Anarchy In Baltimore
Freddie Gray's funeral took place today in Baltimore. The 25 year-old black man died on April 19th from injuries sustained while in police custody. Currently there is a state criminal investigation into the officers' conduct and a federal investigation by the Justice Department. But left-wing radicals did not bother to wait for the results of either investigation.
After several days of peaceful protests last week, they turned violent this weekend. Police cruisers were destroyed. Rocks were thrown at officers. Six were reportedly injured. Rioters threw bottles and trash cans, and randomly attacked customers at area bars and restaurants.
Families attending the Orioles-Red Sox game were assaulted. The baseball stadium Camden Yards was put on lock down and thousands of fans were ordered to remain in the stadium for their own safety.
At a press conference following the violence, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said, "It's a very delicate balancing act, because while we tried to make sure that [the protestors] were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well."
The mayor's office is now claiming she misspoke. But whatever she was trying to say, she accurately summed up the result of the left's politically correct policies. The liberal governor of Missouri initiallyrefused to deploy the National Guard into the streets of Ferguson and, as a result, he gave space to those who wished to burn, loot and riot.
The Obama White House sent several officials to attend today's funeral to show its support for the victim and his family. Fair enough. But what about the rest of the community?
In the days ahead, public officials, beginning in the Oval Office, must condemn this violence and demand respect for the rule of law and public safety.
There is disturbing news this afternoon that gangs in Baltimore, including the Black Guerilla Family, have "entered into a partnership to 'take-out' law enforcement officers."
This is an extraordinarily serious threat. You may recall that Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who assassinated two New York City police officers in December, was a member of the Black Guerilla Family, a notorious gang that literally took over a Baltimore jail.
Conversations With Bill
As many readers know, Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, and I are good friends. We worked together in the Education Department when Bill Bennett was Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Education.
Bill Kristol and I sat down recently to tape an in-depth discussion of political history, insider stories and conservative ideals for a new, on-line series produced by The Foundation for Constitutional Government.
Called Conversations with Bill, these discussions provide the stories behind the history. Click here to watch my interview with Bill and be certain to check out his other interviews with Charles Krauthammer, Bill Bennett, Newt Gingrich and many others.