Jeff Albertsen
03 May 2015
1700 hrs. Shawn Carrie’s article, “My 49 hours in a Baltimore Cell – for being a reporter”, is the first person account of his own arrest during the initial stages of the Baltimore riots, which started after the death of an African American man in police custody. The article, which was written for www.theguardian.com, a liberal online newspaper based in the U.K., is a claim of constitutional and civil rights violations by Baltimore police when Carrie, who is a press photographer and blogger, is arrested “unjustly” for being part of the melee after being shot in the head with a non-lethal police projectile. He tells of almost unlivable conditions in overcrowded jail cells, inedible food, and god-like correctional officers in charge of the systematic denial of basic necessities. When telling the stories of the other prisoners arrested for rioting and looting, there is almost a sense of justification for their actions. The common argument that the troublemakers are just repressed, unheard, and frustrated youth out to get their voices heard, not cause trouble, echoes throughout the article. “Enough is enough” was a common sentiment behind outbursts of repressed anger” (Carrie). Two men claimed no knowledge of an ongoing riot, maintaining their innocence. Right after this is mentioned, there is the admission that one of the men was on probation for a gun violation. Their stories are the often heard, “It wasn’t me. I wasn’t there. Why did I get arrested?” When I hear claims such as this accompanied by evidence of prior criminal records, I often wonder about the sincerity of the person’s claim of innocence. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that some people do have the potential to turn their lives around, but when that person is hanging out with criminals who are actively committing crimes, I tend to believe in their guilt. I really think that this news article is a negative reflection on the black youth of today. It is extremely inflammatory and directed at angering young African Americans by perpetuating the notion that young black men are suppressed/repressed and rioting is just an outlet for their frustrations. If these people want to be heard, there are
