MTA Crime

I often criticize the MTA for their lack of crime control on their system. It's not uncommon to have roaming gangs of hoodlums harassing the commuters.

In fact, several years ago, I was on the subway coming home from work. It was an especially crowded train - standing room only. I stood on the far end of the train with my tote bag on the ground at my feet. At one stop I hear a gang of 12-16 year old Baltimore City elementary school kids get on the train screaming and hollering and general rambunctiousness. They harassed the commuters and they pushed their way from one end of the car to the other, being totally obnoxious.

Finally, they get to me. An especially tall and intimidating 12 year old stands on my bag, gets within inches of my face and yells, points his finger at me and says, "I'm standing on your shit, bitch! Whatcha gonna do about it?!!" With my eyes nearly popping out of my head and my coworkers standing there speechless, I said that I would move the bag if he would like me to.

You see, most 12 years olds in Baltimore City are usually packing heat. You never know what they have - chrome 45's, Saturday Night Specials, whatever. And most will not flinch to cap you one. Cuz' whitie's got it coming!

Which brings us to today. Two people in their 20's were harassed and finally beaten on a Baltimore City MTA bus. The 9 middle school kids who were being real, were 6 boys and 3 girls between 14 and 15 years old. One of the victims suffered 2 broken bones. This is such a ringing endorsement to use public transportation!

We, as citizens, need to stand up and start kicking the donkeys of these middle school punks. I propose the following: when a Baltimore City child finished elementary school (assuming s/he's between the ages of 10 and 17), they will take a test. Pass the test, you go to middle school. Fail the test, you go to jail. You know they're just going to be criminals anyway. Lock them up early. This steadfast and hard approach to reducing crime will, no doubt, have an immediate and positive impact. What are your thoughts?

O'Malley Orders MD Judges to Smoke More Crack

This could have been the headline based on two legal actions that have occurred this week. And who knows, maybe it really is true. It wouldn't take too much to convince me of that fact.

First, on Monday July 23rd, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Katherine Savage ordered the release of English-speaking rape suspect Mahamu Kanneh. He requested an interpreter who spoke Via, a West African language. However, no one on the east coast of modern society speaks Via. She claimed that the court's inability to satisfy his request for an interpreter caused his 6th Amendment Rights to be violated (Right to Due Process, i.e. speedy trial). Kanneh was arrested for the rape of a 7 year-old girl. Judge Savage, however, made no mention of the victim's rights to have the accuser tried for a crime.

On Wednesday, July 25th, Baltimore County Circuit Judge Mickey J. Norman changed the charges against 2 teens who poured acid on a playground that severely burned a 4 year old boy on his legs and backside. The teens were originally charged as adults and could have faced life in prison, but Judge Norman changed it so that they would be charged as juveniles. Attorneys suspect the teens will get an extra stiff lashing across the wrist with a semi-cooked noodle.

This is the same Judge Norman who released Matthew Horner on bail after a hearing when he was arrested for assaulting his wife. He went home after his release and shot her under the head to make it appear as if she was trying to commit suicide.

So, as they say in the back room at the old court house, "Pass the crack pipe, your Honor."