I have a suggestion to ease the tension in Baltimore ("Six officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray," May 1).
Since most of the anger is being directed at the members of the Baltimore City police force by African-American citizens who don't trust the officers, here is my idea. Take every officer out of West Baltimore and let residents police themselves. I give that area one day before it resembles Chicago. If black lives matter, then why doesn't it matter when blacks kill each other? The cops are damned if they do and they're damned if they don't.
If I were a cop in Baltimore, I would sit in my patrol car and watch the carnage and do absolutely nothing to help the African-American community that hates me and just make sure I make it through my shift without dying or being injured and get home to my family. I was a Baltimore City firefighter for 26 years in one of the worst neighborhoods in Baltimore, and 99.9 percent of the cops that worked in that neighborhood were hard-working, caring, concerned cops who tried to make a difference in the neighborhood.
African-American people want to be treated with respect and dignity, which is fine, but it works both ways. My grandfather told me 50 years ago: In order to get respect, you have to show respect. It's a shame the way this generation (white and black) have no respect for anything, not even themselves, and it's causing this great nation to implode! I just thank God every day that I'm 62, not 22, and won't have to deal with this much longer.
Donna Tarr