I went to University of Maryland Law School (Baltimore) at the ripe old age of 40. I was a teacher and realized I really hated the privileged parents I had to deal with and needed a new career. My Dad and Uncle were lawyers -- both failed the bar exam a couple of times -- neither went to college --- just went to the University of Baltimore Law School after serving in WWII. They eventually passed the bar. My Dad went on to something else and my Uncle Pat became a brilliant, albeit colorful trial lawyer in Baltimore and elsewheres.
I went to UMD because of their environmental law program. That's another boring story. The point is, I found an amazing apartment in Mount Vernon (center of the city and gorgeous) for $450 a month -- heat and hot water included. Two bedrooms!!!! No roommate -- I needed a dining room and painted it bordello raspberry.
One summer night I heard: "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" WTF??? I looked out the window and saw a Baltimore cop in his summer uniform -- then was a bright white shirt and blue slacks -- on the roof of the adjacent brownstone. Holy crap!!! That shirt made him a target.
Then I heard guffawing below in the alleyway. WTF again???? So I look out my french windows that lead to the fire escape and see a cop trying to jump up to catch the fire escape ladder. WTF x3!!!!!
So, I figure it is best to prevent them from smashing through the brilliant heavy beveled glass front door so I start walking down the three flights. On the second floor was a cop with pistol drawn. Yikes!!! I'm white and I did hands up. He told me they thought there was a breakin -- I asked what they were doing on the roof next door and why was a cop jumping up trying to reach the ladder.
Ok, so it almost became an Alice's Restaurant moment. I said, "have your jumping friend come up the stairs and he can go out through my window. And we all were happy. Next thing I know, they found a guy next door stuck in a chimney.
Sooooo, long boring story not short, I lived in Baltimore when cops wore cotton (or some blend) shirts, no helmets and no AK70billion. They didn't shoot me or the guy in the chimney. They were polite.
Many nights I knew there were helicopters hovering around my area because it was a great scene to steal stuff out of cars (happened to me 3 X) and mug rich (not me) people. But besides the helicopters, which the news people also had, there were no crazy Transformers crazy shite.
I met asshole cops and good cops. My grandfather was an asshole Baltimore cop. I met a great cop who was trying to get me to pad my losses from a car breakin for insurance purposes. I told him I had just taken the bar exam and it would be bad karma.
Baltimore is really a rich city -- meaning history, culture, institutions and horror. The rich in horror I have seen. The credible judgments will come from within. What I have seen over the past week is that young leaders are emerging. Articulate, unafraid, and don't give a shite about the media or blogs like this place. They are in the streets and not on keyboards.
Thanks to everyone here who keep alive the spotlight on injustice.