<nettime> NBC: Baltimore Protests: Orioles Exec on 'Lives and Dreams Cut Short'

[nettime's_co-coo <nettime@kein.org>]

<http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baltimore-protests-orioles-executive-offers-perspective-lives-dreams-cut-short-n349526>

     NEWS /U.S. NEWS 

Baltimore Protests: Orioles Executive Offers Perspective on 'Lives and
Dreams Cut Short' When a sports broadcaster said that protesters hurt
their own cause by disrupting other people's lives, a Baltimore Orioles
executive responded in a lengthy defense Saturday that "people are
suffering and dying around the U.S."

The exchange happened on Saturday, during protests in Baltimore over the
death of Freddie Gray, who suffered a spinal cord injury in police
custody. Those protests were far less violent than the riots that
convulsed the city on Tuesday.

That night, fans at the Orioles game were kept inside the ballpark for
their own safety. Brett Hollander, a radio personality from WBAL-AM,
posted on Twitter:


     It's written in our Constitution In the first Amendment "right of the
     people peaceably to assemble" I think a key word is 'peaceably." 
     -- Brett Hollander (@BrettHollander) April 26, 2015


     Everyone should feel fortunate for our freedoms in this country, as
     written in our Constitution.... (1/4) 
     -- Brett Hollander (@BrettHollander) April 26, 2015


     I'm by no means a legal scholar, so please understand that, but protests
     should not violate the basic freedoms of non-protestors. (2/4) 
     -- Brett Hollander (@BrettHollander) April 26, 2015


     People of a community should be able to commute, commerce should happen
     & citizens who want to go to a ballgame should be able to go. (3/4) 
     -- Brett Hollander (@BrettHollander) April 26, 2015


     And any really important message out of these protests is lost when the
     rest of the community is disrupted. (4/4) 
     -- Brett Hollander (@BrettHollander) April 26, 2015


The response came from John P. Angelos, the chief operating officer of
the Orioles. The inconvenience of some baseball fans, he said, was
irrelevant in context:


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop Brett speaking only for myself i agree
     with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop and the observance of the rule of law
     is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela, and all 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop great opposition leaders throughout
     history have always preached this precept. Further, it is critical .  
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop that in any democracy investigation
     must be completed and due process must be honored before any government
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop or police members are judged
     responsible. That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage
     and 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop sympathy beyond this particular case is
     focused neither upon one night's property damage nor upon the acts 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop group but is focused rather upon the
     past four-decade period during which an American political elite 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop have shipped middle class and working
     class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the US to 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop 3rd world dictatorships like China and
     others plunged tens of millions of good hard working americans 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop into economic devastation and then
     followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American's
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop civil rights protections in order to
     control an unfairly impoverished population living under an 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop declining standard of living and
     suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop surveillance state. The innocent
     working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop short by excessive violence,
     surveillance, and other abuses of the bill of rights by government pay
     the 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop true price, an ultimate price, and one
     that far exceeds the importance of any kids' game played 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We
     need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the US and 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop while we are thankful no one was
     injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor
     Americans 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop in Baltimore and everywhere who don't
     have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights and this is 
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop makes inconvenience at a ball game
     irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


     @BrettHollander @ThBaltimoreChop upon ordinary Americans.
     -- John P Angelos (@JohnPAngelos) April 26, 2015


First published April 28th 2015, 7:29 am



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