i. Rioting broke out on Monday in Baltimore — an angry response to the death of Freddie Gray, a death
my native city seems powerless to
explain. Gray did not die mysteriously in some back alley but in the custody of the city’s publicly
appointed guardians of order. And yet the mayor of that city and the what happened. I suspect this is not
because the mayorWest Baltimore, where the
rioting began, intuitively
understand this.
I grew up across the street from Mondawmin Mall, where today’s riots began.

ii. more than 100 people have won court judgments or settlements related to allegations of brutality and civil rights violations. Victims include a 15-year-old boy riding/
a 26-year-old pregnant accountant who had witnessed/
a 50-year-old woman selling/
a 65-year-old church deacon rolling/
and an 87-year-old grandmother aiding
And in almost every case, prosecutors or judges dismissed the charges against the victims — if charges were filed at all. In an incident that drew headlines

iii.
The money paid out by the city to cover for the brutal acts of its police department would be enough to build “a state-of-the-art rec center or renovations at more than 30 playgrounds.” Instead, the money was used to cover for the brutal acts of the city’s police department and ensure they remained well beyond any semblance of justice.

iv. A State of Emergency in Baltimore
Now, tonight, I turn on the news and I see politicians calling for young people strike me as the right answer to the wrong question. To understand the question, it’s worth
remembering what, specifically, happened to Freddie Gray. An officer made eye contact with Gray. Gray, for unknown reasons, ran. The officer and his colleagues then detained Gray. They found him in possession of a switchblade. They arrested him while he yelled in pain. And then, within an hour, his spine was mostly
severed. A week later, he was dead. What specifically was the crime here? What particular threat did Freddie Gray pose? Why is mere eye contact and
then running worthy of detention at the
hands of the
state?
Why is __________ dead?

v. the war with the aggressor calling time brutality, it betrays itself.
When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to “correct” or “wise.” Wisdom isn’t the point tonight. Disrespect is. In this case, disrespect for the hollow law and failed order that so regularly disrespects the community..