I'm Done Making Jokes About Baltimore
I made a lot of jokes on Twitter and Facebook today at the expense of the city where I was born and where I grew up, Baltimore, Maryland. I'm done. I don't have it in me to hide my pain, my sadness, and my fear behind jokes any more. As I sat at a comedy show, on my way to another comedy show, and on my way home, I watched as my city was being destroyed. Watched as my friends and family began to fear for their lives, for their safety, and for their livelihood. I'm reading the tweets and listening to the reporters talk about business being burned down. People walking down the street setting houses on fire and smashing windows.
Nine months from now will be the biggest baby boom in Baltimore history because of all the viagra they stole from that CVS. #BaltimoreRiots— DeadairDennis (@DeadairDennis) April 27, 2015
I'm not in Baltimore, I live in Boston right now, and I have to sit here and watch my friends and family who are too afraid to walk outside of their house, helpless to do anything about it. Reading that, I know there is someone who will say, "Good! Now you and your friends and your family know the fear black people have of the police every day!" First off, what will violence and fear solve? Violence begets more violence. It's senseless. It's stupid. Violence is why there are problems in Baltimore. I have friends and family, both white AND black, who have a very real fear of being killed every day they walk out their door. The threat is not of the police, the threat is THEIR NEIGHBOR who sells drugs. It's THEIR NEIGHBOR who is in a gang. It's THEIR NEIGHBOR who will slit your throat for the sawbuck in pocket, that is threat. The creation for the fear.
"Massive looting in Fells Point right now. No police in area. STAY AWAY." Anyone verify? #Baltimore #BaltimoreRiots pic.twitter.com/niIOlxJxcY — BeerInBaltimore (@BeerInBaltimore) April 28, 2015
Baltimore is a diverse city. Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, business owners, the people who work for them, artists, and yes, a large homeless population. There is every single type of person represented throughout Baltimore. I grew up with all of them. I know there is a racism problem in this country. I know there are bad cops out there. I also know there are good cops too. Today was not about a race of people wanting representation or wanting their voices heard by the people who govern their lives. Baltimore City's mayor is a black woman, who replaced another black woman. The police commissioner is black. 40% of the Baltimore City Police force is black. 64% of the population is black. These people are not fighting to make their voices heard. People who are crying out for help against oppression. These are criminals, who want to oppress you. To take what you have, even if it's your life. They don't care about you and your neighbors.
The first picture is of a powerful movement for equality. The second picture isn't. #BaltimoreRiots pic.twitter.com/2CLeRGxX26— banksy (@thereaIbanksy) April 28, 2015
The Freddie Grey situation was a huge screw up, without a doubt, it was done wrong. There are people who will say, "Well if he didn't break the law, he wouldn't have gotten killed." There are people who will say, "The Police executed another black man." Neither of that matters today. That is not why the riots happened today. People, terrible, terrible people took advantage of a situation for their own gain. Frustration is not a valid reason for destruction. Would you accept a person at a restaurant throw his dinner plate across the room because his burger was overcooked? No! That's irrational behavior. That's all this is today, irrational behavior. A man lost his life, wrongly no doubt, but the justice for that is not to destroy YOUR NEIGHBOR'S home. YOUR NEIGHBOR'S place of employment. To steal YOUR NEIGHBOR'S stuff. It's not justification to go kill Police. That's not justice, it's chaos. It's anarchy. It's violence. It's disregard for you and everyone around you.
.@MayorSRB says they are deploying every resource possible to gain control of #BaltimoreRiots http://t.co/VV6LmN0K8E pic.twitter.com/rNK27BoZ0L — CNN (@CNN) April 28, 2015
I'm saddened by the actions of the people of my city today. Yes, they've closed schools and rec centers. Yes, cops have gone too far at times. There are no excuses for these, just like there is no excuse for violence. They weren't closed because it was a secret ploy to hold someone down, it was because they could no longer continue to fund schools that kids weren't going to. Fund programs that weren't effective in keeping kids off drugs, off the streets, and weapons out of their hands. It's not right. That needs to be fixed, both the lack of resources and the refusal to utilize those resources. The only people who suffered from those closings were the people that were using them. The kids who were going to school. Who wanted to learn, and grow up to be better than their neighbor who is selling drugs and breaking the laws.I hid my fear, my frustration, and even my tears behind jokes earlier today. I'm done hiding. There is one picture that exactly describes how I feel right now. I hope I never have to feel that way again or look at this picture again.