I spoke with several persons from Baltimore this week.
What are we not hearing about Baltimore on the news? I asked.
Barrage.
Dozens of ideas about what is actually going on in Baltimore vs what is covered in the perpetual loops on tv news, for instance.
One of the repeating ideas/thoughts was that the mayor of the city of Baltimore
was struggling to keep all under control. That the District Attorney of Baltimore had to walk a line between what needed to be looked at, without sounding/acting in any way like a pre-empting judge/jury.
Another was the idea that Baltimore has several issues, and this regarding some of the Police, is a serious one. And there are additional serious issues ongoing in Baltimore, that have to do with some children born without parents enough to watch over; employment sink hole from factories being pulled by government overseas, some seeing that as betrayal of the people by US Government for its policies of allowing huge companies to leave the US by exporting jobs, while enjoying the tax breaks and good life of living in the US. There are more issues. All needing careful attention and deciding together and… financial support to not take over, but to put a ladder down into the pit and useful things at the top that are sturdy and life-giving for all.
One ongoing event since the looting and burning… that most all spoke about with anywhere from bewilderment to strong assertion and even anger, was that the news media overlooks ‘real life’ and the goodness of people of Baltimore, instead going for repeating and repeating the opposite on tv nightly, and daily. Each person spoke that in Baltimore, the young children, grandmas and grandpas, middle aged men and women, teenagers, veterans, bikers, vets, moms and dads, church groups sometimes singing all the while, have flocked into the streets to clean up the aftermath of the looting, fires. Good people from all levels of Baltimore… sweeping, loading trash bags, hefting, painting, carrying, cleaning, comforting, hugging, listening.
Put that on a loop.
Yes.
And with love.
creative commons copyright, photo of Baltimore, by Joe Ravi