Top university officials in Maryland – including the chancellor of the state university system and the president of the Johns Hopkins University – say the current drinking age of 21 “is not working” and has led to dangerous binges in which students have harmed themselves and others. “Kids are going to drink whether it’s legal…
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This is rare: “A grand jury in a small Louisiana town last week took the rare step of indicting a police officer for repeatedly shocking a handcuffed suspect with a Taser.” Here’s the story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Race is involved. The tased guy was black. The officer, who was fired, was white. Meanwhile, in…
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No shit, sez I. Here’s the Baltimore Sunstory by Julie Bykowicz. People talk about how the criminal justice system is biased against blacks. And it is. If it weren’t, nearly half the people in prison wouldn’t be black. But, dot dot dot, if you are going to be arrested for drugs, it’s far better to…
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I just received this email. It’s an interesting take on on the concept of being “real police.” “Real police” is both a concept and a compliment. It’s what in the NYPD they call a “cop’s cop.” Also, when you actually say “real police,” you have to stress “real” and the first syllable of “police.” Otherwise…
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A liquor store in Baltimore is being forced to close because a man was killed there and drug dealers congregate. Here’s the story in the Sun. I’m of mixed feelings. Liquor stores in the ghetto are hardly the most sympathetic businesses. But if they were all shut down, it’s not like the neighborhood’s problems would…
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Last time I was in town I noticed the scaffolding around the building from the train. That had to be good news. I think it might be the most beautiful building in the world. It just happens to be in the Eastern. It was a bad shape when I roamed around it in 2000. Now…
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Oops. Sorry. Not really. The story from the Baltimore Sun is here. This is Sector One in the Eastern, for those who care.
The Washington Postreports: “A growing number of teenagers say it’s easier to illegally obtain prescription drugs than to buy beer or marijuana.” 19 percent, to be exact (according to the survey from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuseat Columbia University). 25% say marijuana is the easiest, with 43 percent saying they could buy…
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You know what I love about Baltimore? When I’m there, very often I want to burst out singing, “I love you, Baltimore!” just like Tracy Turnblad from “Hairspray.” Usually, I resist the urge. These past two days in Charm City were no exception. I never felt so welcome moving to a city as I did…
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The Daily Newsreports that a cop’s gun “accidentally” fired. No it di’int!If there’s one thing I learned as a cop, it’s that guns don’t fire by themselves. You gotta pull the trigger. Now there is a chance, if your finger is on the trigger, that you could get hit by something and accidentally squeeze the…
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