ANOTHER GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT – AT 9:08 A.M. ET:  We recall the revered mayor of New Orleans and governor of Louisiana during Katrina, and their zero performance; we reverently remember Mayor David Dinkins of New York, who ordered police to let rioters "vent" rather than confront them.  Why are we lucky enough to have such leaders?  Oh, and now we have another one in the firmament.  From Fox: 

“I wanted to give space to those who wished to destroy,” that is how Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake described her policy Saturday at a press conference. Her words, which effectively told police to stand down as those gathered to protest the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray smashed store windows, looted 7-Elevens and forced attendees at a Baltimore Oriole-Boston Red Sox baseball game to remain in the stadium because it wasn’t safe outside.

At a press conference on April 25 the mayor said, "“I made it very clear that I work with the police and instructed them to do everything that they could to make sure that the protesters were able to exercise their right to free speech. It’s a very delicate balancing act."

The major of Baltimore is a joke, and it's widely known.  Her concept of free speech makes Al Sharpton look like a pacifist.

The resulting violence escalated as flyers were distributed describing how the city was going to have a "purge" Monday styled after the movie of the same name where all laws were suspended for one night.

On Monday alone, seven police officers were injured with one reportedly "unresponsive." Looting is occurred in broad daylight with cars being torched and bottles, rocks and other large objects being hurled at officers at close range.

It all started on Saturday night when protests turned to violent riots in the area of the tourist heavy Inner Harbor area. Matt Boyle, a reporter for Breitbart News ended up being in the perimeter of the melee while going to attend a ballgame between the Boston Red Sox and the hometown Orioles. Boyle's live tweets of his observations of the mayhem described a dangerous, out-of-control situation that made him fear for his safety.

Boyle's later report described police standing passively by while a family trying to drive through the streets by Camden Yards found their car surrounded, windows smashed, passenger door pried open with the female passenger screaming in terror as the police observed. Fortunately, the attackers realized they were separated from the pack and chose to discontinue their assault without doing further harm.

COMMENT:   This is madness.  It is racial politics at its worst.  As the column goes on to say, this rioting may destroy Baltimore's growing tourist business, based on the development of the Inner Harbor.  How many jobs will be lost?  What race will lose the most?

April 28,  2015