Baltimore Men March to Stem Violence

Baltimore Sun ^ | July 5, 2013 | Tricia Phillips

[NotYourAverageDhimmi]

On a day when at least four people were shot in Baltimore before dinner time — two of them fatally —hundreds of city men took to the streets in a planned 10-mile march along North Avenue, shutting down portions of the thoroughfare, to protest the recent spike in gun violence.

"There's a war going on in our streets" that "starts and ends with our young black men," City Councilman Brandon Scott told the crowd, which included the mayor and police commissioner. "We're going to take our city back. … We can no longer stand on the backs of the women."

Scott and family friend Munir Bahar, who was in trouble as a kid but turned his life around to mentor other city kids, organized the 300 Man March. It was modeled after the 1995 Million Man March in Washington D.C., a massive show of solidarity among African-American men.

The idea was to stir Baltimore's men to action in their own neighborhoods and homes to stop the cycle of violence so frequently driven by drugs and gangs. While many have called on authorities to stem the tide, this was the first time the larger community has come together to fight back.

More than 40 people have been shot since summer began, with 20 of them struck in a single weekend. On Friday, at least four more people were shot by late afternoon. They were homicide numbers 119 and 120 this year.

In an impassioned speech before the march, Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts implored those within earshot to take action, saying repeatedly that this wasn't about numbers for him, but about faces.

There are "just too many black faces dying on the streets," he said.

[Count of Monte Fisto]

I’ll take these people seriously when they stop stomping all over the right of the people to keep and bear arms and shoot back at the vermin.

Do you realize that these young black men are exercising their right to keep and bear arms and most of their victims would be considered vermin.

[Standing Wolf]

Do you realize that these young black men are exercising their right to keep and bear arms and most of their victims would be considered vermin.

I guess I must have overlooked that.

In full seriousness: it doesn't matter whether a criminal's victim is a fellow criminal or the saintliest person in town: murder is murder is murder.

The sad sorry simple fact of the matter remains unchanged: it's impossible for ordinary law-abiding American citizens in Maryland to keep and bear arms legally for their own defense.

[Count of Monte Fisto]

it's impossible for ordinary law-abiding American citizens in Maryland to keep and bear arms legally for their own defense.

This is true. But my point would be that even if you had Vermont style Constitutional gun rights in Maryland it wouldn't make a difference to the young black males in Baltimore who mainly shoot their fellow young black males, of the sort hardly considered ordinary law-abiding American citizens. They all disregard gun control laws anyway.

[GOPJ]

Shining cities turning into cesspools - - culture matters...

[Mears]

“Yes. We have a great one as well. They are among the best.”

.

Yes you do—I have a son-in-law who raves about it.. My local is Fenway Park.

Tropicana Field is the worst IMHO. (I’ve never been there but just watching the games on TV makes me shudder) :-)

.

[PapaBear3625]

There are "just too many black faces dying on the streets," he said.

Police commissioner is upset that the faces are black.

[PapaBear3625]

Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts

[bert]

His name is Tony, but everybody calls hin Ding

[PapaBear3625]

But my point would be that even if you had Vermont style Constitutional gun rights in Maryland it wouldn't make a difference to the young black males in Baltimore who mainly shoot their fellow young black males, of the sort hardly considered ordinary law-abiding American citizens. They all disregard gun control laws anyway.

When black leaders call for more gun control, I treat it as a "dog whistle" for "disarm the white folks".

[Standing Wolf]

...even if you had Vermont style Constitutional gun rights in Maryland it wouldn't make a difference to the young black males in Baltimore who mainly shoot their fellow young black males, of the sort hardly considered ordinary law-abiding American citizens. They all disregard gun control laws anyway.

That's entirely true, Count of Monte Fisto, but do we really care much about criminals? The people I'm concerned about are the law-abiding citizens who are prohibited by law from defending themselves. They're the people the criminal and political class has disarmed and means to keep disarmed.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland “Freak State” PING!