So Much For Keeping The Peace. What The Mayor Of Baltimore Told Rioters Makes My Head Hurt

If there was EVER a time for "I do not think that means what you think it means," this is it.

Earlier we told you about the riots going on in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray (you can read those reports here and here). These riots went on pretty much all weekend and Baltimore's Mayor Stephanie Rawlins-Blake actually said that the rioters were given space where they were free to destroy.

I am not even kidding (the relevant point is at the 7:30 mark) –

I… just… WHAT? You're working with the police, but the rioters get a free pass to destroy? What kind of message doesn THAT send? What is this? Riot Monopoly? You land on "Free Parking," only instead of getting the money in the middle, you get to bash in the windshield on someone's car? How do the people whose property is being destroyed feel about this? Where is their "safe space?"

You wanna work off anger and frustration? Go to the gym and punch a punching bag. You wanna do something for Freddie Gray? Listen to the wishes of his family and pastor and let the justice system DO ITS FREAKING JOB. Three different people in the video – the family's spokesman, Freddie's sister, and his pastor all called for an end to the violence. Pastor Bryant in the video even said that there were several investigations going on in Freddie's death – it's not like the police are sitting back and doing nothing!

But no. They've got the freaking MAYOR telling the rioters "Sure – go on ahead. You've got room to destroy and cause mayhem. No one's stopping you!" Like they're a bunch of animals acting on instinct and have no control over what they're doing.

I can't with these people anymore. I just can't.

(h/t Twitchy)