Let's go for 3 in a row!
Good morning Everybody! (I do understand the rules for capitalization, but I think you are all capital people!)
My new pace is allowing me to function at a more consistent rate. As per doctors orders I've been resting more and working less and it seems to be working. My appetite has returned, stabilizing my weight. I also bought a new bed and I am sleeping better. I feel overall much better, thank God!
I believe as a whole Police Officers are equal to our military; the finest people in the land, Dedicated, selfless, brave and more. I won't even let my children and grandchildren use the word "cop" I don't like it, I see it as disrespectful. When addressing a Police Officer, we should say Officer, we should use phrases like; yes sir/ma'am , no sir/ma'am and speak when spoken to, anything less is unacceptable to me.
Living in Baltimore I have seen a few bad apples, but as I always say "nothing human is perfect". Given that, I still say the Baltimore City Police are the best! They are overworked, underpaid and put their lives on the line everyday when patrolling the streets Baltimore. I would never do it, but I thank God they do.
With billions of dollars being made in the drug trade only people of the highest character can resist the temptation to turn a blind eye in exchange for much needed cash. It's also difficult to resist the temptation to beat the hell out of someone who is threatening, taunting and being completely disrespectful or is suspected of some heinous crime. The large majority of our Police Officers are people of the highest character and resist these temptations.
I'm not proud of it, but having been associated with drug dealers in my younger days I can say first hand I've seen money change hands. The biggest problem drug dealers have is not violence or the Police. The biggest problem they have is what to do with all the cash! It's not only a very few Police Officers taking cash, it goes all the way up the line.
Ask yourself "why is congress letting drug companies make so many opioids?" I'm certainly no fan of Donald Trump, but at least he is talking about it! Even a broken clock is right twice a day. The blind hatred for Trump is just another example of the "age of stupidity" You can say he has earned much of it by making enemies of the press and being just plain stupid, but the press should rise above it and remain objective. With the exception of the op-ed section, the New York Times and a few others have remained objective. I'm a proud subscriber to the "Grey Lady", "The Standard of the World", "The Newspaper of Record", but I seldom read the op-ed section.
Freddy Grey the criminal who sparked off the riots was a life long drug addict, small time street hood and was the target in 19 separate ongoing investigations. The Baltimore City prosecutor (states attorney for Baltimore City) should have had him behind bars long before the incident took place. Instead she choose to prosecute the brave Police officers that keep us safe. They were charged with several crimes, including man slaughter in the Freddy Grey case. They were found not guilty of all charges, as they should have been. The prosecutor got what she wanted, she was re-elected by the idiots she was placating. She should be in jail, not in office.
The only thing the Police Officers did wrong was not putting the criminal's seat belt on and of course they were sanctioned for that. Even though it was common practice not to use the seat belts in the back of the paddy wagon. The court records show there was no "rough ride" in the paddy wagon. A fellow criminal who was in separate section of the dived van testified that Freddy was intentionally flopping around like a fish. He said he was trying to hurt himself so that he would have to be taken to the hospital before going to jail and to use his injuries as proof of police brutality. He wanted pain medication and a "get out of jail free card", instead he broke his own neck! May God forgive me, but I say "good riddance!"
As for the riots. The Baltimore Sun reported the riot was used as a diversion to rob drug stores. Inventories showed that enough opioids were stolen to keep every person in Baltimore high for more than a week! Mind you this was a small percentage of the pharmacies in Baltimore. Gangs from as far away as New York came to take advantage of the situation. Ask yourself; Why do pharmacies have so much pain medication?
The rapid rise in the murder rate following the riot was a result of freelancers and outsiders selling drugs on Baltimore street corners. Drug dealing gangs will kill anyone trying to take away their business.
We don't have organized crime in Baltimore like most other big cities. We have semi-organized gangs that battle every day for territory to sell drugs. The reason we don't have traditional organized crime is because the semi-organized gangs use intimidation, murder and mayhem to remain independent. Traditional organized crime wants no part of the high profile violence. An example of their insane behavior took place several years ago only 10 blocks from the then mayor's mother's home. An undercover police officer was murdered at noon in the middle of Harford road. Shot dead, point blank with a bullet to the head. The gang was known as the "harvord road killers". (I didn't spell it wrong) Of course there were no witnesses. It's only one of the busiest streets in Baltimore. The Police did manage to catch, prosecute and convict most of the gang. The others in the gang who were not prosecuted became witnesses. I don't know how the Police got through the vow of silence, but I'm glad they did.
The gangs of Baltimore refer to my beloved city as "Bodymore" in reference to all the dead bodies that are found almost daily.
The riots exploded the number of unknown dealers on the street and created a situation where buyers who had previously used known dealers were buying from anyone, looking for a deal. The brilliant Baltimore City Police immediately took advantage of the situation by running sting operations arresting buyers as well as sellers.
I was surprised to learn that more prescription drugs were sold on the streets than heroin and cocain. I was not surprised to learn that the majority of buyers were whites (nearly 75%) from the surrounding suburbs. (Baltimore county, Harford country, Carrol county and Anne Arundel county and others) some as far away as south central Pennsylvania. Many were people of means, able to pay bail and could afford attorneys to limit their jail time or got no jail time at all. The poor sit in jail and await trial and use over worked public defenders.
The drug epidemic is much bigger than most want to admit. I can tell you many self-employed contractors are self-employed because they don't drug test themselves.
I can also tell you; if you are not involved in the drug trade, Baltimore is a relatively safe place, for the most part. Unless the innocent encounter a crazed drug addict who needs a fix. Or a gang member looking to "make his bones". I drive and walk these streets several times a week. My job as an independent contractor for Amazon takes me into every neighborhood. I fel safe where ever I go. I don't carry a gun, but I am not an easy target either. Pulling a gun makes you a target. These criminals seldom work alone. The one in front of you will distract you, the ones you never see will smack you in the back of the head with something and take your gun and likely shot you with you it! I know how to navigate these mean streets. I grew up on them. God help the naïve who get lost and end up in the wrong neighborhood in this and many other big cities.
There is inequality in America, but making the Freddy Greys of the world martyrs is not helping. Neither is kneeling at ball games or denying we have a problem or calling all of one group of people criminals. We need to look at things through objective eyes and open minds. Many will be surprised by what they learn.
Burying our heads in the sand, acting as if everything is ok and pretending everybody has the same opportunities is just plain naïve. I don't blame those who do, most have lived sheltered and or privileged lives and don't know any better. I grew up on the streets of Baltimore, I know better.
"somebody said fair warning, lord strike that poor boy down"
What happened to "Truth, Justice and the American Way", where is Superman?
The previous comments are the opinion of the writer and not necessarily the Model Railroad Forums
Now back to your regularly scheduled programing.
