Guns, gangs, Baltimore
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12:00-1:00 pm Eastern: Police believe a feud among drug gangs led to last Sunday's violence in East Baltimore, with 18 people shot, four of them fatally, and 12 of them at a cookout. Violence has finally started to drop in Baltimore, with 2008 homicides hitting a 20-year low. But guns and gangs still make progress in wide sections of the city difficult. A conversation David Miller, co-founder of the Urban Leadership Institute, which works on improving the lives of kids and communities, and Donald Gresham, a community activist in East Baltimore and president of the Save Middle East Action Committee.1:00-2:00 pm Eastern: It's the classic story of summer love, when boy meets grill. Food Nerd Henry Hong, a contributor to the "Eat Me" column in the Baltimore City Paper, will stop by Studio A to offer tips and suggestions for getting the most out of your grill.
Comments
Dan, first time commenter and really love the show.
Mr. Miller explained clearly the reality of the kids without parents situation in Baltimore and what needs to be done to deal with it. However, I am opposed to always immediately shifting responsibility from parents to the city and other social organizations.
The institution of parent-hood is broken in some sectors of society, and I am refering to all kinds of scenarios none of which have anything to do with racial boundaries. There are many kinds of bad parents, and I would agree with some sort of regulation preventing people who will not parent their kids properly from ever getting the chance to parent. However procedurally this regulation might be executed, if someone cannot bring a child into this society and parent it properly enough that the child will not lead a life of crime, drugs or other deviance, then that person will not be allowed to have a child. Admittedly this is a bit of a radical view, but these sorts of ineffective parents seem to beget still more bad parents when their kids have kids. The whole thing becomes a vicious circle.
At the very least, I would also support another type of social organization that reaches out to parents of troubled kids in Baltimore and lets THEM know the reality of the situation they helped to bring about by not being better parents. We cannot continue to admit there is a problem with parents and that parents should take responsibility and do nothing about it. Giving attention to kids in Baltimore, while certainly absolutely necessary, is dealing with a symptom not a cause.
Posted by: Andrew | July 30, 2009 1:52 PM
There will be no progress until we end the prohibition which creates a black market. A war on the black market is a war on these families. A regulated market will be crime-free and provide a windfall of tax funds - which could be spend on health services and recovery.
There will be no progress until healthcare is provided to the poor. The main cause of poverty in Baltimore is crushing medical bills due to lack of insurance - it's a catch-22. Poverty and a criminal record leaves you no place to go but the black market.
Socialized healthcare.
End the Prohibition.
Visit Holland sometime and tell me this isn't a much more effective system.
Posted by: lee.watkins | July 31, 2009 8:15 AM