By Zach Stubblefield ’15

We have been raised to see police as the pillars and protectors of our community. So it is pretty jarring when we see them killing unarmed people. How can one feel safe when the people who have been tasked with protecting them have been killing unarmed men? More so what should they do when their voices are not being heard?

The answer is make it louder and one way to do that is through rioting. It may not be the best way, but it gets the job done. It keeps injustices like the death of Freddie Gray at the forefront of national attention for a little bit longer before it gets forgotten by the general public. A peaceful protest may be the politically correct thing to do but it does not make a lasting impression on average people.

Seeing the unrest and destruction that police brutality caused in Baltimore undoubtedly played a role in police officers being charged with manslaughter for their involvement in Freddie Gray’s death. These riots showed not only Baltimore, but the nation, that the American people will not stand for injustices like the death of Freddie Gray any longer.