Lack of attention for Federal Hill fight
by Lori Barrett | May 20, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Posted in baltimore crime
Over on the Examiner, there’s a big debate going on.
One of the Examiners (who are not bloggers but rather “local guides”) posted an email that is being circulated throughout Baltimore. According to the email, a group of 20-something Federal Hill residents were attacked over the weekend while walking home from the bar. Their attackers were reportedly in the process of fleeing the scene after their car hit an MTA bus, but got sidetracked when one of the victims yelled something to them. That’s when all hell broke loose, apparently.
Three victims were stabbed but all involved are expected to recover. Police have now confirmed the stabbings, but most of the details surrounding the incident come from the victim’s email. Some of the comments on the Examiner’s nonblog express outrage about the lack of witnesses, some about Baltimore’s apathy toward the incident, but most others focus on the lack of media coverage.
I don’t want to opine too much on this story without all the facts, but I’d like to hear your thoughts. I will ask one question, though: If this incident happened in a different zip code, would we be having this discussion?
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May 21st, 2008 at 3:06 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Good question Lori. Like you, I probably need more facts before making any meaningful comments. However, this sort of thing happens all the time in east/west Baltimore - and rarely is deemed "newsworthy." I have my suspicions about why this particular incident has raised eyebrows...but I'll table that discussion until more facts are availible.
!
May 21st, 2008 at 1:28 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Well actually the "local guide" who broke the story at the Examiner, actually got the info from the Baltimore Sun Forum in Local News that is where it originated from. His posting name is TechBalt on the Sun Forum.
As for the story itself it is interesting that there weren't any media outlets putting this out but I have a feeling bad news isn't something that they want to report in Fells Point, with the Property values and Presidents daughter coming to town.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
If the zip code had a concealed / carry law, the answer would be no.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:20 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I'm sure this stuff happens all the time in the areas where, well, this stuff happens all the time. That's the point - in areas of the city where people know how to act, like Canton or Federal Hill, etc., and something like this happens, it is newsworthy. If something like this happens in Northeast Baltimore, for example, where there are regular homicides, muggings, robberies, etc., then it isn't nearly as newsworthy. Not so say that there shouldn't be more police presence in all areas of Baltimore - I'm all for that.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:50 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I'm going to copy paste the email because this happened right around the corner from me and it's somewhat important to me. (names removed)
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My family and I were brutally attacked at approximately 1:30 am Sunday morning, May 18th 2008 in Federal Hill. The police have asked that we reach out to anyone and everyone we know to see if anyone saw or heard anything so that we can try to catch these people. Please pass along my story to all you know that might have been in the area.
My [brother] , [cousin] and I were walking south on Light street. A dark colored sedan struck a city bus at the intersection of West and Light. Everyone on the street at the time was yelling at the driver to stop because she was attempting to flee the accident.
We crossed the street and headed toward the intersection of William and West to [cousin's] [girlfriend's] house in the 100 block of East West Street. We saw that there was an unrelated fight occurring at the intersection of William and West so we were discussing that perhaps we should just go to my house instead of [girlfriend's] house so that we didn't get in the middle of it.
By the time we got to [girlfriend's] house, the driver who had struck the bus had turned down West Street and was attempting to get away. Because there was a fight blocking the street, she could not so she reversed toward Light Street.
At that time [brother] yelled at her to stop since she has struck the bus. A female passenger got out of the dark sedan and rushed at us. We were banging on [girlfriend's] door to try and get someone to let us in, but before we could get in, the girl grabbed me by the pony tail and threw me to the ground. At that time others joined in and all were kicking, punching and stomping on me. [cousin] and [brother] were frantically trying to get the girl and others who had joined in to stop, but the girl still had me by the hair and was smashing my face into the sidewalk and kicking me even more. I fortunately had my purse in between the si
May 21st, 2008 at 5:07 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
And not for nothin', but Zack Sowers' horrific incident did receive gaggles of attention simply based on the simplest twist of fate - he ended up in a coma, while this girl had her handbag in front of her face and suffered no permanent damage. And none of the stabbing victims died. If someone had died it would have been an absolute media circus, I don't really doubt that.
But then the disparity between people getting stabbed or shot seemingly on a monthly basis less than a mile away at Paradox getting very little attention and this event with regard to OUTRAGE is so self-evident I'm just going to stop typing letters right now.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:20 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Outrage at least as much a function of the community as of the media. When people are already paying attention, the media has no choice but to do so as well, and you get a virtuous cycle.
If the community ignores it, why should the media or the rest of the city be expected to be outraged?
June 16th, 2008 at 5:02 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Crime in Baltimore is out of control. I truely believe it is worse than we know and the mayor and city government bury whatever they can so as to not add to statistics. My son , this past Saturday, was leaving a bar in Federal Hill with freinds of his when he was mugged and beaten after he had split from them and was walking to his car. My fathers day was spent at Maryland Shock Trama with my son and family. They literally beat the crap out of him and took everything he had in his possesion. He was dumped or wandered 6 blocks down the road to Fort Ave. Luckily, someone saw him and dialed 911. He has no memory of what happened. I am still waiting for his release from the hospital. Baltimore is fast becoming the worst city for crime in the nation. We have a city government that cannot stomach what it will take to bring this city back. I would rather take my chances in Irac than walk down the streets of Baltimore at night. I live in Jarrettsville and use to be proud to tell people that I was from Baltimore. No more. I am now from Northern Maryland. They are right when they say this is not your fathers' Baltimore. It is worse. I don't want to hear all of the positives about Baltimore when crime is out of control. Being a Ravens season ticket holder from day one, I cringe when I or someone from my family will have to attend a night game. Maybe we would have been better off buiding the stadiums outside of the Beltway. The gangs have got to go. The city prosecutors and judges have to put these thugs away for long, long sentences. Police presense must be increased in the street. And we need someone in government who knows enough is enough, and gets tough on crime. We'll it looks like Mayor Dixon will be getting another mulligan on mugging statistics. We were told that since my son did not remember his attackers, there was no sense in filling out a police report. A gift to the city of Baltimore? The day after fathers day.