What is black and white and red all over? A joke told to me fifty so years ago by an 8 year old. Sad as it might be, racial riots have a consistent history that overshadows everything else that is good about ethnic culture. Even the children are affected. The riots in Baltimore indicate that we still have a problem. It is the latest venue for what appears to be a racially motivated arrest and subsequent death of an African-American from a high crime area in Baltimore, which then proceeded to ignite an anti-cop protest and riot. Back in the day this type of oppression was called “police brutality” a mantra that was chanted by, among others, white upper class hippies when they were being arrested for protesting the Vietnam War and college students across the country after the 1970 Kent State shootings. Even then the Kent State incident was massively reported with graphic and inflammatory photographs of the victims.
But wait, what are we talking about here a racial riot or police misconduct? Well it seems this is a little bit of both. This is a racial riot by a people who believe that the police in Baltimore, or everywhere for that matter, are targeting the African-American race. However, this was also an arrest by six officers, three of whom were black. So how then is this a racial issue? If not, it must then be a reaction against police conduct in general, which would make it fair game for all races. Meaning everyone should be rioting. But everyone, thank God, isn’t rioting so this event isn’t quite as simple as your typical white on black lynching by the police bullies.
No, this event needed some swift action to defuse the racial tension, and some political spin to appear fair to the general population. Thus we have a stack of very serious charges leveled at officers of both races, the most serious against the African-American van driver, who one might have thought must have dragged the victim through the streets by a rope.
According to CNN prosecutors tend to give the officers the benefit of the doubt. Not here. This indictment happened so fast there was no question or mitigating circumstances – the prosecution made it clear, this was cold blooded murder. Why was it prosecuted so fast? Well there must be a no-brainer in there somewhere. That no-brainer is probably the “probable cause” for arrest. There wasn’t any. The guy was arrested because he ran. I really don’t know if it is illegal to run from a cop while not committing a crime but I am pretty sure if they tell you to stop you better stop.
In Fred’s case having a criminal record may give you enough cause to run away from cops for no reason. And I think I can say that sometimes just being black may give you enough reason to assume you are being targeted. But all the reports seem to indicate his only apparent crime was making eye contact with the officers. Of course when you run, even for no reason, it’s an open invitation for police to chase you and throw you in the van. However my issue isn’t with Freddie, it isn’t with the officers, it isn’t even with the “thugs” who think they can take the city apart when the actions of a very few people bother them.
My issue is with the prosecution, a fraternal order of its own ilk that has too much power, and the laws themselves. For one thing consider that the US incarcerates more people (2.0 Million at the moment) per capita than anywhere in the world, by a longshot. Then look at the six police officers which each have a handful charges slapped on them (the driver committed murder?) in very short order and clearly as a political maneuver to appease an angry mob of constituents. Moreover, this prosecutor apparently faces some conflict of interest allegations.
I’m going to be race blind and legally blind here for a second and ask a common sense question: how can six people kill this guy without some sort of premeditated conspiracy? I mean they weren’t beating him up. Did the guy on the bike kill him too? I mean the way the laws are written I’m sure they can charge them with whatever they want and perhaps public support would be on their side. But common sense isn’t. Prosecution misconduct these days is every bit as rampant as police misconduct but isn’t easy to discern and even harder to challenge. And mandatory sentencing guidelines now throw just about everyone in jail and the folks who should be most concerned with that are black males who comprise about 40% of the prison population. My most vehement objection to this mess is that rushing to judgement and overcharging the police in the face of an angry mob is more egregious than the police attempting to do their jobs and failing miserably. Did these police set out that day to kill someone? Was this seriously “depraved murder” and manslaughter? I’m all for charging them with the correct crimes. But when it comes to potentially giving them 50 year sentences for doing their job in the most dangerous sections of the country, I’m not on board with that.
Charles Barkley, at his level headed best, says “we need the cops” especially in black communities where is would otherwise be chaos. Who will be a cop after this? And if these guys aren’t convicted, what happens then, more riots?