Baltimore: a city in chaos
Baltimore is drowning in the blood of its own residents. In the last 3 weeks, there have been 23 murders and multiples of this number in nonfatal shootings. Most of the murders in the city use to occur under the aegis of darkness, not anymore. Two of these 23 murders were brazenly carried out during daylight hours. The weapon of choice utilized in this crime wave was the handgun. Maryland’s stringent gun control laws have had no effect on the levels of endemic crime in the city, except in one area. State gun control laws have increased the difficulty for law-abiding citizens to obtain weapons for self-protection. Baltimore’s elected officials are perplexed why their high level of crime has risen even further. As usual, the city turned to the legal profession for answers. Two new prosecutors will be engaged to rectify the problem of violence or so they think. These new prosecutors will have sweeping investigatory powers and work in conjunction with state and federal officials. The question arises: How does engaging members of the legal profession prevent crime when the police cannot? Maryland is inundated with attorneys. Of the 33,000 lawyers admitted to the state bar, a large wedge of them work directly for Maryland. The Attorney General’s Office, located in the heart of the city, is overflowing with prosecutors. With a vast population of litigators at the city’s disposal, one would assume government officials would tap this reservoir of legal minds. From the perch of many, the AG’s office is too busy harassing lawful citizens to take time to fight actual crime. Yet, Baltimore City politicians believe that two more prosecutors will stem the flood of deaths when many others have tried and failed. Baltimore’s problem is one of culture, not insufficient lawyers. A recent protest march to curtail violence did little more than help to relieve the frustrations of those who participated. This group refused to acknowledge the deep-rooted problems that generate city crime. Nearly 70% Baltimore City households have single parents. Dysfunctional families are the norm in the city, which are supported by a huge entitlement network that expends billions to keep the status quo. Nothing will change as long as this culture continues to abandon its children to the streets. Baltimore’s government reflects the same culture that roams its streets, misdirected and aimless. As long as they are in power the drug problems, bad schools, murders and other crimes will remain at present levels. Baltimore needs a new direction with better leadership, otherwise we might as well write the city’s obituary. Mark Davis, MD President of Healthnets Review Services and Davis Book Reviews. www.healthnetsreviewservices.com, platomd@gmail.com Author of Demons of Democracy and the forthcoming book, Obamacare: Dead on Arrival, A Prescription for Disaster.
