Does anyone have our back?

[ledzepp8]

Doubtful because many of the rioters were wearing beige pants like they do in Baltimore area schools. I've heard the riot was caused by almost 90% students. Not saying a few car loads of thugs came in from out of town. Im sure it happens, but they weren't the ones destroying property.

I don't believe that for a second. The only time I saw any kids on the news was when it was still daylight. The people they were showing burning down drug stores and stealing/burning cars were not kids.

[Moshagge3]

I think the sympathy is going to be a bit different. A terrorist bombed the Marathon, and the people of Baltimore burned their own city down.

Were the Marathon bombers not Boston residents? I'm pretty sure they were. It wasn't the aliens from Independence Day coming down.

[Moshagge3]

Were the Marathon bombers not Boston residents? I'm pretty sure they were. It wasn't the aliens from Independence Day coming down.

OK, Cambridge according to Wikipedia. That's the Boston area.

[Malike]

OK, Cambridge according to Wikipedia. That's the Boston area.

Yes, it was a pre-meditated terrorist attack. It wasn't an angry mob destroying the city and looting and burning everything in sight. I can't believe people have a hard time seeing the difference between the two.

[Moshagge3]

Yes, it was a pre-meditated terrorist attack. It wasn't an angry mob destroying the city and looting and burning everything in sight. I can't believe people have a hard time seeing the difference between the two.

A pre-meditated terrorist attack by a couple of Bostonians. Yet nobody said "it's Bostonians destroying their own city, why should I care."

[Malike]

A pre-meditated terrorist attack by a couple of Bostonians. Yet nobody said "it's Bostonians destroying their own city, why should I care."

You're right, absolutely no difference at all. Two Bostonians who bombed an event that people from all over the world attended and participated in, vs. untold hundreds burning and looting the very neighborhoods they reside in. Local shop owners said they recognized a lot of the faces as customers before the riots and looting. One incident was aimed to kill people from all over the world in a terrorist attack, and the other was to destroy, steal and burn the very neighborhoods they live in.

[ledzepp8]

Yes, it was a pre-meditated terrorist attack. It wasn't an angry mob destroying the city and looting and burning everything in sight. I can't believe people have a hard time seeing the difference between the two.

I'm a little perplexed by it myself.

[OriolesManiac88]

A pre-meditated terrorist attack by a couple of Bostonians. Yet nobody said "it's Bostonians destroying their own city, why should I care."

You seriously can't see the difference between the 2 events?

[Malike]

I'm a little perplexed by it myself.

I'm going to cry "Uncle" on this thread.

[Tx Oriole]

I'm going to cry "Uncle" on this thread.

It's very sad that happened though.

[TouchemAll]

I'm going to cry "Uncle" on this thread.

Mark Twain once said "Don't argue with stupid people they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience".

[crawjo]

Americans love their drama, love to overreact. The Boston Strong stuff in 2013 was a huge overreaction, and the way that Baltimore has been portrayed in the media has also been an overreaction. It's all just American and Western privilege. Far worse things happen elsewhere around the world.

Anyway, the greater crime in the city of Baltimore, as in every city in the US, has been the long-standing assault on inner city communities by the judicial system. If people wanted to feel sympathy for Baltimore, they should have been expressing it all along, not just because a CVS burned to the ground.

Really, this whole thing exposes how out of touch people are to what has actually been happening in poor communities in the United States. We really do value property more than people.

[blid]

I agree it's a systemic problem but isn't it wider than just the judicial system? Unemployment levels, the cycle of poverty, people getting educations on the street from a young age. The life of someone born and raised in the rough parts of Baltimore would be pretty foreign to me. I'm not surprised some of these people don't give much thought to their local business owners. Telling people, well, peaceful protest is fine but this destruction of property can't be allowed, well, I don't really think they care. Actually lifting these communities back up and fixing these problems is a massive task and frankly it's one that I have no optimism about anyone committing to. It would take years, or even a generation or more to turn the tides. That's why someone rioting may have the attitude of "idgaf," and why some people are just going to take what they can get when a situation like this arises, be it some sneakers or the opportunity to lash out at police. Not even as a political statement, just because why not? The riots will end but these issues aren't going anywhere imo.

[Nevermore]

Americans love their drama, love to overreact. The Boston Strong stuff in 2013 was a huge overreaction, and the way that Baltimore has been portrayed in the media has also been an overreaction. It's all just American and Western privilege. Far worse things happen elsewhere around the world.

Anyway, the greater crime in the city of Baltimore, as in every city in the US, has been the long-standing assault on inner city communities by the judicial system. If people wanted to feel sympathy for Baltimore, they should have been expressing it all along, not just because a CVS burned to the ground.

Really, this whole thing exposes how out of touch people are to what has actually been happening in poor communities in the United States. We really do value property more than people.

I have a specific comparison to report. My tax accountant and I were discussing the situation with Freddie Gray and the events in Baltimore. My tax accountant told me that he likes to shoot target practice as a hobby. He and his friends were shooting at targets when some police came up. He ran from the police because he was afraid of being harrassed. The police let him go. My tax accountant is white and lives in the suburbs.

In contrast, Freddie Gray was talking to some friends when some police came up. He ran from the police and the police chased him, dragged him to a paddy wagon (there is a video that shows this). Somewhere along the line, the cops broke Gray's neck and eventually he died. Freddie Gray is black and lives in the inner city.

IN neither case is running from the cops against the law, and it certainly isn't a capital crime. If the cops had simply let Freddie Gray go (like they did with my tax accountant), none of this would have happened.

[Dark Helmet]

I agree it's a systemic problem but isn't it wider than just the judicial system? Unemployment levels, the cycle of poverty, people getting educations on the street from a young age. The life of someone born and raised in the rough parts of Baltimore would be pretty foreign to me. I'm not surprised some of these people don't give much thought to their local business owners. Telling people, well, peaceful protest is fine but this destruction of property can't be allowed, well, I don't really think they care. Actually lifting these communities back up and fixing these problems is a massive task and frankly it's one that I have no optimism about anyone committing to. It would take years, or even a generation or more to turn the tides. I imagine the people rioting feel more or less the same, and some people are just going to take what they can get when a situation like this arises, be it some sneakers or the opportunity to lash out at police. The riots will end but these issues aren't going anywhere imo.

Social media has assured things will never change. There has always been incidents of police not always being potrayed as good guys. But before it wasn't updated instantly on a FB or Twitter news feed. As a white person, I don't know what black people deal with. But as someone who has had experience dealing with violent situations, many don't understand what law enforcement deals with. It's easy to judge a cop watching the news. It takes a split second of hesitation to make a spouse a widow or make a child grow up without one of their parents. I'm not saying police always handle things right, but it irks me when I hear "they didn't have to use force orpull their gun". Neither side can judge the other if neither has walked in each others shoes. A majority of law enforcement are out there risking their lives to keep citizens safe, without any biased based on color.