The note should have read:

To the City,

Until you get your crap together and fairly and compassionately apply laws, fairly and compassionately mete out sentences and punishments, with less of an eye on cost and more of an eye to punished where deserved and restitution where it can be achieved, THIS is result. The police aren't even CLOSE to being in charge. Throw them out, Think bigger than the status quo, dream for a city where you can let your cat out at night and it won't be set on fire, a night the helicopter doesn't hover over wasting gas, a day police way the streets, ride them on bikes and patrol cars and know their residents' names. It's there

But none of it is there until this city stops settingly of 3rd or 4th best. Letting it's kids run the halls instead of in class - never mind not giving them A.C, books and competent teacher, not until the recogition that those 600K people that left are NEVER coming back, not untli the police stop being assholes to the public, not until YOU pick up that piece of litter you see. Not until Stephanie Rawlings Blake - and evey future mayor says :I don't give a FnCK what you say is the problem - give me a SOLUTION, looses some pretty pantsuits and gets down and dirty with her has been old school, dull peers and shakes them out of their reticence to piss off departments. If the transit was better he'd be home. If the lighting was better they'd been seen. If policing was better he'd been protected. If the legal system (well that one's a MESS, never mind). If O'Malley had less a up the " " of the election we'd already have solved the problem. If Erlich hadn't torpedoed the city for 4 years. If CHarles Village CARED more about the space it acutally lives in ALL the time, not just its impression when something bad happens. When Greenmount becomes "OK to cross" in the JHU student handbook ,,,, Then,,,Only THEN will we be moving forward. Get rid of the Karen Stokes, the David Hills - the old guard. Shake it up. Hell invites some BLACK folk and see what they need in Chas Village. What a concept. A Trolley? Not f-ing likely.

Two murders within a stone's throw of each other. For what? This is a shame. I hope the police get to the bottom of these killings and put an end to this nonsense.

"Thomas was sentenced just last month to time served on an eight year prison term after being pleaded guilty to armed robbery. A four year probation term was imposed."

How much "time served" was enough to satisfy the 8-year prison term? This is another person who should not have even been on the street to begin with.

What differnce does it make of the victim's history, each of these young men were VICTIMS of a violent crime. One with no motive and the other for simply being a potential witness. Let us not forget the big picture, the crime in Baltmore City and the victims that are slain in its path and the families left to mourn from its aftermath.

Sharon, I can tell you that one of the first things the detectives will took to in determining a possible motive is the victim's history. If the victim was involved in drugs, there is a possibility that it was drug-related. That's an unfortunate reality of crime in the city. So when someone has an extensive and current criminal record, we believe it's worth noting. -JF

JF,

I understand, but the family who is mourning "J Rock" would disagree. I think worth noting is he was trying to get out of the area, went to a HVAC school to learn the trade to have a better life for himslef. He was deeply loved by his family and the people in his life and the brutality of his death has gone unnoticed because of his history and where he lived.

The problem is that most of the people in Baltimore are from here. They tend not to know much about how problems are handled in other places--and what's worse, they tend not to be embarrassed at the truly horrifying problems, the problems that are unusual for most 21st-century cities (especially those on the East Coast). Given these two factors, nothing is going to change here. Things will probably get worse, actually, as your big elderly population gets more infirm and the thriving middle, the most productive part of a society, continues to get drained off by better places with more opportunity.

I'm leaving for a six-figure job in Philadelphia in a few weeks.

Why is no one listening to me?!! When there was a big snowstorm years back the govenor called out the national guard to protect citizens from looters and robbers after TV news announced that the police were immobilized. It was considered a state of emergency. If Baltimore City is not currently under a state of emergency at this point in time, what would you call it? Some weeks there are more people killed in Baltimore than Iraq. The whole country of Iraq. Park a national guardsman on every corner of Baltimore if necessary. Get the police to either do their jobs or fire them if they aren't doing it. The next time I see an overweight cop parked for hours in front of a 7-11 drinking yet another free cup of coffee, I might go over to him and demand he get back on the job, I pay his salary, I am his boss, as are each of you.

First I would like to thank Ms. Sharon for standing up for one of the most people important people in this whole thing......THE VICTIM!!!! I do understand the entire concept of "noting" the facts, so why not note that Mr. Kendricks "history" of drug "charges" are just that CHARGES! Note that it was proven on several different occassions that different judges found the "charges" to be attempts of harrassment on the part of Balto. City Police. Note that there were NO convictions on these charges. Note that he graduated top of his class for his HVAC license. Note that he was about to go back to school for electrician class. Note that he was VERY much cared for in his community by EVERYONE. Note that he never hesitated to help another person. Note that he was NOT labeled as a nuissance to the community, note that he was NOT apart of the gang related violence that most of our young black men get mixed up in. Note that majority of the time the media and the police use a persons previous "charges" as a polite way of saying........WE REALLY DON"T GIVE A DAMN!!!!!