Black Youth

It is absolutely unbelievable that The Sun would so blatantly mislead and intentionally deceive its reading public about the disturbance in Towson Circle last Saturday ("Towson melee prompts meeting," Sept. 25). Towson University had nothing to do with the violence that occurred there despite, The Sun's innuendoes. This was an event sponsored by a historically black fraternity, and the problem was, as in the city, marauding bands of black youth. The Sun's failure to even reference a problem that was observable to anyone is nothing but a racist accommodation.

It is no secret that for decades, tobacco companies have filled disadvantaged communities with advertising and marketing attracting generations of young people of color to the products they peddle. A new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that alcohol companies are taking a page from the tobacco industry's playbook. Specifically, we found African-American youths ages 12-20 are seeing more advertisements for alcohol in magazines and on TV, compared with all youths ages 12-20.

State Del. Pat McDonough, who stirred controversy this week when he said "roving mobs of black youth" terrorize Baltimore, shrugged off criticism Friday that he is using shock tactics to raise his political profile. McDonough, a Republican who represents Baltimore and Harford counties, refused to apologize for his comments. He has called for Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, to assign the Maryland State Police to fight the "consistent and dangerous attacks" in the city. McDonough has hosted a conservative talk show on WCBM for 20 years.

If you haven't done so already, you should stop right now and read a piece by another young journalist from Baltimore, “Fear of a Black President,” the September cover story by The Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates. I'm serious. It's really good. Here's a paragraph break so that you know where to pick this up. Welcome back. Now as you'll recall, Mr. Coates points out the irony of America's first black president barely mentioning the subject of race at all. It's certainly an issue for other people.

The ongoing debate over youth crime in downtown Baltimore has sparked a war of words over race — overshadowing a debate over the police response to disturbances and objections from city politicians who say the issue is vastly overblown. Since a state delegate introduced the term "black youth mobs" in reference to hundreds of teenagers mobbing downtown on St. Patrick's Day, discussions from living rooms to online forums have been dominated by race. That has left little room for discussion of the real issues, all sides agree.

With the release of Bell Biv DeVoe's "Hootie Mack" late last month, there's a good chance MCA Records, specifically its black-music division, will have another hit. The company has shipped 500,000 copies of the album, betting that young record buyers around the country will have fond memories of the group's 1990 debut, "Poison."In that album, which helped establish new jack swing as mainstream pop, the group mixed soul music's vocal prowess and rap's harder beats. "Poison" sold more than 3 million copies, a number that would be unreachable without the help of white fans.

Fourteen young women, elegantly dressed in full-length white gowns, high-heel shoes and long gloves, will walk into Richlin Ballroom tonight on the arms of their tuxedo-clad fathers, grandfathers or family friends. After presenting their mothers with a red rose, they will dance one waltz with their escort and another with a young man of their choosing. After more than six months of workshops on issues that included money management, communication, charm and poise, and many hours of community service projects, these high school students are presenting themselves to society in the 30th annual Debutante Ball, organized by the Black Youth in Action.

It is no secret that for decades, tobacco companies have filled disadvantaged communities with advertising and marketing attracting generations of young people of color to the products they peddle. A new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that alcohol companies are taking a page from the tobacco industry's playbook. Specifically, we found African-American youths ages 12-20 are seeing more advertisements for alcohol in magazines and on TV, compared with all youths ages 12-20.

Assuming that it's true that "roving mobs of black youth" terrorize Baltimore, why should Del. Pat McDonough apologize for saying so ("Baltimore and bigotry," May 18)? If anyone should apologize, I think it should be the Rev. Cortly C.D. Witherspoon, who according to the article in The Sun "said that McDonough's remarks were 'below the belt,' culturally insensitive and intended to exploit Baltimore's challenges for his own political gain. " ("Delegate says focus shouldn't be on his 'black youth mobs' comment, but on city violence," May 18.)

Where were the Rev. Cortly "C.D. " Witherspoon and Marvin "Doc" Cheatham when a rabbi was assaulted by a group of black youth or when a 14 year old Jewish boy had his arm broken by a black youth? Where was the outrage? Where was the call for a meeting between blacks and Jews ( "Jewish, black leaders hold closed meeting on the community," Dec. 9)? Where were their comments published in the paper and news media? Why the double standard? What does a situation in Baltimore have to do with Crown Heights New York?

Letter writer Thomas F. McDonough recently called for the firing of someone at The Sun for failing to report that the melee among young people in Towson Circle last week was caused by "marauding bands of black youth" ("Why no mention of race in Towson disturbance?" Sept. 27). On the same day, columnist Dan Rodricks took Del. Patrick L. McDonough to task for referring to the young people involved in a similar disturbance at the Inner Harbor on St. Patrick's Day weekend as "roving mobs of black youths.

It is absolutely unbelievable that The Sun would so blatantly mislead and intentionally deceive its reading public about the disturbance in Towson Circle last Saturday ("Towson melee prompts meeting," Sept. 25). Towson University had nothing to do with the violence that occurred there despite, The Sun's innuendoes. This was an event sponsored by a historically black fraternity, and the problem was, as in the city, marauding bands of black youth. The Sun's failure to even reference a problem that was observable to anyone is nothing but a racist accommodation.

As I read the recent editorial addressing President Barack Obama's order that will add at least 1.7 million children of illegal immigrants to the already-bleak job market ("Growing up American," Aug. 19), I was certain The Sun would comment on the calamitous effect this election-year tactic will have on American black youth, U.S. citizens all, whose unemployment rate rose from 14.4 percent in June to 15 percent in July, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Silly me. Despite the nearly 50 percent unemployment rate among black teenagers (16-19)

In his latest criticism of Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Del. Patrick McDonough says she is "creating a super magnet" for illegal immigration by encouraging Latinos and others to move to the city. The Baltimore County Republican, whose district also includes part of Harford County, planned a news conference Friday in Essex to criticize the mayor's policies. "The mayor's 'amnesty atmosphere' is creating unfair competition for jobs and entrance into community college for the legal residents of Baltimore," McDonough said Thursday in a news release.

The extra police officers sent to the Inner Harbor and downtown to combat unruly youths and crime this past weekend recorded 40 arrests, including more than 10 for drug possession, and two handguns seized. It's a snapshot of crime covering a single, extended weekend, the latest of what is promised to be a summertime-long redeployment of up to 50 officers Thursday night through Sunday mornings to combat crime. It brings the total number of officers in that area to more than 70. Police released the statistics, including a 14 percent drop in violent crime in the Central District compared with the first five months of last year, even as another state lawmaker added his voice to criticism that Baltimore leaders have covered up mayhem to protect the image of the premier tourist attraction.

On May 17, The Sun reported Del. Patrick McDonough distributed a press release with the title "Black Youth Mobs Terrorize Baltimore on Holidays" and urged the governor to make the Inner Harbor area a "no-travel zone. " On WBAL and WCBM radio, McDonough said the same, but this time he also mentioned the public urination and defecation and property damage caused by white youth in the Canton and Fells Point area. On both radio stations, he also drew a delineation saying a majority of black youth are not involved and that these crimes are the actions of gangs and that when these gangs leave the Inner Harbor, they go into majority black areas and terrorize honest and law abiding citizens in those areas.

As I read the recent editorial addressing President Barack Obama's order that will add at least 1.7 million children of illegal immigrants to the already-bleak job market ("Growing up American," Aug. 19), I was certain The Sun would comment on the calamitous effect this election-year tactic will have on American black youth, U.S. citizens all, whose unemployment rate rose from 14.4 percent in June to 15 percent in July, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Silly me. Despite the nearly 50 percent unemployment rate among black teenagers (16-19)

On May 17, The Sun reported Del. Patrick McDonough distributed a press release with the title "Black Youth Mobs Terrorize Baltimore on Holidays" and urged the governor to make the Inner Harbor area a "no-travel zone. " On WBAL and WCBM radio, McDonough said the same, but this time he also mentioned the public urination and defecation and property damage caused by white youth in the Canton and Fells Point area. On both radio stations, he also drew a delineation saying a majority of black youth are not involved and that these crimes are the actions of gangs and that when these gangs leave the Inner Harbor, they go into majority black areas and terrorize honest and law abiding citizens in those areas.

The recent editorial "Baltimore and bigotry" *May 18) regarding Del. Pat McDonough was by far the most hypocritical thing I have ever encountered in The Sun. When it's black youth in a mob scene in downtown Baltimore, "race isn't pertinent. " But when its a "white" George Zimmerman committing an alleged murder of a black teen or a team of white Duke University lacrosse players allegedly raping a black stripper (which turned out as a false report), it is always a race issue. So when a Republican delegate takes a stand against a black mob, it's racist, but when Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton come sliding down their rainbow coalition any time a white guy even sneezes on a black guy, its completely OK. Maybe if you jokers at The Sun could report on an issue without tremendous liberal bias or pandering to one side, you might get some more readers.