After taking on a deluge of bricks from the Douglas High School students, the police moved over to the area of Pennsylvania and North Ave. A growing number of angry protesters were already gathered in the middle of the intersection. It didn't long before the first bottle was thrown at the police line. And this was the catalyst that led to the shit hitting the fan.
Once again, the police were showered with hard objects. And unlike the previous assault, this one consisted of mostly adults. A source told me that the initial plan was to send the city troops out here without riot gear. And you want to know why? Because the riot gear would be to intimating to the rioters! I'm glad smarter heads intervened because if these cops were out there without head protection and shields, massive injuries would have been inevitable. Basically, the cops would have been helpless victims of a public stoning.
The cops marched forward as the angry mob seemed to retreat. However, when they started moving, they also began to vandalize and loot businesses on the main street. Amazingly, they were allowed to have free reign over these properties without any resistance from the police. I was told that this was part of the plan. Basically, the word was "give the protesters room to destroy". If they wanted to burn a few police cars, no problem, just let them do it.
Well, things quickly escalated beyond the burning police cars. Before long, buildings were being set on fire. When the fire department eventually showed up, just like the cops, they too were pelted with bricks. And when fireman attached the hoses to the hydrants, thugs began to cut the hoses with sharp knives. I had never seen anything like this!
Within a couple hours, it was total chaos! Random looting, multiple building fire and smoke-filled streets eerily transformed Baltimore into third world country. A cop, who was on the scene, later described it to me as a scene form the movie Black Hawk Down. As the cops made their way through the west Baltimore area, they were greeted with a fresh barrage of rocks and more fires at each intersection.
The cops, desperately trying to defend themselves without intimidating the rioters, were fighting a lost cause. Once again, they were forced into battle with both hands tied behind their backs.
Eventually, the Mayor called the Governor for assistance. And the plans were immediately made to engage the National Guard. The random acts of violence occurred into the witching hour but thankfully, things eventually quieted down. A few reporters pointed out that many of the thugs were probably drunk from all of the liquor they looted. Nonetheless, most of the city drifted off to sleep as the firemen and police worked into the morning......
(to be continued)
kw
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
City On Fire - The Rock Deluge
Yesterday, police were tipped off via social media sites that a group of West Baltimore high school students were planning to "purge" Mondawmin Mall. In other words, they were organizing a looting trip.
The police, dressed in riot gear, set up in front of the approaching high school students. You might think that the image of the large group of cops would have intimidated the teenagers. But instead, they appeared to be absolutely fearless. In an instant, they began to hurl bricks and large rocks at the police. And similar to what we saw on Saturday night, the cops stood down and took the deluge of heavy projectiles. At times, amazingly, the teenagers had the cops retreating!
Once again, the police were being used as target practice. And it was all being broadcast across the country on live TV. I can't imagine how frustrated these cops must have been. They were thrown into a fight with both hands tied behind their backs. I know that there are rules of engagement in combat situations, but this was f*cking ridiculous!
Later, the police commissioner explained the passive approach by saying that these were "kids". This might be true. But when a 16-year-old "kid" hits a cop in the head with a brick, he automatically assumes adult status in my opinion! I saw one cop, who had obviously reached his limit, hurl a rock back at the kids. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets reprimanded for it.
As I'm watching these undisciplined teens having a field day at the cops' expense, I couldn't help but wonder where the hell the parents were. This assault was being broadcast across every news channel on the dial. You mean to tell me that not one parent recognized that their kid was out there? If my kid was out there doing that shit and I saw it, I would have immediately dropped whatever I was doing and headed to the scene to put a foot up his ass!
And here's something else.....if this planned "purge" was broadcast all over social media, why wasn't the school alerted? Or were they? Perhaps the school administrators could have addressed the situation before it boiled over?
I also saw a TV camera man get sucker punched by one of these "kids". He had to be transported to the hospital.
Tear gas was eventually used by police to break up the crowd. But not before several officers were injured, one of which was knocked unconscious. Will the police ever be allowed to defend themselves? Unfortunately, we're gonna have more opportunities to find out.....
(to be continued)
kw
City On Fire - The Prelude
With so much to talk about regarding the Baltimore riots, I decided to break things into segments (or chapters). The downtown violence on Saturday almost seems like a distant memory after what went down last night. But I've got to start somewhere, so here we go.....
On Saturday, the Freddie Gray protest kicked off in the downtown area. Emotions were high but the protest remained mostly peaceful. However, as the evening approached, a segment of the protesters migrated towards Camden Yards where the Orioles were preparing to play the Red Sox. This is where things began to spiral out of control.
As Oriole fans primed themselves with cold Natty Boh's outside of Pickle's Pub, they clashed with a group of protesters. Trash cans were thrown into the crowed area by the protesters. This caused tempers to flair and several brawls ensued.
Across the street, a large group of Baltimore City cops were positioned at one of the main entrances at Camden Yards. As the angry crowd "peacefully" protested by spitting on and throwing rocks, bottles and other things at the police, the cops were basically instructed to just stand there and take the assault. It was almost surreal to see large metal barricades being freely thrown at the police. How much of this nonsense were these guys expected to take?
On Saturday, the Freddie Gray protest kicked off in the downtown area. Emotions were high but the protest remained mostly peaceful. However, as the evening approached, a segment of the protesters migrated towards Camden Yards where the Orioles were preparing to play the Red Sox. This is where things began to spiral out of control.
As Oriole fans primed themselves with cold Natty Boh's outside of Pickle's Pub, they clashed with a group of protesters. Trash cans were thrown into the crowed area by the protesters. This caused tempers to flair and several brawls ensued.
Across the street, a large group of Baltimore City cops were positioned at one of the main entrances at Camden Yards. As the angry crowd "peacefully" protested by spitting on and throwing rocks, bottles and other things at the police, the cops were basically instructed to just stand there and take the assault. It was almost surreal to see large metal barricades being freely thrown at the police. How much of this nonsense were these guys expected to take?
A short time later, nearby police cars were vandalized and random drivers were being terrorized by the roaming mobs. After the sun went down, several business were looted. During all of the mayhem, the clock was ticking on the Oriole/Red Sox game. Eventually, tens of thousands of baseball fans would be exiting the stadium. As a precaution, it was announced that, for safety reasons, no one should exit the stadium until further notice. So, basically, a group of thugs now had 30,000 baseball fans held hostage inside Camden Yards.
Meanwhile outside, traffic was gridlocked in the city due to idiots lying in the middle of the streets. Additionally, they disrupted service on the city's light rail system.
Meanwhile outside, traffic was gridlocked in the city due to idiots lying in the middle of the streets. Additionally, they disrupted service on the city's light rail system.
While I was watching all of this stuff go down, I kept wondering who was in charge. To allow this nonsense to escalate to a boiling point was hard to comprehend. Thankfully, the baseball game went into extra innings which allowed things to simmer down a bit. By the time the fans left the stadium, traffic was finally moving and the light rail was back in business. Although there a few reported incidents, most of the fans were able to make it home safely.
During a press conference on late Saturday night, Mayor Rawlings-Blake made a comment where she appeared to say that the peaceful protesters were "given space to destroy". Was Baltimore's head honcho actually giving the green light for random acts of violence? Whether this was a Freudian slip or maybe just a brain fart, the Mayor's comment has since been a source of discussion (and scrutiny) across the national news stations.
Additionally, we were told the "agitators" were mostly from out of the area even though the majority of the arrested individuals were Baltimore residents. If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone is trying to blow smoke up our asses.
Things eventually quieted down and the city went to sleep. The next day, the only reported violence was the 18-7 beat-down that the Orioles gave to the Red Sox.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, but things were about to take a turn for the worse......
Additionally, we were told the "agitators" were mostly from out of the area even though the majority of the arrested individuals were Baltimore residents. If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone is trying to blow smoke up our asses.
Things eventually quieted down and the city went to sleep. The next day, the only reported violence was the 18-7 beat-down that the Orioles gave to the Red Sox.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, but things were about to take a turn for the worse......
(to be continued)
kw
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
The Gray Incident Brews in Baltimore
The spotlight is on the Baltimore City Police Department over the death of 25-year-old, Freddie Gray. During, what seemed to be a routine arrest, Gray somehow wound up with a broken neck by the time he got to the police station. He wound up being transferred to the University of Maryland's Shock Trauma center where he died a week later.
So, as this story quickly captures national media attention, the big question is: Who or what caused Gray's fatal injuries?
After several high-profile police shootings, it should come as no surprise that the cops are being scrutinized in the Baltimore incident. Adding pressure to the BCPD's defense, the six officers who were involved with Gray's arrest have been suspended. And Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, in my opinion, didn't really help the cops during her recent press conference in which she expressed "frustration" and "anger". And the names of the six cops have been released. I'm not sure if this was such a good idea either.
While I agree that this certainly doesn't look good for the cops to pull a guy out of the paddy wagon with a severed spinal cord, I think we should let the investigation run it's course before we start dishing out the blame. I have personally been told by Baltimore City cops that it's not uncommon for detainees to bash their own heads into car windows and/or the insides of the wagon. This is especially true of people who are whacked out on drugs. I mention this because Gray was no stranger to drugs. He had over 20 criminal court cases against him (5 active), mostly of which were drug related. I'm not saying that Gray broke his own neck, but it's just something to think about it.
On the other side of the equation, I have also been told firsthand about how the paddy wagon drivers sometime take "the bumpy route" while a suspect is locked in the back of the wagon. Could Gray have sustained his injures from getting thrown around on the ride back to the station?
Incidentally, the initial autopsy concluded that there was no excessive force used on Gray. The family has since hired a well-known Baltimore lawyer, so I would expect the autopsy to be contested.
And maybe it's irrelevant, but a question that popped into my mind was: Why was Gray arrested in the first place? Well, apparently, he ran when he saw the police approaching. Here we go again. Why would you run from the police, especially if you didn't do anything illegal? I'm not saying that anyone deserves an ass whooping from running from the police, but haven't we all learned by now that it rarely turns out well for the Running Man?
Once the police caught up to Gray, they found a switchblade on him. I could be wrong, but I didn't think that you could be arrested for simply possessing a switchblade. So, is there any more to the story?
Complicating things even more, it was just announced that the Department of Justice is going to conduct a civil rights investigation. I guess it shouldn't be surprising since this case fits the narrative of the white cop killing the unarmed black man. By the way, did you know that roughly twice as many whites are killed by police? Of course, those incidents don't supply the required criteria to draw national media attention and protests.
As protests have begun to surface, this one will likely get bigger in the upcoming days. How far will things escalate? If the cops are found not guilty of any wrongdoing, will that be the end of it? Stay tuned.....
kw
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Dumb Smartphone Stories
Today, it's hard to find anyone over the age of five who doesn't have a cell phone. These technological marvels have almost become like another human appendage. Remember the American Express slogan "Don't Leave Home Without It"? Most people feel like that also applies to their cell phone as well. Can you imagine being out in a public place and not having the ability to update your Facebook status? It would be downright devastating!
Have you ever noticed when someone, especially a teenager, happens to lose their cell phone? It's like the world just ended. I was in a convenience store recently when I overheard a conversation between two teenage girls. The one girl, obviously upset, was freaking out about losing her phone. Her friend tried to console her by telling her that it was only a phone. Well, the girl replies, "It's not only a phone. It's my life!"
While I admit that I do like the convenience of my cell phone, I don't particularly like the zombie-like effect that "Smartphones" are having on us. For instance, have you walked through a crowded shopping mall recently? People stroll around staring into their phones as they walk into doors, trashcans and other people. I used to simply move out their way. But should I really have to do this because they're too preoccupied and inconsiderate to look where they're going? I don't think so. So, now I just stand there like a basketball player setting an illegal pick and let them walk right into me. The amazing thing is that some people look at me like I'm the asshole. They don't even apologize! They just look up and then nonchalantly go back to staring at their phone. They seem almost oblivious to the fact that they just walked into another human being.
I went to a movie theater recently. Before the movie started, there was an announcement that explained why using your cell phone during the movie is inconsiderate. At first, I thought it was ridiculous. Everyone knows that it's rude to talk during a movie, right? I guess I give people too much credit. Because if they don't run the announcement, you know there will be several inconsiderate idiots yapping into their phones during the entire film.
Another thing that drives me crazy with cell phones is how everyone is obsessed with video recording everything. Let's say a person gets hit by a car. Instead of people rushing to the injured person's aid, people will instinctively reach for their cell phones and then proceed to record the poor bastard's agony. Jostling for a closer position, people will say things like, "Aw, man! Look at that bone sticking out of his leg! I can't wait to upload this one to You Tube!"
Somewhat related, I was at a concert last weekend (The band happened to be Great White). It was one of those standing room only shows. Since I happen to be over 6 feet tall, you would think that I'd have a pretty decent view of the stage. However, thanks to everyone's insatiable need to shoot their personal video of the show, my view is now blocked by a high wall of Smartphones. I had to watch the entire performance of "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" from some guy's viewfinder!
And just yesterday, I was reading about two Oklahoma roommates who got into a fight over who's phone had the better operating system (Android vs. Apple). The fight escalated to the point where one of them was eventually stabbed with a broken beer bottle. That's right, these two moron's squared off to defend the honor of their respective Smartphones. And they say that chivalry is dead...
kw
Have you ever noticed when someone, especially a teenager, happens to lose their cell phone? It's like the world just ended. I was in a convenience store recently when I overheard a conversation between two teenage girls. The one girl, obviously upset, was freaking out about losing her phone. Her friend tried to console her by telling her that it was only a phone. Well, the girl replies, "It's not only a phone. It's my life!"
While I admit that I do like the convenience of my cell phone, I don't particularly like the zombie-like effect that "Smartphones" are having on us. For instance, have you walked through a crowded shopping mall recently? People stroll around staring into their phones as they walk into doors, trashcans and other people. I used to simply move out their way. But should I really have to do this because they're too preoccupied and inconsiderate to look where they're going? I don't think so. So, now I just stand there like a basketball player setting an illegal pick and let them walk right into me. The amazing thing is that some people look at me like I'm the asshole. They don't even apologize! They just look up and then nonchalantly go back to staring at their phone. They seem almost oblivious to the fact that they just walked into another human being.
I went to a movie theater recently. Before the movie started, there was an announcement that explained why using your cell phone during the movie is inconsiderate. At first, I thought it was ridiculous. Everyone knows that it's rude to talk during a movie, right? I guess I give people too much credit. Because if they don't run the announcement, you know there will be several inconsiderate idiots yapping into their phones during the entire film.
Another thing that drives me crazy with cell phones is how everyone is obsessed with video recording everything. Let's say a person gets hit by a car. Instead of people rushing to the injured person's aid, people will instinctively reach for their cell phones and then proceed to record the poor bastard's agony. Jostling for a closer position, people will say things like, "Aw, man! Look at that bone sticking out of his leg! I can't wait to upload this one to You Tube!"
Somewhat related, I was at a concert last weekend (The band happened to be Great White). It was one of those standing room only shows. Since I happen to be over 6 feet tall, you would think that I'd have a pretty decent view of the stage. However, thanks to everyone's insatiable need to shoot their personal video of the show, my view is now blocked by a high wall of Smartphones. I had to watch the entire performance of "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" from some guy's viewfinder!
And just yesterday, I was reading about two Oklahoma roommates who got into a fight over who's phone had the better operating system (Android vs. Apple). The fight escalated to the point where one of them was eventually stabbed with a broken beer bottle. That's right, these two moron's squared off to defend the honor of their respective Smartphones. And they say that chivalry is dead...
kw
Friday, April 3, 2015
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act - A Nutshell View
Man, has the Religious Freedom Restoration Act stirred up a shit-storm in Indiana or what? There's protests, boycotts and a lot of pissed-off people everywhere! While liberals are claiming that Indiana's version of the bill is nothing more than a license to discriminate (specifically against gays), conservatives see it as a protection of religious freedom.
This whole thing has gotten quite confusing. So, let me try to explain it layman's terms.....
Once upon a time, a group of American Indians were sitting around the camp fire hitting the peace pipe and chewing on cactus. Everyone was laughing, joking and having a helluva time when all of a sudden Uncle Sam showed up. Our observant Uncle quickly noticed that the Indians were acting a bit peculiar. Little Big Stone was trying to channel Jimi Hendrix through a bizarre air-guitar ritual while Chief Sitting Still mumbled incoherently with his palms facing skyward. All the while, through a thick haze of smoke, Tokahontas seemed to be levitating over top of the campfire.
Uncle Sam, looking very confused, demanded to know what why everyone was in such a jovial mood.. After filling his lungs with one final hit of the Mexican cactus, Parties With Wolves politely offered the pipe to Uncle Sam.
Uncle Sam declined the invitation by holding up his hand and asking, "Holy Toledo Batman, what kind of drugs are you guys on?!?"
"Peyote, you silly white man.", replied one glassy-eyed tribe member.
"Peyote?", asked Uncle Sam. "Do you guys know that stuff is a illegal?"
A chorus of laughter reverberated around the campfire as Chief Sitting Still explained, "It may be illegal in your world, Samuel. But in our culture, it is part of a sacramental ritual. You see, Parties With Wolves might appear as if he's auditioning for a Cheech and Chong movie but, in reality, he's experiencing a sacred religious movement. So, if you would, please escort yourself out of here and go organize a pow-wow with your lawmakers."
And that's essentially how the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was born.
Let us jump ahead to 1993 which is when the RFRA was signed into law by President Clinton. And before anyone lines up on either political side, keep in mind that the RFRA was almost unanimously supported by Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Basically, this law gave Native Americans the right, under religious principles, to smoke all of the peyote they wanted without fear of prosecution from the federal government.
And just when you might think that everyone's happy......
In 1997, it was found that the federal government had actually exceeded it's constitutional authority by imposing the RFRA on the states. So, this opened up the doors for states to pass their own versions of the RFRA. (To date, twenty states have these "local" RFRA laws and several more are in the process of passing them.)
Kicking this thing into another gear was the Affordable Care Act (aka Obabacare). You see, part of President Obama's controversial law required companies to provide contraceptives (aka birth control) to their female employees. One company in particular, Hobby Lobby, refused to be a part of this based on religious principles. As a result, a lawsuit was brought forth (Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby) which ended with a landmark decision by the Supreme Court which gave companies the green light to use religion as factor in what they will or will not do.
Are you confused yet? Yeah, me too....
Complicating things even more is the increasing number of gay marriages. You're probably thinking, "Wait a minute, Ken. We went from hallucinogenic drugs to Obamcare and now we're talking about gay marriage?" See, you are paying attention. Anyway, when gay couples started showing up at businesses to prepare for their weddings, a few of these businesses had hissy fits. For instance, a bakery* (or was it a pizza shop?**) refused to make wedding cakes for a gay couple because they claimed that homosexuality, specifically gay marriage, violated their religious beliefs. The media latched onto the emotional reaction and ran with it. And basically this is what started the wheels in motion for the big controversy that we've seen in Indiana over the past few weeks.
This is a very complicated issue, folks. One person might think that the gay couple could simply go to another bakery (or pizzeria). But is that really fair? On the other hand, is it really fair for the government to force someone to go against their religious principles? There's a fine line between infringing on religious freedoms and discrimination. If a business owner doesn't happen to be fond of homosexuals, can he simply thump his bible and legally kick them out of his store? And how far will things go? If a Muslim beats his wife, can he be claim that he's perfectly within his rights according to Sharia Law?
As you can see, things have snowballed quite a bit since the peyote party around the campfire......
kw
* http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/os-cut-the-cake-bakery-gay-fight-20150403-story.html
** http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/04/04/more-than-842k-raised-for-indiana-pizzeria-after-uproar-over-stance-on-religious-freedom-law/
This whole thing has gotten quite confusing. So, let me try to explain it layman's terms.....
Once upon a time, a group of American Indians were sitting around the camp fire hitting the peace pipe and chewing on cactus. Everyone was laughing, joking and having a helluva time when all of a sudden Uncle Sam showed up. Our observant Uncle quickly noticed that the Indians were acting a bit peculiar. Little Big Stone was trying to channel Jimi Hendrix through a bizarre air-guitar ritual while Chief Sitting Still mumbled incoherently with his palms facing skyward. All the while, through a thick haze of smoke, Tokahontas seemed to be levitating over top of the campfire.
Uncle Sam, looking very confused, demanded to know what why everyone was in such a jovial mood.. After filling his lungs with one final hit of the Mexican cactus, Parties With Wolves politely offered the pipe to Uncle Sam.
Uncle Sam declined the invitation by holding up his hand and asking, "Holy Toledo Batman, what kind of drugs are you guys on?!?"
"Peyote, you silly white man.", replied one glassy-eyed tribe member.
"Peyote?", asked Uncle Sam. "Do you guys know that stuff is a illegal?"
A chorus of laughter reverberated around the campfire as Chief Sitting Still explained, "It may be illegal in your world, Samuel. But in our culture, it is part of a sacramental ritual. You see, Parties With Wolves might appear as if he's auditioning for a Cheech and Chong movie but, in reality, he's experiencing a sacred religious movement. So, if you would, please escort yourself out of here and go organize a pow-wow with your lawmakers."
And that's essentially how the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was born.
Let us jump ahead to 1993 which is when the RFRA was signed into law by President Clinton. And before anyone lines up on either political side, keep in mind that the RFRA was almost unanimously supported by Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Basically, this law gave Native Americans the right, under religious principles, to smoke all of the peyote they wanted without fear of prosecution from the federal government.
And just when you might think that everyone's happy......
In 1997, it was found that the federal government had actually exceeded it's constitutional authority by imposing the RFRA on the states. So, this opened up the doors for states to pass their own versions of the RFRA. (To date, twenty states have these "local" RFRA laws and several more are in the process of passing them.)
Kicking this thing into another gear was the Affordable Care Act (aka Obabacare). You see, part of President Obama's controversial law required companies to provide contraceptives (aka birth control) to their female employees. One company in particular, Hobby Lobby, refused to be a part of this based on religious principles. As a result, a lawsuit was brought forth (Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby) which ended with a landmark decision by the Supreme Court which gave companies the green light to use religion as factor in what they will or will not do.
Are you confused yet? Yeah, me too....
Complicating things even more is the increasing number of gay marriages. You're probably thinking, "Wait a minute, Ken. We went from hallucinogenic drugs to Obamcare and now we're talking about gay marriage?" See, you are paying attention. Anyway, when gay couples started showing up at businesses to prepare for their weddings, a few of these businesses had hissy fits. For instance, a bakery* (or was it a pizza shop?**) refused to make wedding cakes for a gay couple because they claimed that homosexuality, specifically gay marriage, violated their religious beliefs. The media latched onto the emotional reaction and ran with it. And basically this is what started the wheels in motion for the big controversy that we've seen in Indiana over the past few weeks.
This is a very complicated issue, folks. One person might think that the gay couple could simply go to another bakery (or pizzeria). But is that really fair? On the other hand, is it really fair for the government to force someone to go against their religious principles? There's a fine line between infringing on religious freedoms and discrimination. If a business owner doesn't happen to be fond of homosexuals, can he simply thump his bible and legally kick them out of his store? And how far will things go? If a Muslim beats his wife, can he be claim that he's perfectly within his rights according to Sharia Law?
As you can see, things have snowballed quite a bit since the peyote party around the campfire......
kw
* http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/os-cut-the-cake-bakery-gay-fight-20150403-story.html
** http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/04/04/more-than-842k-raised-for-indiana-pizzeria-after-uproar-over-stance-on-religious-freedom-law/