Teach Your Children
The recent riots in Baltimore seem to have brought out the best and the worst in local people.
In one case a mother, Toya Graham, wades into the scene and leaves her young son in no doubt that he wasn't brought up to throw rocks, loot the neighbours property and generally act like a hooligan.
In the other a local politician Carl Stokes attacks President Obama for describing the rioters "thugs" which seems like an apt description to me because the folks throwing rocks and stealing from their neighbours are not trying tot change anything - they're just out to exploit the situation for their own ends.
Apparently, Toya Graham has been nominated for 'Mom of the Year', whatever that is, but if you ask me she's setting a much better example than the local politician, Councillor Stokes.
Baltimore protests: Teenager slapped in street by mother for attempting to join riots says 'she didn't want me to be like Freddie Gray'
Freddie Gray died of spinal injuries while in police custody earlier this month
By KASHMIRA GANDER - The Independent
When a teenage boy from Baltimore donned a mask and headed out to join the riots erupting in the US city, little did he know that millions of people would see his mother slapping him around the face and marching him home, in an expletive-ridden video.
The footage view over 6 million times shows mother Toya Graham slapping and shouting at her 16-year-old son Michael Singleton in the middle of the street, after she saw her son with a brick in his hand.
Graham was quickly hailed as ‘mother of the year’ on Twitter, for trying to prevent her son from joining the riots which were sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, 25, the young black man who died of spinal injuries while in police custody.
But despite the pained look on Singleton’s face in the video, the teenager has admitted that his mother was simply trying to protect him from dying like Gray.
“She didn’t want me to get in trouble (with the) law. She didn’t want me to be like another Freddie Gray,” Singleton told CNN.
The teenager said that he when spotted his mother he realised he was in trouble, as the night before he had sworn not to join in the violence.
“It was just World War III from right there,” Singleton said of the moment his mother found him.
Graham told the broadcaster that she wasn’t concerned about embarrassing her son in front of the crowd, as he was “embarrassing himself by wearing that mask and that hoodie and doing what he was doing.”
“I did (get emotional). You know, once he threw that rock down I said, 'You weren't brought up like this,“ Graham said.
But despite the pained look on Singleton’s face in the video, the teenager has admitted that his mother was simply trying to protect him from dying like Gray.
“She didn’t want me to get in trouble (with the) law. She didn’t want me to be like another Freddie Gray,” Singleton told CNN.
The teenager said that he when spotted his mother he realised he was in trouble, as the night before he had sworn not to join in the violence.
“It was just World War III from right there,” Singleton said of the moment his mother found him.
Graham told the broadcaster that she wasn’t concerned about embarrassing her son in front of the crowd, as he was “embarrassing himself by wearing that mask and that hoodie and doing what he was doing.”
“I did (get emotional). You know, once he threw that rock down I said, 'You weren't brought up like this,“ Graham said.
Michael Singleton has acknowledged his mother was simply trying to remove him from a dangerous situation
The family’s account comes as protests against Gray’s death in Baltimore have sparked similar rallies in the cities of New York and Boston.
Protesters in New York gathered in Manhattan’s Union Square, where they chanted ”no justice, no peace“ and ”hands up, don't shoot,“ a reference to the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last year.
At least 60 people were detained by police in New York on Wednesday night, after police using a loudspeaker warned the crowd they would be taken into custody if they marched in the street.
Meanwhile in Boston, activists gathered in a park behind police headquarters in Roxbury and continued with a peaceful march to a park at Dudley Square, across from the Roxbury neighborhood police station.
Additional reporting by AP
Baltimore riots: Black councillor Carl Stokes tells TV anchor 'Just call them N*****s'
Baltimore politician denounced President Barack Obama's description of those involved in riots as 'thugs'
By ANDREW BUNCOMBE - The Independent
A black Baltimore councillor delivered an angry retort to a television anchor after she suggested President Barack Obama was correct to use the word “thugs” to describe the rioters on the streets of Baltimore.
Carl Stokes told CNN anchor Erin Burnett that the young people who had clashed with police on Monday night were “our children”.
“Come on,” Mr Stokes said. “So calling them thugs - just call them n*****s. Just call them n*****s.”
The exchange took place after Mr Obama had made comments in which he said the problems faced by the young people of Baltimore were extensive and historic.
Yet he also drew a line between those who had been involved in peaceful protests over the death of Freddie Gray and the people who rioted, looted and set fire to buildings.
“But how does that justify what they did,” said Ms Burnett. “I mean, that’s a sense of right and wrong. They know it’s wrong to steal and burn down a CVS and an old person’s home. I mean, come on.”
Mr Stokes said: "When you say 'come on', come on what. You wouldn't call your a child a thug if they did something which was not what you'd expect them to do.”
Ms Burnett said: “I would hope I would call my son a thug if he ever did such a thing.”
A black Baltimore councillor delivered an angry retort to a television anchor after she suggested President Barack Obama was correct to use the word “thugs” to describe the rioters on the streets of Baltimore.
Carl Stokes told CNN anchor Erin Burnett that the young people who had clashed with police on Monday night were “our children”.
“Come on,” Mr Stokes said. “So calling them thugs - just call them n*****s. Just call them n*****s.”
The exchange took place after Mr Obama had made comments in which he said the problems faced by the young people of Baltimore were extensive and historic.
Yet he also drew a line between those who had been involved in peaceful protests over the death of Freddie Gray and the people who rioted, looted and set fire to buildings.
“But how does that justify what they did,” said Ms Burnett. “I mean, that’s a sense of right and wrong. They know it’s wrong to steal and burn down a CVS and an old person’s home. I mean, come on.”
Mr Stokes said: "When you say 'come on', come on what. You wouldn't call your a child a thug if they did something which was not what you'd expect them to do.”
Ms Burnett said: “I would hope I would call my son a thug if he ever did such a thing.”
