On My Mind

Thank you for bringing some attention to these terrible incidents. I have begun to contact local writers to give these stories some further press. You are correct - only when local politicians are embarrassed will they begin to take action.

What do you expect from kids who have not been taught that life in and of itself has value. When the rate of single parent households in black city families is over 75% and the life these young men look forward too likely involves incarceration what do we expect? Don’t misunderstand, I am not making excuses for these miscreants. But Rikki Spector doesn’t care because she doesn’t live in this community and she is a Democrat which means she has a lifetime appointment to her job. And Sandy Rosenberg, who I overheard talking on his cell on election day about how he was running unopposed again, doesn’t care because he also has a lifetime appointment that comes with being an elected Democrat. They have become the political class whose job is not to serve their constituents but to serve themselves by getting reelected.

Maybe our new states attorney will care. I know that our previous one, Ms. Jessemy was more interested in rehabilitation than incarceration. It was almost miraculous that she was voted out of office. But since there will be no Republican opposition to Mr. Bernstein, who knows truly what he believes?

It has to come from the community itself. Until the Reverends speak out and make the sanctity of life important nothing will change. Until these “children” incorporate the idea that respect of the sanctity of life is a moral value, nothing will change. We can get more police, more shomrim, more Hatzala and it won’t really matter. Until the community that raised these “children” stops depending upon the government to fix their lives and starts preaching about personal responsibility, nothing will change. Until we stop going to the voting booths and mindlessly pulling the lever for the same tired old names that don’t change, nothing will change. Until the Republican party makes a concerted effort to field real candidates and take the chance that they will be defeated, nothing will change. So, the unfortunate reality is that nothing will change.

It leaves us with unfortunate choices. Move and escape the city like so many Jews have done before us. Learn self defense or carry weapons which is the only language these “children” seem to understand. Demand accountability from our politicians, which is frankly a joke. Or continue to live like frightened sheep awaiting the next attack. Anybody have any better ideas?

Phil, I think you care more than most readers of the Jewish Times, because you actually live in the affected area. The greater Jewish Times readership, especially those that do not live in Baltimore City simply does not care about those that live in the Orthodox Jewish area of Baltimore City.

Simply put, whenever there has been an uptick in crime, or a change in the neighborhood “demographic”, our community has been very willing to hightail it, and move, examples in case, are Randallstown and Owings Mills, where the community just basically ran away from problems when they thought they had some.

Only the orthodox jewish community in Northwest Baltimore City has stayed and not fled (although you can argue its more for economic and “walking to shul” reasons), but still they have stood their ground.

The politicians don’t really care, because they are election proof, and since the Jewish community in Northwest Baltimore City straddles the city-county line, their electoral strength is really diluted.  The City Council woman in the area, one can seriously question if she cares about any of this, or has the political will to stand up for the “jewish” part of her district (more affluent part).

Because frankly, if the rest of Baltimore City (or much of it) has reached new lows with crime and violence and political carelessness to its populace, why should we be surprised if we get the same treatment.

Only when politicians are embarrassed and ashamed will anything get accomplished (crime and violence sadly aren’t enough, something has to occur to make them get off their sofas and city paid cars (or campaign paid cars)) and only then will they pretend to care.