Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has now called for the Eric Holder in a dress Loretta Lynch Justice Department to investigate her police department for a number of different problems she believes exist including excessive force, discriminatory harassment, false arrests, and unlawful stops, searches or arrests.
But just two months ago, before the death of Freddie Gray, President Obama and his "Task Force on 21st Century Policing" said Baltimore's police department with its black chief was doing a great job. They were "implementing national best practices for policies and training," including "use of force" reforms. The task force quoted Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, who said he changed "outdated procedures" that "put officers at odds with the community."
Either Mayor Rawlings-Blake didn't get the Memo or the changes just didn't happen quickly enough it seems. I was wondering why President Obama called Mayor Rawlings-Blake when the riots kicked off. Now perhaps I know. The death of Freddie Gray and the resulting rioting made him look bad. After all - he had just praised the Baltimore PD for being an example to follow and look what they went and did. How dare they have an incident that makes them look like they're not as good as he said they were!
In other news, anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller is being attacked by the media and political pundits - even some on the right, for holding a free speech rally in Garland, Texas, where two Muslim terrorists showed up with semi-automatic rifles and began shooting. The theme for the rally was "Draw Your Best Mohammed Cartoon," in shear defiance of the Muslim terrorists who shot up Charlie Hebdo Magazine in Paris a few months ago. Geller was not only exercising her right to free speech but telling the terrorists she and the others were not going to be intimidated by them or anyone else when it came to free speech. Personally, I applaud her for that and agree with her wholeheartedly.
There are those who say that Pam Geller caused the terrorists to attack; that she brought it on herself because of her actions. That's frighteningly similar to those who say that a woman who is raped brought it on herself because of the way she was dressed. We have the right to express ourselves in this country without fear of being killed. At least we used to. Now it seems if you criticize Islam or draw a cartoon of Mohammed that offends Muslims some of your fellow Americans think it's OK for the Muslims to kill you. After all - you offended the Muslims.
Of course, those who say that don't care one way or the other if your Christian beliefs are insulted or if someone makes fun of Jesus Christ. That's somehow different in their eyes. But then - Christians don't run around killing people who disagree with them. If they did perhaps those same people would tell others not to criticize or insult Christians and their beliefs.
The amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech was only necessary to preserve the right to offend others. If no one ever said anything that offended or insulted others the change to the Constitution would not have been necessary. But the founders knew that ultimately, if it was not a law, sooner or later the government would step in and prevent people from saying what they wanted - particularly about the government itself.
Every American has the right to disagree with, criticize, insult and/or draw cartoons of Muslims, Mohammed, the Pope, Jesus, the President, or anyone else. That's the law. And those Americans who criticize Pam Geller instead of the terrorists who would kill her for making fun of Mohammed are... how do I say it... misguided idiots.
By the way - I know the meme above isn't quite accurate since the police officer who killed the terrorists wasn't carrying a weapon because of the Second Amendment but because he was on duty. But you get the idea...
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