that's progress

 In the city of Baltimore success is being touted. The number of homicides is down! The number of survivors is up! The program, safe streets, is a big success. Now it's true more people are being shot, but more are surviving, so that indicates the program is working. That's what the mayor is saying in his latest press conference. Yes, thirty juveniles have been shot so far this year, more than at any other time but more are surviving. That is where the focus needs to be. When questioned about the funding of the program, for accountability for where the funds are being used, the response is, we'll get back to you. So far this year there have been 87 homicides. I couldn't find the data for this year for survivors but last year there were 688 people that suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds. The claim is that the number of non-fatal shootings is up this year, a success. The criminals are less accurate or the guns less lethal, I haven't read a report on that. But that is what is being stressed. The program is working, more people are getting shot but more people are surviving that shooting. Yes, it's cause for celebration.

 The Maryland state assembly passed legislation making juveniles 14 and under exempt from prosecution for crimes. That's right, juveniles can no longer be charged criminally for crimes. Since it passed the incidence of juveniles involved in shootings has risen sharply. The mayor and police commissioner are decrying this rise saying we need to do more to save the children. They just don't understand why this is happening. When questioned about the new legislation and whether the drug dealers and others were now recruiting juveniles to do their crimes, they both acted surprised. It was suggested that perhaps this would explain the rise in juveniles involved in all of that. But neither the mayor nor the police commissioner will even say outright that there are gangs operating within the city. They refuse to call them gangs. You can only think it has to be political.

  The bottom line is very simple to understand. The criminals are running the city. They have that power because the police and the legislature refuse to enforce the laws that are already on the books. The gangs are running the streets, the ones they tout as "safe streets" locations aren't exempt to crime. Safe streets are being given 5 million dollars in petty cash with no accountability for where or how the money is spent. That isn't the total cost of the program, that is just what is in the petty cash till. There are currently ten locations so if distributed equally that is a half million dollars each, with no one accountable for its' expenditure. My guess is it is buying all the protection it can afford. 

 Look I'm just saying it's a real shame when we start counting survivors as a success. The casualties are mentioned, vigils held for them, there is much talk of getting the guns off the streets. The children, oh my god the children are getting shot. They are innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. That's what is reported. The last juvenile to be shot was wearing an ankle bracelet! This juvenile had been in involved in an auto-theft. But, it really wasn't the juvenile's fault, he was with the older kids, and they just dragged him along. Despite his ankle monitor he was out in the streets involved with some illegal activity when he was shot. Not the fault of Childs parent, not the fault of the criminals, it was the fault of the gun that shot him. A child shot dead in the streets and sadly it is as common as a traffic accident these days. Remember, the legislature passed the law, juveniles can't be charged with crimes anymore. And now the incidence of juveniles involved in criminal activity has soared. But it's just a coincidence you know. 

 I guess when we only have the wounded, no fatalities from shootings, complete success will have been achieved. That is certainly the message I'm hearing. Shootings are up but fatalities are down, the program is working. Now that's real progress.