Finger-Pointing in Baltimore Reveals a Sad Truth

“Oh, Baltimore, ain’t it hard just to live?” Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

Since protests and riots broke out in Baltimore after the funeral service for Freddie Gray on Monday, gobs of people have been quick to express their views about who and/or what is to blame for this situation. Here’s a roundup of the parties involved and what they have to say.

Impossibly Unflappable Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake: “A minority of incendiary individuals.”

Baltimore Cop: The Baltimore Police Department, which, he claims, praises rookie cops for making hundreds of arrests.

Over at the Concourse, Puja Patel interviews two other offices: Officer A blames people in the community who think that cops are bad guys. Officer B articulates his or her overwhelming sadness about everyone being caught up in this.

The Baltimore Police Department: 209 individuals, 111 of whom are still waiting to be charged due to administrative slowness relating to mass arrests.

Ted Cruz: Obama.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan: “Lawless gangs of thugs.”

Representatives from the Bloods, Crips, and the Black Guerrilla Family Who Called a Truce in Order to Protest Police Brutality:
“Although our cause is righteous, we cannot control every person… When we were downtown protesting, I’m going to estimate that we were 30 people strong. Out of all the thousands of people that were down there, you mean to tell me that you guys are pointing the finger at us because we had colors on? No. We can’t have that. That’s not what we stand for. And that’s not what we’re standing for today. Justice for Freddie Gray.”

Fox News: Public schools. Also, Al Sharpton and teenagers.

Amazing Local Guy: Fox News.

Colette Shade, a Baltimorean Writing for Gawker: Implicitly blames the rich, white people of Baltimore for their complacency and complicity with a status quo that systematically oppresses black people, and blatant, self-serving racism.

Ta-Nehisi Coates: Well, a long series of events and decisions dating back to the 1970s. But most recently? The fact that probably no one will be punished for Freddie Gray dying in state custody.