I WANT TO BRING IN EDWARD ELLIS,
YOU ARE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
SIR.
YOU HAVE WITNESSED WHAT IS GOING
ON HERE.
A LOT OF YOUR PEERS, AT LEAST
SOME OF THEM, WERE RESPONSIBLE,
PEERS MEANING FELLOW TEENAGERS
IN BALTIMORE CITY, RESPONSIBLE
FOR WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
I WANT TO ASK YOU FIRST ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED ABOUT THAT
SITUATION --ARE YOU UPSET
ABOUT THAT?
EDWARD: YES SIR, I DON'T FEEL
THAT WRITING IS THE ANSWER,
ALTHOUGH -- RIOTING IS THE
ANSWER, ALTHOUGH I DO THINK
SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE IN
RESPONSE.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE WHERE PEOPLE
WERE STANDING AROUND IS A WAY TO
GET ANSWERED.
BUT THE RIO
TING AND STUFF
IS NOT WHAT WE NEED.
YOU GUYS AT THE NEW STATION ARE
USING EUPHEMISMS LIKE CRIMINALS
FOR THESE PEOPLE.
NOT EVEN PARTICULAR.
GEORGE: POLITICIANS AND OTHERS
ARE USING THOSE TERMS, WE ARE
JUST REPEATING THEM TO BE CLEAR.
EDWARD: YOU'RE
RIGHT.
THE MEDIA AS A WHOLE ARE USING
THESE THE HUMANIZING TERMS.
THEY ARE NOT CRIMINALS.
THAT IS DEHUMANIZING.
GEORGE: A LOT OF THIS IS BEING
DISCUSSED AND ORGANIZED ON A
SOCIAL MEDIA, PARTICULARLY
INSTAGRAM.
IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE SEEING??
EDWARD: PEOPLE
PUT PICTURES ON
FACEBOOK AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
ME AND MY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN
POSTING ABOUT BLACKTIVISM.
WE ARE JUST POSTING THINGS
-- WE
ARE AGAINST THE VIOLENCE.
BUT THINGS HAPPEN.
I WAS WATCHING THE NEWS BEFORE I
CAME DOWN TO SPEAK TO YOU.
YOU HAVE A REPORTER RIGHT NOW
BEFORE STANDING IN FRONT OF A
LIQUOR STORE.
THEY BURNED IT DOWN.
THAT IS NOT WHAT WE NEED IN OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD.
I AM PEEVED THAT THEY BURNED IT
DOWN.
PUT DOWN AN ICE CREAM PARLOR.
YOU HAVE A YOUTH IN A
CITY WHERE
YOU HAVE CLOSED DOWN SCHOOLS,
BUT OPENED UP DOG PARKS.
IT IS NOT JUST WHITE VS BLACK.
THERE IS GOOD AND BAD TO
EVERYTHING.
TO SAY THAT IT IS JUST WHITE
COPS OR JUST BAD COPS -- THERE
ARE GOOD AND BAD, DON'T
PROSECUTE POLICE OFFICERS FOR
THE BRUTALIZATION OF
COMMUNITY
OR CIVILIANS AS WELL.
GEORGE: A
MOB WENT UP TO A
TEENAGE SON AND STARTED BOPPING
HIM ON THE HEAD.
DID YOU SEE THAT VIDEO?
EDWARD: YES SIR.
GEORGE: WHERE DO YOU THINK
PARENTING IS INTO WHERE THESE
KIDS?
EDWARD: YOU SHOULD HAVE PARENTS
TAKE THEM IN THE HOUSE, SHOW
THEM THAT THEY ARE NOT JUST
GOING TO RUN FREE IN THE CITY.
YOU WILL HAVE SOMEONE TO ANSWER
TO.
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PARENTS
AND TEENAGERS -- THE POLICE
SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE US, THE
PEOPLE, RUN OUR GOVERNMENT.
IT IS A DEMOCRACY, IT SHOULD BE
AT LEAST.
WHEN YOU LIE TO YOUR
PARENTS,
THINGS GET WORSE FOR YOU.
WHEN YOU LET THE TRUTH OUT --
THEY DON'T WANT TO RELEASE THE
TRUTH OR APOLOGIZE FOR IT, SO
THINGS GET WORSE.
IT IS NO SECRET IN THE BLACK
COMMUNITY THAT THERE ARE BROKEN
HOMES.
I'M WITH MY FATHER, HE IS
RIGHT THERE.
GEORGE: CAN WE BRING HIM IN?
EDWARD: YES.
GEORGE: WBAL, YOU ARE L
IVE
ON TELEVISION.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PARENTING
AND HOW IT IMPACTED YESTERDAY.
WHAT YOU THINK IS THE PARENT'S
ROLE YESTERDAY AND GOING
FORWARD?
PARENT: A LOT
OF PARENTS ARE ON
DRUGS AND ARE NOT PARENTING
THEIR CHILDREN.
THAT IS A BIG PROBLEM IN THE
CITY.
DRUGS ARE BEING BROUGHT INTO THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT IS KILLING
THE PARENTS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE INCIDENTS
WHERE PARENTS CANNOT EVEN
DISCIPLINE THEIR KIDS.
I SAW A VIDEO ON TV WHERE A
WOMAN SNATCHED HER CHILD
UP.
GEORGE: WE WERE JUST TALKING
ABOUT THAT.
PARENT: BUT THE PROSECUTOR
CANNOT PRESS CHARGES ON HER,
BECAUSE BY THE LETTER OF THE
LAW, IT IS A CRIME.
A LOT OF THE LAWS ARE STIFLING
THE PARENTS.
GEORGE: WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
SOME OF THE PARENTS WHO HAD SOME
OF THEIR KIDS DOING WHAT HAD
HAPPENED YESTERDAY?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TELL THEM AS
A RESPONSIBLE PARENT, AS I
ASSUME YOU ARE?
PARENT: WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
GRAB A HOLD OF YOUR KIDS, KEEP
THEM SAFE, AND WE HAVE TO DO
BETTER.
GEORGE: GREAT ADVICE GUYS.
EDWARD, EITHER IMPRESSED.
-- I AM VERY IMPRESSED.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORD, SIR.