What can Freddie Gray鈥檚 family do to stop the Baltimore riots?
Freddie Gray鈥檚 family publicly called for an end to the violence that has engulfed Baltimore after protests over the 25-year-old鈥檚 death while in police custody devolved into rioting over the weekend.
The statement, which Mr. Gray鈥檚 mother and stepfather made after their son's funeral service Monday, is part of a broader effort by community leaders to promote peaceful paths toward justice and change in a system marred by tensions between the black community and police.
A key question: Do family and community leaders have an influence over the minority of the protestors who've turned to violence? The world appears to be witnessing an emotional battle for moral authority over the path for lasting reform in Baltimore.聽
鈥淚 want y鈥檃ll to get justice for my son, but don鈥檛 do it like this,鈥� Gloria Darden, Gray鈥檚 mother, . 鈥淒on鈥檛 tear up the city just for him. That鈥檚 wrong.鈥�
The situation echoes the events in Ferguson, Mo. last summer. Then, victim Michael Brown's family pleaded for the violence to stop.
"Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction," they said in a statement聽after the November 2014 announcement that there would be no indictment of the police officer who shot their son. "Let's not just make noise. Let's make a difference."
They continued:
"We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions. While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen. "
It's difficult to know whether their words prevented anyone from participating in the ensuing violence in Ferguson. But arguably Baltimore needs聽voices of reason 鈥� in the form of the victim鈥檚 families, community leaders, residents, and others 鈥� to permeate the noise and the chaos to get to a real, deeper societal change.
Those who really care about making 鈥淏lack Lives Matter"聽understand it鈥檚 not about throwing rocks or lighting cars on fire,聽wrote Mark Sappenfield聽in聽海角大神.
The pastors and activists who have led Black Lives Matters rallies from Ferguson to Baltimore have been adamant that this conversation must happen peacefully, if not always lawfully. But they are just as determined that the conversation must take place, however wrenching it might be.
One vivid and visceral illustration of the fight for moral authority in Baltimore was the act of a local mother who was after she saw him on television participating in the riots.
Another resident, Robert Valentine, stood in front of a line of police in riot gear Monday evening, shooing away any young people who tried to approach the police, CNN reported. Mr. Valentine that the youth had no business being on the streets when they should instead be at home, 鈥渟tudying and doing something with their lives.鈥�
Even Hollywood has chimed in, with stars from the HBO series 鈥淭he Wire鈥� 鈥� a critically acclaimed show filmed almost entirely in Baltimore, 鈥� have taken to social media to suggest alternate means of pursuing justice.
But the violence 鈥� which began to escalate Saturday and grew worse Monday night 鈥� has prompted Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to聽聽in the city and deploy the National Guard in what he called a last resort to restore order. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced a weeklong, citywide 10 p.m. curfew.
To address the city's real problems, say some in Baltimore, the community needs to move beyond the emotional and violent backlash.聽
As "The Wire" creator and author David Simon :
The anger and the selfishness and the brutality of those claiming the right to violence in Freddie Gray鈥檚 name needs to cease. 聽There was real power and potential in the peaceful protests that spoke in Mr. Gray鈥檚 name initially... But this, now, in the streets, is an affront to that man鈥檚 memory and a dimunition of the absolute moral lesson that underlies his unnecessary death.
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 seek redress and demand reform without a brick in your hand, you risk losing this moment for all of us in Baltimore,鈥� Mr. Simon added. 鈥淭urn around. Go home. Please.鈥�
