Friday, May 1, 2015

THE THREE-DAY RULE

By: George Lee Cunningham



Baltimore_riot_police_VOAThe worst of the violence seems to be over in Baltimore. That doesn’t mean the issue is dead or the problems are solved. It doesn’t even mean that the protests and demonstrations over the arrest and subsequent death of Freddie Gray won’t continue. But the rioting and looting seem to be done. At least for now.

It’s just that the three-day rule has kicked in. No matter how angry, how pumped up on adrenaline, or how much the media covers the story – after three days everybody needs some sleep. A riot is like a party in that respect. You go to a wild party, then you wake up afterward, a little groggy and a little hung over, and the wild party is a bad memory.

It doesn’t mean that an injustice wasn’t perpetrated or that the outrage is without warrant. It doesn’t mean that the police finally brought things under control or that the burners and looters involved were not opportunistic thugs. It just means that people got tired and went home.

Now is the time to uncover the truth about what happened to Freddie Gray, to answer the questions raised, learn from the mistakes made, and take the necessary steps to address the issues.

Maybe then, the city will begin to heal.

George and Carmela Cunningham’s new book, Port Town, is due out in June.  Read about it here. You can order George’s novels, Kaboom and The Big Story, at amazoedn.com or by clicking the appropriate links in the right-hand column.

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