Catherine Pugh, mayor of the most dangerous city in America, is sending bus loads of students to attend an anti-gun rally in Washington, D.C. to push for laws that haven’t worked in Baltimore.
Baltimore students descended on city hall Tuesday to demand officials take action to prevent another mass shooting like the recent massacre at Florida’s Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School that 17 dead, and Pugh was quick to capitalize on their angst.
The “March for Our Lives” rally scheduled for March 24 in Washington, D.C. “is all about hearing the voices of young people,” Pugh shouted to students through a megaphone, Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa by her side.
“Enough is enough,” says Baltimore Police Commissioner @Darryl_De_Sousa. Says he stands with students “1,000 percent.” pic.twitter.com/AppGSNuF4B
— Kevin Rector (@RectorSun) March 6, 2018
“And so we’re taking 60 busses of Baltimore students” to attend the march against gun violence, she said.
“Let’s show Washington, D.C. that Baltimore matters,” she said.
Baltimore Sun cops and crime reporter Kevin Rector tweeted that the mayor hopes to send at least 3,000 students, and provide them with t-shirts and lunch for their participation.
More promises of support from @MayorPugh50 & @Darryl_De_Sousa as they address students protesting gun violence outside Baltimore City Hall. pic.twitter.com/bmu6EHXKdV
— Kevin Rector (@RectorSun) March 6, 2018
“On March, 24, we are providing at least 60 buses so that our students from our city can take their voices to Washington, D.C. so that they can hear what we have to say,” Pugh said. “I want you to know that we believe as you believe that there should be no guns, and we need books, not guns, and as you say, save our students.”
I just talked to @MayorPugh50. She said she estimates the buses, lunches and T-shirts she promised for Baltimore kids going to the March 24 #March4OurLives event in DC will cost Baltimore $100,000.
— Kevin Rector (@RectorSun) March 6, 2018
“I just talked to @MayorPugh50,” Rector tweeted. “She said she estimates the buses, lunches and T-shirts she promised for Baltimore kids going to the Mach 24 #March4OurLives event in DC will cost Baltimore $100,000.”
That taxpayer-funded anti-gun field trip was apparently a higher priority than maintaining the district’s heating systems, which repeatedly broke down and forced young students to wear their coats in class this winter. NPR reports local officials blamed the issues in part on a lack of funding, while Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan pointed out city schools received “record funding” and it was spent unwisely.
And while Pugh applauded students who walked out of class this week, student learning continues to crater.
Not a single student at 13 of the city’s high schools tested proficient in math last year.
“Digging further, we found another six high schools where one percent tested proficient. Add it up – in half the high schools in Baltimore City, 3804 students took the state test, 14 were proficient in math,” Fox Baltimore reports.
Recent history also suggests Baltimore’s the push for more restrictions on guns will only make matters worse.
Baltimore residents are already subjected to an “assault weapons” ban, a “high capacity” magazine ban, and special fingerprinting and reporting requirements for handguns, yet is recently won the honor of “the nation’s most dangerous city,” according to USA Today.
“Baltimore is the big city with the highest per capita murder rate in the nation, with nearly 56 murders per 100,000 people. At 343 murders in 2017, the city tallied the highest per capita rate in its history,” according to the news site.
Baltimore tops USA Today’s list of the 50 largest cities for homicides per 100,000 residents at 55.8 murders in 2017. That rate is more than double the rate in Chicago – which also has strict gun control laws – and far higher than notoriously dangerous cities like Detroit, Memphis, and New Orleans.
The nonprofit news site The Trace pointed out last spring that since Maryland passed a ban on the sale or manufacture of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds in 2013, criminal use of the “high-capacity” magazines has steadily increased.
“We’re dealing with absolute criminals who want as much weaponry as possible when they’re going after their targets,” Baltimore police spokesperson T.J. Smith told the site at the time. “They’re not carrying .22s. They’re carrying big guns that have these high capacities.”
In 2013, Baltimore police recovered a total of 323 guns with high capacity magazines from criminals, but by 2016 that number had increased to 448, according to the site.
The Baltimore Sun also highlighted the fact that that despite more gun control in recent years, the number of corpses showing up at the Maryland medical examiner’s office with at least 10 gunshots has doubled in the last decade.
Baltimore? You are one to talk. Your city is the poster child for why gun control doesn’t work. You passed MORE gun control after the horrific Sandy Hook massacre and yet just graced the front page of USA Today as the most dangerous city in America.
Sit. Down. https://t.co/Z5Zt4rOflO
— Antonia Okafor (@antonia_okafor) March 6, 2018
“Baltimore? You are one to talk,” Antonia Okafor posted to Twitter in response to Pugh’s plan to send students to the gun-control rally in D.C. “You passed MORE gun control after the horrific Sandy Hook massacre and yet just graced the front page of USA Today as the most dangerous city in America.
“Sit. Down.”
What a shocker. More tax payer funded shenanigans.
All while the police commissioner and mayor stand there pushing a fallacy and have yet to address the issues in their own damn city. #Derp https://t.co/K05SIgTzCi
— Jamie (US Spy Lizard) Storment (@Storment21) March 6, 2018
“What a shocker,” Jamie Storment tweeted. “More taxpayer funded shenanigans.
“All while the police commissioner and mayor stand there pushing the fallacy and have yet to address the issues in their own damn city,” Storment wrote.
If she wants to take action against guns, can’t she….. you know, do something? As mayor? About guns? Something that might more meaningful (and less expensive) than filling buses with kids from her city’s schools? https://t.co/sg9Oc7T2NR
— Eric Boehm (@EricBoehm87) March 6, 2018
“If she wants to take action against guns, can’t she … you know, do something? As mayor? About guns? Something that might more meaningful (and less expensive) than filling busses with kids from her city’s schools?” Eric Boehm questioned.
Others pointed out that Baltimore schools are broke, and students are among the most poorly educated in the country.
“Baltimore schools had a $130 million budget deficit last year and this is how they are spending taxpayer money,” James Hasson rote.
Baltimore schools couldn’t heat classrooms this winter, but the city can come up with $100,000 to bus students to D.C. and protest for more gun control laws. https://t.co/mRc7DSZoKv
— Cam Edwards (@CamEdwards) March 6, 2018
“Baltimore schools couldn’t heat their classrooms this winter, but the city can come up with $100,000 to bus students to D.C. and protest for more gun control laws,” Cam Edwards added.
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