BALTIMORE

baltimore.

i almost don't want to write about baltimore. i almost want to wait until emotions, fires, and violence simmer down before i share mine. why stir the pot?

but after reading articles about the pure madness that has encapuslated that city, i want to make my voice heard too.
my goal is not create more anger. if i do, then i have not served my purpose. i have not met my end goal.

the riots in baltimore begin on the day of the funeral for freddie gray. prior to freddie's funeral there were protests surrounding the cause of his arrest and death. 
there have been numerous men shot and killed by police. there have been numerous criminals killed because they were running from police officers. there have also been numerous police officers who have used excessive force on criminals.

the public issue comes down to discrimination and racial injustice. i get that and understand it. what i do not understand how rioting in YOUR OWN COMMUNITY is a productive means to an end.
many of the rioters are upset. mad. angry. they want change. they want their voices to be heard. they want to be treated fairly.

WE ALL DO.

we all deserve, no matter how different we are from each other, basic civil rights. by definition a civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places [cite: cornell law school].

however, we all face discrimination or injustice, whether it be racial, social, gender, and/or sexual. it is a way of life. many say it shouldn't be, but it always has been and probably always will be. we are not all created equal. we just aren't. we are not meant to be. it wouldn't make sense if all people were exactly the same and came from the same places. the same hair, build, height, brilliance, had the same health status, eye color, and the same family.

[survival of the fittest]

how can we navigate this social world with all of our vast social, race, sexual....differences? we must teach our children [and each other] compassion, kindness, acceptance and tolerance. we are meant to look different, talk different, and come from different cultures.

if we continue to breed hate and fight against our natural differences, we will never be able to come together to give everyone equal and basic civil rights. 

burning down your own community out of anger, frustration, or perceived injustice is no way to solve the problem. stealing from your neighbor isn't going to resolve the issue. injuring those whose job it is to protect and serve your community isn't going to keep you safe. i know that i will never fully understand the "mob mentality" and what makes individuals decide riots are the answer. i just can't wrap my head around what the end goal is to a riot, street violence, and structure fires.

WHY?

what do you hope to achieve? someone has to come out on top.

in every case of riots, it is not the rioters.

so again....WHY?

if it is nothing else other than to be heard, WHY?

the violence in ferguson and baltimore disgust me. i am hurt, saddened, and angered by it. i have so many things that i wish my voice was heard about. do i burn my house [or worse, someone else's house] down because of it? NO. do i throw bricks at the people who are there to protect me? HELL NO. [in most cases, you go to jail if you do those things.]

in order to have your voice heard and to have meaningful change, it has to be just that. your voice and actions must be meaningful. if you throw a fit, act a fool, or throw a tantrum, no one takes your requests seriously. and a riot is basically all of those things, rolled into one and multiplied by insanity.

it's ridiculous.

i know i come from a different view point than the rioters and the subculture they live in. but i cannot sympathize with any group of people who condone violence as a way to get their message out to the world.


this song has been in my head all day. it is about the LA riots in 1992. today is the 23rd anniversary. not much has changed. from any side of the story.

(I don't know if you can, but can you get an order for Ons, that's O-N-S,
Junior Market, the address is 1934 East Anaheim, all the windows are
busted out, and it's like a free for all here,
and uh, the owner should maybe come down here and see if he can secure his business,
if he wants to)

April 26th, 1992
There was a riot on streets
Tell me where were you?
You were sittin' home watchin' your TV
While I was participating in some anarchy
First spot we hit it was my liquor store
I finally got all that alcohol I can't afford
With red lights flashin', time to retire
And then we turned that liquor store into a structure fire
Next stop we hit, it was the music shop,
It only took one brick to make the window drop
Finally we got our own P.A.
Where do you think I got this guitar that you're hearing today?

("Call fire and tell them respond local station out to meet us at Anaheim. It's uh, flaming up good." "10-4 Alamidos at Anaheim")

When we returned to the pad to unload everything
It dawned on me that I need new home furnishings
So once again we filled the van until it was full
Since that day my livin' room's been much more comfortable
'Cause everybody in the hood has had it up to here
It's getting harder, and harder, and harder each and every year
Some kids went in a store with their mother
I saw her when she came out she was gettin' some Pampers
They said it was for the black man
They said it was for the Mexican
And not for the white man
But if you look at the streets, it wasn't about Rodney King
In this fucked-up situation and these fucked-up police
It's about comin' up and stayin' on top
And screamin' 1-8-7 on a mother fuckin' cop
It's not in the paper, it's on the wall
National guard
Smoke from all around

(Units, units be advised of an attempted 211 to arrest now at 938 Temple, 9-3-8 Temple,
thirty subjects with bats trying to get inside the CP's house...he thinks out there trying to kill him)

'Cause as long as I'm alive, I'ma live illegal

Let it burn
Wanna let it burn, wanna let it burn
Wanna wanna let it burn
(I feel insanity)
Riots on the streets of Miami
Whoa, riots on the streets of Chicago
On the streets of Long Beach
In San Francisco
Riots on the streets of Kansas City
Tuskaloosa, Alabama
Cleveland, Ohio
Fountain Valley, Paramount, Victorville
Eugene, Oregon
Eureka, California
Hesperia
Santa Barbara
Winnemucca, Nevada
Phoenix, Arizona
San Diego
Lakeland, Florida
fuckin' 29 Palms

(Any unit to assist Frank-74, Willow at Caspian... structure fire and numerous subjects looting)
(10-15 to get rid of this looter)
-sublime, april 29, 1992



in my heart i know there is more we can do as a country, as states, as cities and towns, and as communities. if we want to move on from our past, we have to be willing to work together to move forward - together. we can't do this alone or individually. we must do it together. it is the only way we will be successful.


we must start with love.

it always starts with love.


xoxo,
ks


#lotsoflovetobaltimore