Watching the live coverage of West Baltimore's lawlessness, violence, looting, stone-throwing and general chaos, about all I can think of is the smile on Rush Limbaugh's face. This is perfect for the haters — on both sides. It accomplishes nothing but greater social divisions; it dishonors the memory of, and family of, Freddie Gray on the day of his funeral; it wounds the innocent and reinforces stupid prejudices; it's a minority disgrace that the vast majority of the minority in no way condones — and yet tomorrow, the Limbaughs of America, possessed by their aggravated cases of borderline personality disorder, will report on it in black and white terms: "There they — the blacks — go again." And no doubt Obama egged them on, right?
We know how conservatives will spin the inelegant acting out of civil grievances, but will they manage to move the public back to an unrestrained law and order attitude? Will some young people in Baltimore be widely viewed as terrorists?
Posted by: Bob | April 27, 2015 at 11:53 PM
Sorry but I am confused - not for the first time! Am I right to assume that the vast majority of the criminal looters were indeed black? And if so, why is it wrong for anyone, including Mr. Limbaugh, to "tell truth and shame the Devil"?
Posted by: David & Son of Duff | April 28, 2015 at 01:39 AM
Not about the looters but today's rioters. They closed the mall across from the HS, shut down public transportation, police closed off the area not letting people in or out. Then they let the school out early. What did they think would happen. Those kids were under siege and they knew it.
If the city wanted peace in that neighborhood they would have brought in the busses and let kids out in groups by the bus they were taking. Those kids were setup.
Posted by: MaryAnn | April 28, 2015 at 01:54 AM
That's what will happen on the right. This is what will happen on the left: http://crooksandliars.com/2015/04/live-stream-freddiegray-protests-turn Please note the phrase Karoli uses to describe this video: "Here's a video of police throwing rocks at protesters:" Watch the video and tell me what you see. Cop violence porn is one of the biggest categories of click bait available and it is milked for all it is worth and then some. The predictable result is this.
No good will result from any of this. Exactly as you said.
Posted by: Peter G | April 28, 2015 at 08:27 AM
Haters on both sides? I get one side, what about the haters on the other side?
Posted by: Anne J | April 28, 2015 at 09:23 AM
The way the video is spun is detestable. It was selectively edited from coverage by an NBC affiliate in Philadelphia.
Posted by: Bob | April 28, 2015 at 09:38 AM
They've done worse. A couple months back this same Karoli started live tweeting and retweeting supposed eyewitness accounts of a police shooting of an unarmed man at a gas station. Including reports of a police drop weapon being placed by the body of the deceased. Good rich click bait. Within hours the security video from the gas station revealed that the deceased had drawn a weapon first and fired at the police officer. A fact supported by eyewitnesses including a friend of the deceased. What do think might have happened had not the video put the lie to the tales Karoli was spinning and killed the bullshit? An instant tweet fueled riot is what I think she was hoping for.
Posted by: Peter G | April 28, 2015 at 09:48 AM