Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Baltimore Fails Its Citizens


Baltimore Fails Its Citizens
Al Ritter 

Baltimore is my city; I have lived within 10 miles of the city limits all my life. I have watched the riots of 1968, and I have watched the blight of urban decay increase for the last 40+ years. I have watched as the population has dwindled from a high of 930,000 in 1950 to 622,000 in 2014, a low that Baltimore hasn’t seen since 1915! In 1968 the Black population stood at 46% while in 2015 that percentage has increased to 63%.
To Baltimore’s credit the Black Leadership has followed the trend of the increasing Black population. Unfortunately other trends have increased also. Poverty has increased, drug use has increased, and the Black incarceration rate has also increased. Is this a nationwide trend or are there other problems that fuel the racial divide in America?
In 1967 the political climate was changing rapidly and Maryland as a whole was morphing from red into blue. Spiro Agnew was the last Republican Governor of any significance as the winds of change blew into Baltimore. Clarence “Du” Burns was the first Black elected Mayor of Baltimore in 1987 followed by 3 more. All Mayors of Baltimore since 1967 have been Democrats. Six of the last eight Governors have been Democrats since 1967.
Democratic strongholds in major US Cities have historically shown declines in both population, and available jobs, in similar periods and Baltimore is no exception.
We watched last night as rioters lit up Baltimore’s skies in retaliation for the questionable death of Freddie Gray. This was a man arrested a week earlier and died in Police custody of a broken spine and crushed voice box. Protests were held the day before his burial but turned into violence before their end by what Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake referred to as an “outside influence.” She also stated at that time that they wish to give those people a voice to express their concerns and first amendment rights. However a follow up to that statement is where things have turned this city into a pressure cooker. She stated that she wanted to “give those people who wished to destroy room to do so.”  “Outside influences” as the Mayor termed it should be held in the same regard as “inside influences” they are both law enforcement issues, and arrests should be made accordingly regardless of where they are from.
I see many problems in her attempts to control her city. #1 we watched the City of North Charleston SC handle what could have been an equally horrible situation. Where Walter Scott was shot in the back while running from a Police Officer, and was caught on an amateur video. Racial tensions were handled quickly and efficiently, as the officer was fired immediately and murder charges were brought against him. Unfortunately Baltimore City has not been as forth coming as to its investigation of Mr. Gray’s death. The only thing that has been announced is the cause of death, and nothing else has followed. #2 The Mayor has blatantly fanned the flames and allowed the rioters to vent their frustration on property before calling out the National Guard last evening about 6 PM. #3 Her inability to control the situation has led to the additional looting and destruction which I see was caused by her own personal vanity.
This can’t be considered as racial rioting, because the Mayor and her team are all Black, the Police Commissioner, and the majority of the City Council is all Black, so this isn’t about COLOR. This is about the inability of Democrats' to run a City effectively; it’s about poor decisions from an inexperienced person in charge. This is about not keeping the public informed on a Police shooting that ended badly and has touched off a powder keg of distrust.
Governor Hogan has waited patiently for the Mayor to admit the situation is out of control. She finally admitted that last night by requesting the National Guard, but then in two moves equally puzzling she held off mandatory curfew until this evening the 28th, and she closed the City School System knowing that most of the damage yesterday afternoon was done by students. So today the students will be hanging around the streets waiting for new trouble to start and won’t be subject to the curfew until 10 PM this evening.
Last night Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also stated she welcomes Rev Al Sharpton into her town to participate in additional protests. The mistakes this mayor has made in the last week are monumental, and the responsibility rests entirely on HER shoulders. All of these situations could have been curtailed by a person who could have nipped these protests turned riots in the bud, and informed the community what actions were being taken in the investigation into Freddie Gray’s death. I might add that as of right now they still haven’t said anything about it……..and this is along with Al Sharpton’s arrival is a recipe for further disaster.

 

Friday, April 3, 2015

Give Me Liberty


"Give me Liberty"
William G. Burmer   

      The trend in media today has become more about being pithy, than in investigating and presenting truth and fact as it really is; which includes the political intrigue, plots and crafty schemes used to distract our attention from  daily  assaults upon our God given rights, and the Constitution itself. This along with the more practical execution of those laws, pertaining to those who have abused their authority and thumb their nose at law as if it did not apply to them.  

     More than in anytime in current history we as a people must join together in opposition to these trends. “We The People” have a duty to expose those who oppose our Constitution and Bill of Rights, those who would trample over our God given agency to choose Liberty and Freedom, over political tyranny or expediency.  

     Our rights come from God.  Our Founders clearly understood this as they framed our Constitution.  George Washington said in part "...religion and morality are indispensable supports..." further "...reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." That applies most directly upon those chosen, elected or appointed to lead our nation, our states, our counties and cities.  

      What is the trend today?  To exclude, obliterate, castigate, or expunge any mention of God at all costs, most especially within all government circles.  This attitude cannot continue to stand! It seeks to remove from history the very thing (God) that separates America from the rest of every other government in the world. 

      Let it be known that it is our sacred duty to preserve our Constitution along with its principles as currently outlined if we are to remain free to exercise our agency, and enjoy liberty. We believe that Our Constitution as framed is as much from God as is the Ten Commandments.   

     Those principles so founded by our Fathers if taken from us will only be restored by the blood of good men and women. The biggest threat to our liberties today are those who work in secret, those who would compromise with evil, will beget evil, and the people will suffer. Those who would think my thoughts conspiratorial, out of touch, or deranged, would do well to remember history, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and others, who brought so much tyranny and death upon their people during WWII, all for wealth and or power.   

      There are many in our own branches of Congress, Senate, and Executive who would, and have compromised their own principles, it ever they had any to begin with, for gain, and for power rather than serve the people they were elected to represent. I could name names, but it would fill another page or more. Shame on them. 
 
     One who follows the news of the day does not have to second guess the trends played out by many of our elected officials to see what is currently happening to America. We believed we had chosen good men and women at our last election however, we have since discovered that we have elected many, so called fence sitters, whom have no principle, and have prayed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs, damn the rod of tyranny curse it!  

      Let every man and woman use his or her Liberties according to the Constitution to crush these traitors. Remove them from office, impeach them, and try them for the treasonous acts they have brought upon our great nation.  We must choose good over evil. We cannot expect the Lord God above to protect us unless we are willing to expose truth, try those who have perverted our Law, and do all we can to preserve our liberties. To honor the Constitution and Freedom is a sacred duty for all of us.  Our Freedom is at stake.  God Help us.