THE LAWLESS, DESTRUCTIVE RIOTS SHAKING OUR NATION, OH, NO,
THOSE ARE KENTUCKY FANS, I'M SORRY, AFTER LOSING,
THE LAWLESS -- NO, I'M SORRY, THAT'S THE MICHIGAN FANS
AFTER WINNING, NO I AM SORRY, THAT'S A PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
GONE AWRY, COME ON, THOSE ARE KIDS JUST BLOWING OFF STEAM
WITH GOOD-NATURED ARSON. THERE YOU GO! THAT'S THE WORRISOME,
LET'S CALL IT URBAN VIOLENCE WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
>> IT HAS BEEN A NIGHT OF CHAOS, VIOLENCE, LAWLESSNESS IN
BALTIMORE OVER THE DEATH OF FREDDIE GRAY.
>> RIGHT NOW THE NATIONAL GUARD IS ON THE SCENE TRYING TO
RESTORE PEACE AND AS WE SAID ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED
TODAY.
>> Jon: BUT -- AH, -- (BLEEP).
YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONE TIME EVEN KIDS DON'T
EVEN WANT TO HEAR THE ANNOUNCEMENT SCHOOL IS CLOSED.
HONEY, NO SCHOOL! YOU HAVE A RIOT DAY.
JUST STAY IN YOUR PJS AND WATCH YOUR FAVORITE CARTOONS.
BE PREEMPTED BY FOOTAGE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN FLAMES.
YES, ONCE AGAIN THE COMBINATION OF AN ECONOMICALLY STRUGGLING
INNER CITY, POLICE FORCE CHARGED WITH KEEPING ITS CITIZENS OUT OF
EVERYONE ELSE'S VIEW HAS COMBUSTED, LIKE WATTS AND
DETROIT IN THE SIXTIES, GEORGIA IN THE SEVENTIES,
MIAMI IN THE EIGHTIES, L.A. AND ST. PETERSBERG IN THE
NINETIES, THE CYCLICAL ERUPTIONS APPEAR LIKE TRAGEDY CICADAS.
DEPRESSING IN THEIR SIMILARITY, PREDICTABILITY AND
INTRACTABILITY, OR TO PUT THAT ANOTHER WAY --
>> HARD TO BELIEVE.
THIS IS GOING ON IN A MAJOR AMERICAN CITY RIGHT NOW, THIS IS
A SCENE THAT A LOT OF US NEVER ANTICIPATED SEEING IN A CITY
LIKE BALTIMORE, HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS GOING ON AS I KEEP
SAYING IN A MAJOR AMERICAN CITY.
I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA IN A LONG TIME.
>> Jon: ELVIS LEADING A HERD OF ORTHODOX JEWISH UNICORNS
THROUGH A CITY STREET, THAT WOULD BE HARD TO BELIEVE.
THIS (BLEEP), THIS (BLEEP) HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
FERGUSON WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO AND YOU WERE
TALKING ABOUT IT.
>> IT IS HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, 2014,
SO MANY YEARS AFTER DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT WE ARE SEEING NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ON THE STREET TO
PREVENT THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, IT'S SOMETHING
I DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD BE SEEING AGAIN.
>> Jon: I AM WORRIED ABOUT YOU.
DO I NEED TO GET SANDLER TO GO OVER TO YOUR HOUSE AND -- JUST
RUN (BLEEP) BY YOU EVERY MORNING.
WELL LOOK, BLITZER MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF GUARD BUT CERTAINLY
THE MAYOR OF BALTIMORE WOULDN'T BE TAKEN OFF GUARD.
>> I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OUR GOVERNOR AND HE HAS AGREED,
AND I HAVE REQUESTED AND HE HAS AGREED TO DEPLOY THE NATIONAL
GUARD.
>> WHEN THE MAYOR CALLED ME, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY WE WERE GLAD
THAT SHE FINALLY DID, INSTANTLY WE SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.
>> Jon: OH, OH, OH.
WELL, ISN'T THE GOVERNOR A LITTLE BIT PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE?
I MEAN I WAS THERE ALL WEEKEND.
BY THE PHONE, BUT FINE, IF SHE WANTS THE CITY TO BURN?
WHO AM I, I'M JUST A SIMPLE GOVERNOR WITH EXECUTIVE
AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE A STANDING ARMY OF RESERVISTS?
BUT I GUESS CALLING THEM OUT WOULD NOT BE ON FLEEK AS THE
YOUNG PEOPLE -- (LAUGHTER)
YOU MOTHER (BLEEP), YOU SWORE THAT THAT'S A THING!
YOU SWORE THAT ON FLEEK WAS A THING.
THEY SWORE TO ME. I SAID, ON FLEEK?
AND THEY SAID, NO, THAT'S A THING. I WAS LIKE --
I AM GOING TO (BLEEP) PUNT YOU MOTHER (BLEEP).
I KNOW THAT'S A THING.
SO TO THE MAYOR WAS A LITTLE LATE WITH HER EMERGENCY STATE
DECLARING.
WHEN SHOULD SHE HAVE DONE IT?
>> THERE IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER A NIGHT OF VIOLENCE AND
CHAOS.
WAS BALTIMORE CAUGHT OFF GUARD?
>> THAT CALL SHOULD HAVE CAME IN TWO OR THREE DAYS AGO.
>> WHY WAS THIS NOT IN PLACE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY WHEN THE
SITUATION BEGAN?
>> Jon: WELL, SURE, NO, THEY COULD HAVE DECLARED A STATE OF
EMERGENCY IN BALTIMORE ON SUNDAY, MAYBE SATURDAY, OR MAYBE
SOMEWHERE IN THE 1970S.
AND THIS SEEMS TO INDICATE THE ISSUE IN OUR CITY EMERGENCY
ALERT SYSTEM.
THERE APPEAR TO BE ONLY TWO POINTS ON THE SCALE, NORMAL AND
ON FIRE.
EVEN VOLCANOES HAVE A FOUR STEP WARNING SYSTEM.
IT DOESN'T GO FROM CLEAR SKY TO, THE FLOOR IS LAVA! AND
CLEARLY BALTIMORE WAS BELCHING SMOKE FAR BEFORE SATURDAY.
>> BALTIMORE'S POVERTY RATE IS NEARLY DOUBLE THE NATIONAL
AVERAGE.
>> AGAIN, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN
HOVERS AROUND 30 PERCENT.
>> HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES FOR BLACK MALES ARE
DEVASTATINGLY LOW.
>> A LACK OF ACCESS TO LABOR MARKETS, HEALTH CARE, HOUSING.
>> HAS CHRONIC SEVERE DRUG AND CRIME ISSUES.
>> ONE OF THE HIGHEST VIOLENT CRIME RATES IN AMERICA.
>> Jon: YOU KNOW YOUR CITY IS (BLEEP)ED UP WHEN IT IS LAST
MOST SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WAS CASTING EXTRAS FOR A
TELEVISION SHOW ABOUT HOW (BLEEP) UP YOUR CITY IS.
AND WHEN GETTING ARRESTED -- AND WHEN GETTING ARRESTED IS ONE OF
YOUR MORE RELIABLY LUCRATIVE OPTIONS.
>> SINCE 2011, THE CITY OF BALTIMORE HAS PAID OUT CLOSE TO
$6 MILLION IN COURT JUDGMENTS OR SETTLEMENTS TO VICTIMS OF POLICE
ABUSE.
>> Jon: THE POLICE BRUTALITY LOTTERY IS NOW $6 MILLION! ALL
YOU NEED IS A BROKEN TAILLIGHT AND A DREAM.
AND TO THE POLICE'S DEFENSE, HEY, IT'S (BLEEP) TRUE.
THEY PAID OUT $6 MILLION.
I DIDN'T MAKE THAT UP.
AND BY THE WAY, TO THE POLICE'S DEFENSE, IT IS NOT REALLY THEIR
JOB TO FIX THE WHOLE MESS.
>> THIS HAS BEEN OUR RESPONSE TO COMMUNITIES ASKING FOR
RESOURCES.
LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS ESSENTIALLY BECOME A SURROGATE FOR JOBS,
HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION AND ALL THE THINGS THESE COMMUNITIES
NEED TO BE HEALTHY.
>> Jon: IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.
MAYBE A MORE NUANCED ALERT SYSTEM COULD ALLOW FOR MORE
PRODUCTIVE INTERVENTION BEYOND, YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO
DISPERSE.
OR WE CAN AGREE TO KEEP IGNORING THE ROOTS OF HOW SYSTEMICALLY
HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED MANY AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITIES STILL ARE ONLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THEM
WHEN WE FEAR THEIR FIERY BALL OF ANGER THREATENS
TO ENTER OUR AIRSPACE.
LIKE SOME KIND OF ALEX HALEY'S COMET, AND ONCE AGAIN, BREATHING
A BLISSFUL SIGHT OF FORGETFUL RELIEF WHEN IT IS ANOTHER NEAR
MISS.