Hillary Clinton on Wednesday used her first major policy speech as a 2016 presidential candidate to draw attention to the death of Baltimore's Freddie Gray, saying it was part of an "undeniable" pattern in which black men in America are disproportionately targeted by the criminal justice system.

"What we have seen in Baltimore should — indeed, I think does — tear at our soul," said Clinton in her keynote address at the 18th annual David N. Dinkins Leadership and Public Policy Forum at Columbia University.
"From Ferguson, to Staten Island, to Baltimore, the patterns have become unmistakable and undeniable," Clinton added. "Walter Scott shot in the back in Charleston, South Carolina — unarmed, in debt, terrified of spending more time in jail for child support payments he couldn't afford. Tamir Rice shot in a park in Cleveland, Ohio, unarmed and just 12 years old. Eric Garner, choked to death after being stopped for selling cigarettes on the streets of our city. And now Freddie Gray, his spine nearly severed while in police custody."

H/T: Politico and HuffPost

And I wanted to wait and see how things were going to play out yesterday evening and through last night.

First let me say……

No. I don't condone this kind of behavior. And I believe these mindless actually serve to set *Us* back as a people (Black people)…to say nothing of the community directly impacted on every socio-economic level.

And these same acts most definitely serve to feed into every kind of racist stereotype out there about *Us.* Does NOT matter that most of the protesters were (are) Peaceful. The mindless acts of a few very bad characters reflect poorly on our entire race. Is it fair? Of course not. But this is America. And that's just the way it is.

Second……

But I also agree with BD's point: "These are young boys and men who have had enough of hunting season by police."

And since it appears we've entered a new age where (thanks to video-phones) more and more isht will be brought to light concerning police corruption and brutality, especially in communities of Color, I think it'smore likely that from now on, protests that may begin peacefully will at some point escalate into violence and looting.

This tragic situation (and that of Ferguson) should serve as a WAKE-UP call to all Mayors of cities and towns across America, with a police force that has a *troubling* history with the people of that community. Mayors of such communties should immediately begin reaching out to church and civic community leaders, so that together they can collaborate and develop strategies to hopefully prevent (or at least minimize) the possibility of such angry and destructive unrest.

Mayors who put off addressing this issue until it's too late do so at significant risk to the entire city/town.

Most importantly, Time is up America. Americans can no longer IGNORE the prevalence of police corruption and brutality in this country., in particular, when it comes to predominately Black communities.

To continue ignoring it, would be pure madness …and the consequences will not be pretty.

"People crushed by law, have no hopes but from power. If laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to laws" ~ Edmund Burke – Irish author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher

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