PAX Centurion - May / June 2015

Page 28 • PAX CENTURION • June/July 2015 617-989-BPPA (2772) An honest politician (no, this is not an oxymoron) Submitted by Patrick M. Rose I had already written an article to address you, our members of the BPPA. However, in themeantime, Senator PatrickToomey of Pennsyl- vania addressed the U.S. Senate and I felt so strongly about his speech that I have to share it with you. It is so refreshing to see there still are politicians with morals and not afraid to speak the truth. “Diogenes,” I think I've found that honest man, please read the following and I believe you will agree. An outstanding speech by U.S. Senator Patrick Toomey of Penn- sylvania! If only all elected officials had this much common sense and the courage to speak up. PS, please note this speech was delivered days before the attack on the Dallas Police Department! H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H L ast month, I was here on the Senate floor to address the topic of the riots in Baltimore and the unfortunate and completely misguided scapegoating of police officers that has been going on far too often in parts of our country today. So I rise again today on the same topic because in just the last month or so there have been some more very harmful developments in this area. One of those developments is the dramatic decline in police arrests and a massive increase in violent crime and murders in the City of Baltimore. Now, some of my friends would say: Why is the Senator from Pennsylvania speaking out so often about these tragic circumstances that are happening in Baltimore?Well, first of all, as a U.S. Senator, I am concerned with what goes on in our entire country, not just my State. Baltimore is a great American city that is going through a very difficult period, and we should all be concerned about it. Second of all, Baltimore is, of course, less than 100 miles away from Pennsylvania. Most importantly, what is happening in Baltimore is not happening only in Baltimore. The scapegoating of police and the rise of violent crime is happening in NewYork City and in other places as well. And, frankly, it is a threat to public safety and security in every city. Some, including the police chief of St. Louis, MO, have described what has come to be known as the Ferguson effect. This can be traced back to the riots and lawlessness that followed the unfortunate death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, last August. As you will remember, in the Ferguson case, Officer DarrenWilson acted in self- defense and shot and killed Brown when Brown attacked him while he was resisting arrest. In the weeks and months that followed the incident, and after Officer Wilson was cleared of wrongdoing, violent protests erupted. Protesters, police, and bystanders were injured. Buildings were burned to the ground. Property was destroyed. But instead of placing the onus on those who were actually causing the havoc, it was portrayed by many as if law enforcement was somehow responsible for the violence and unrest. Anti-law enforcement senti- ments were even expressed by some of the local officials in Fergu- son. This endorsement of violent protesters empowered those who wished to turn peaceful protests into violent riots, and it also left the police feeling powerless. What has happened in Ferguson since is as tragic as it was predict- able. The homicide rate in Ferguson increased 47 percent in the latter portion of 2014, and robberies in St. Louis County jumped by 82 percent. This really should be no surprise. This is what happens when a city puts these views of “police as the problem” into practice, such as when a city determines that police are the cause of the violence as opposed to the brave defense against it, when a city justifies law- Senator Patrick Toomey (R-PA) lessness, stops law enforcement from doing its job, and allows law breakers to go unpunished. The results of those practices are that the innocent members of those very communities pay a horrible price. These tragic circumstances are now playing out in the city of Baltimore. OnApril 18 of this year, many Baltimore residents began peaceful protests over the injury and eventual death of Mr. Freddie Gray while he was in police custody. As I mentioned in my speech about this last month, in my view, Freddie Gray’s death absolutely calls out for justice and calls out for a thorough investigation, and the judicial process is now proceeding and playing out exactly as it should. But what has happened in Baltimore since then is not about Freddie Gray. A week after the Baltimore protests began, onApril 25, they turned violent. Over the next 5 days rioters damaged 200 businesses. They set fire to a newly constructed senior center, burned down a CVS drugstore and cut the fire hose of the firemen who were trying to put out the flames, and set fire to 144 cars. And 130 law enforcement officers were injured, many seriously. The chaos was so extreme that the city had to impose a curfew for 5 days and had to call in 3,000 National Guard troops. Now with all that mayhem, how did the public officials of Bal- timore respond? On the first day of the violence, the mayor held a press conference in which she legitimized the violence. She said: “We also gave those who wish to destroy space to do that as well.” Seriously, space to destroy? Destroying other people’s property, setting buildings and cars ablaze, attacking police officers? These are not legitimate acts, and no mayor should be accommodating those kinds of acts with “space.” In fact, they are criminal. They are harm- ful. These are exactly the kinds of activities that a mayor should be all about stopping and preventing. But that is not all. Next the Baltimore police were given a stand-down order, and they were forbidden from arresting the looters and the rioters. Then officials announced that half of all those arrested for the destruction and vio- lence would be released without charges. Mobs would gather around police when they tried to enforce the law. All this is a clear illustration of the impact that the Ferguson effect is having on Baltimore. Lawbreakers are in control, and the city’s residents are at the mercy of the lawbreakers. Law enforcement has been limited because