The Baltimore Riots were a completely unjustified and destructive overreaction of an entire community over of the unexplained death of Freddie Gray. The riots even happened on the day of his funeral. Freddie Gray's death is fairly unusual as far as police related deaths go. He was arrested in good health, put in the back of a van, and then he is dead with a spinal cord injury. When I got home at 3:20 on April 27th I didn't know what was happening at first, and the riots didn't even start yet. I sat on my couch my dad and sister to watch it unfold. A little later on the riots really started to erupt. Kids throwing rocks and bricks at police, breaking car windshields, overrunning cop cars and destroying them, car fires, citywide looting, and building fires started to pop up all around the city at once. Why though? My opinion is that people saw an opportunity when the riots started. An opportunity for personal gain and “fun” during the riots. When a large group of people all angry about the same thing gather, they start to gain this sort of gang mentality. The feeling of invulnerability and lawlessness.
Part of this event (the peaceful part) relates to the 1st amendment rights of free speech and the right to protest. While there were peaceful protesters in Baltimore on that day, they were overshadowed by the unruly criminals. Some people might say that the rioter’s actions were justified because of police brutality. Those people are completely wrong. They don’t even have solid evidence against the police officers yet, and if they did they can’t prove it because there are no direct witnesses or video of it.
In my mind freedom of speech means you can say anything you want to anyone, but the right to assemble is different to me. I believe it means you have the right to assemble publicly in peace, not in anarchy. The actions of the rioters are completely barbaric, unjustified, and unwanted. The only thing Baltimore gained on that day was a few more hospital patients, burned and destroyed businesses, new jail residents, and the disapproval of a nation.
The 1st amendment rights are the most important rights to me personally, and to the majority of people in America. Without the freedoms of speech and the right to protest our voices as a whole are silenced. Unfortunately, some people warp and extend how far these rights can go.
Part of this event (the peaceful part) relates to the 1st amendment rights of free speech and the right to protest. While there were peaceful protesters in Baltimore on that day, they were overshadowed by the unruly criminals. Some people might say that the rioter’s actions were justified because of police brutality. Those people are completely wrong. They don’t even have solid evidence against the police officers yet, and if they did they can’t prove it because there are no direct witnesses or video of it.
In my mind freedom of speech means you can say anything you want to anyone, but the right to assemble is different to me. I believe it means you have the right to assemble publicly in peace, not in anarchy. The actions of the rioters are completely barbaric, unjustified, and unwanted. The only thing Baltimore gained on that day was a few more hospital patients, burned and destroyed businesses, new jail residents, and the disapproval of a nation.
The 1st amendment rights are the most important rights to me personally, and to the majority of people in America. Without the freedoms of speech and the right to protest our voices as a whole are silenced. Unfortunately, some people warp and extend how far these rights can go.