Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake must realize that crime is crime (black on black, white on white, whatever). We surely dilute the conversation as well as placate the offenders when we shift the subject from criminal police brutality against unarmed black youth to another subject of black on black crime ("Mayor sets up forum on call to action to end homicides," March 16). The uniformed criminals and their hateful supporters will get the impression that those changing the subject don't find the criminals' actions reprehensible.
We know that blacks only make up about 13 percent of the population in the U.S. With that statistic one could believe that whites in this country commit the most white-on-white and white-on-everybody-else crime. Do we address that? Public officials and whites don't demonize whites by speaking of "white-on-white crime," which, by the way, would also be ridiculous. However, some public officials rush to comfort a particular group by publicly stating that black kids need male mentors. While this statement may hold some truth, it is not the truth regarding the national problem of white police brutality against unarmed blacks. Not all white police officers kill unarmed blacks, but there are enough cases to keep the subject open until there is national resolve to deal out consequences against the uniformed criminals. Please do not dilute or change the subject, Ms. Rawlings-Blake. You owe the people of Baltimore more.
Kim Marie Carrington