Pocket of quiet yesterday
~ I, like many others, did not expect charges to be laid so quickly, so Friday's news was startling, as were the charges themselves. I thought that manslaughter would likely be the worst charge, but murder was included for at least one officer. Indictment isn't conviction, though, so I'll be curious to see how it all plays out in court or in pleas.
~ The early media treatment of Marilyn Mosby has been critical of her age and experience. One piece in the Post pointed out that before being elected she had worked as counsel at an insurance company, implicitly questioning whether she was qualified to be a prosecutor. It completely failed to mention that she had only done that job for a couple of years, and before that had been an ASA in Baltimore City for several years. I have to wonder if it would be that way if she were a man or white. I think not.
~ The six were released on bond of $350,000...which, when you consider that a kid who vandalized police cars and turned himself in was being held on $500,000, does not say inspiring things about the bail/bond system.
~ I walked down Charles Street yesterday. It was bizarre to see which businesses were looted and which left untouched. It was totally random. A black-owned salon was looted, but the white-owned home store nextdoor was not. An Indian restaurant's windows were broken out, but the pizza place and Irish pub in the same block were untouched. The French cafe was open, and if you didn't know they'd been looted, it would not be immediately apparent - glass replaced, new iPad-register-credit card machine in place. A lot of the looted businesses had signs reading "open for business" even if their glass hadn't been replaced yet. But business was extremely slow, especially given the beautiful weather.
~ There is going to be a fundraiser for the businesses in the neighborhood on 5/5; I can't go and want to donate. Donations are being handled through GoFundMe, which I have serious qualms about. I'd much rather make a donation through some other medium. I've got a call in to the organizer to see if I can write them a check directly rather than use GFM. Even if I can't, I'll still donate and make an offsetting donation to Planned Parenthood.
~ It was at least 70F yesterday, which normally would have people out in droves in the harbor. Nope. The largest population was law enforcement. There were groups all over the harbor and in harbor east (guarding Whole Foods and Starbucks, or maybe just on break and grabbing lunch). Walking down the Fallsway, there was a small group of protestors by Central Booking, and a gathering of police at the south end of the building. I could hear the protest going on a City Hall when the wind was right.
~ Tumblr is circulating a post in which people criticizing looting are told that it is okay because civil forfeiture is abused. No. Just no. That is like saying that because someone is a victim of child abuse, it is okay for them to abuse children themselves. No. Two wrongs do not make a right. (Do not get me started on civil forfeiture abuse and its legitimate use. Do not.)
~ The early media treatment of Marilyn Mosby has been critical of her age and experience. One piece in the Post pointed out that before being elected she had worked as counsel at an insurance company, implicitly questioning whether she was qualified to be a prosecutor. It completely failed to mention that she had only done that job for a couple of years, and before that had been an ASA in Baltimore City for several years. I have to wonder if it would be that way if she were a man or white. I think not.
~ The six were released on bond of $350,000...which, when you consider that a kid who vandalized police cars and turned himself in was being held on $500,000, does not say inspiring things about the bail/bond system.
~ I walked down Charles Street yesterday. It was bizarre to see which businesses were looted and which left untouched. It was totally random. A black-owned salon was looted, but the white-owned home store nextdoor was not. An Indian restaurant's windows were broken out, but the pizza place and Irish pub in the same block were untouched. The French cafe was open, and if you didn't know they'd been looted, it would not be immediately apparent - glass replaced, new iPad-register-credit card machine in place. A lot of the looted businesses had signs reading "open for business" even if their glass hadn't been replaced yet. But business was extremely slow, especially given the beautiful weather.
~ There is going to be a fundraiser for the businesses in the neighborhood on 5/5; I can't go and want to donate. Donations are being handled through GoFundMe, which I have serious qualms about. I'd much rather make a donation through some other medium. I've got a call in to the organizer to see if I can write them a check directly rather than use GFM. Even if I can't, I'll still donate and make an offsetting donation to Planned Parenthood.
~ It was at least 70F yesterday, which normally would have people out in droves in the harbor. Nope. The largest population was law enforcement. There were groups all over the harbor and in harbor east (guarding Whole Foods and Starbucks, or maybe just on break and grabbing lunch). Walking down the Fallsway, there was a small group of protestors by Central Booking, and a gathering of police at the south end of the building. I could hear the protest going on a City Hall when the wind was right.
~ Tumblr is circulating a post in which people criticizing looting are told that it is okay because civil forfeiture is abused. No. Just no. That is like saying that because someone is a victim of child abuse, it is okay for them to abuse children themselves. No. Two wrongs do not make a right. (Do not get me started on civil forfeiture abuse and its legitimate use. Do not.)