreview/23worth.html?src=twrhp