When The Lawless Stand Up

American Greatness ^ | 31 Aug, 2022 | Maurice Richards

[MtnClimber]

The defeat of Marylin Mosby was a huge victory. But with a left-wing mayor still undermining the rule of law in Baltimore, the fight isn’t over yet.

Recently, in American Greatness, I examined the significance of the crushing electoral defeat of Marylin Mosby, Baltimore’s George Soros-backed city prosecutor. Seventy-two percent of Democratic voters rejected her pro-criminal agenda. The victory for law-abiding citizens was huge.

Of all the corrupt, dysfunctional, crime-ridden Democrat-run U.S. cities, Baltimore stands out as the prime example of the result of destructive leftist policies. Under Mosby’s pro-criminal tenure, murders in “Charm City” skyrocketed 62 percent during her first year in office alone. In the course of her nearly eight year’s in office, more than 2,500 people (and counting) have been killed in Baltimore. More than 92 percent of them were black.

And this year, Baltimore’s homicide rate is the highest in its history. Fact is, the vast majority of murderers are repeat offenders. If those offenders had been in jail serving out their proper sentences instead of breathing free air thanks to Mosby deals, many, if not most, of those killings would have been averted.

Ivan Bates won the July 19 Democratic primary because of his pledge to incarcerate repeat violent and gun offenders and his vow to reverse Mosby’s policy of refusing to prosecute “low-level” quality-of-life crimes.

Americans of all races want safety, law, and order in their communities. Contrary to leftist-elite propaganda, law-abiding minority citizens want the police in their communities. Eighty-one percent of black Americans want as many or more police officers in their neighborhoods. That’s not surprising. Black people in blue cities are overwhelmingly victims of the violent crime caused by leftist policies. They know first-hand what happens when police are vilified, defunded, and marginalized—and criminals are not punished.

Speaking after Bates’ historic victory, Reverend P. M. Smith, pastor of Baltimore’s Huber Memorial Church, told the simple truth: “When you ask the lawful officers in this city to stand down, then the lawless stand up.”

Expectations in Baltimore are high. But two obstacles threaten Bates’ success.

First, unlike the recall of Chesa Boudin earlier this year in San Francisco, where his replacement was appointed almost immediately and is already restoring the rule of law, Bates won’t take office until next year. Under ordinary circumstances, Mosby will remain in office until January. She has ample time to do more damage.

It’s possible the timeframe for Bates’ swearing-in might be moved up a little. Mosby’s trial on federal charges for perjury and mortgage fraud is scheduled to begin this month. Based on all we know, I anticipate a guilty verdict.

The second and more important obstacle is the sabotage by Brandon Scott, Baltimore’s left-wing Democratic mayor. Scott shares Mosby’s ideology, fully supports her pro-criminal policies, and has never voiced a word of criticism—no matter how many black bodies piled up. He continues to order Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Michael Harrison not to enforce many criminal laws.

Scott is also anti-police. As city council president, he led the campaign that cut BPD’s budget by $22 million. His five-year police-reduction crime plan delegitimizes the police by describing BPD as a systemically racist institution and “reimagines” policing by replacing cops with social workers and “violence-interrupters.” The ideology and jargon of critical race theory and Black Lives Matter movement pervade Scott’s rhetoric.

Ivan Bates has promised to reverse the disastrous Mosby-Scott policy of refusing to prosecute nine specific quality-of-life crimes. But with Scott as mayor, Bates might not get the chance. Scott’s non-enforcement policy will undermine Bates’ ability to hold offenders accountable. You can’t prosecute criminals if they’re not being arrested.

Consider Scott’s refusal to enforce existing laws against the so-called squeegee kids, whose thuggery is the most visible example of Baltimore’s descent into lawlessness. Many of these teenagers and young adults have criminal records. They mob up on the corners of busy downtown intersections, rush into the street to swarm motorists stopped at red lights, wash windshields without permission, and then demand money—intimidating, threatening, and violently attacking drivers who refuse to pay.

[MtnClimber]

A bottom-to-top approach and one city at a time will defeat the communists if the citizens don’t lose focus.

[cyclotic]

Baltimore is a complete zoo of a city. No. I can’t say that. Zoo’s are run efficiently by professionals.

I have two friends who were Baltimore cops. The good guys.

Both resigned in the last few months due to Mosby and Scott.

Thanks to SCOTUS, Maryland just became a Shall Issue state for concealed carry. Classes are all full for training.

I expect to hear of citizens finally fighting back with overwhelming force against the vermin.

In the next year or two, crime will drop and idiots like Scott and his lapdog Harrison will take credit for the work the citizens are doing.

[Hootowl]

Forty years ago Baltimore was a great city to visit. I lived in Glen Burnie and went into Baltimore several times a month. I ever felt unsafe. How sad!