Call in the National Guard
Two weeks ago, several areas in the eastern part of the United States were hit with a blizzard. It was of a magnitude that surpassed many storms of recent years.
In Maryland, the Governor called it a state of emergency and called upon the National Guard to assist the State in maintaining safety and helping in the cleanup efforts. Swift action such as this helped to get the State back to normal and prevented most people from having any major problems.
However, even if there had been no assistance from the National Guard or from the government itself, the State would have been removed from danger within just a few days as higher temperatures melted most of the snow away. In fact, the efforts of individual citizens would have helped to alleviate much of the problem. I myself, shoveled the walkways, driveways, and street fronts for my home and my adjacent neighbors. Similar efforts were put forth by many others.
In another area of concern, there seems to be no end to the problem and no call for assistance from the National Guard. There are many parts of my city and many others throughout the country where, unrelated to weather, I and other law abiding citizens must fear for our lives if we dare to enter them.
In the year 2009, in Baltimore City, the number of murders committed compared to some previous years has significantly decreased, however, when 238 people are murdered, it seems inappropriate to call it progress. Actually, the total of 2009 was higher than that of 2008.
These dangerous parts of our country are like war zones, every bit as hazardous as Iraq and Afghanistan, yet there is no military force there to protect us. Yes, there are local police, but the budgets of most cities can not afford to adequately control these problems.
If the State can call a snow storm, which melts away in three days, a state of emergency and call upon the National Guard to control it and if the media can devote close to 24 hour coverage to the storm, then one would think that more attention could be given to the problem with murder in our country.
Until these hometown war zones can keep themselves under control, they should have an occupying force. In addition, to the local police, the National Guard is needed to maintain safety for our law abiding citizens.
This situation is a state of emergency and it should be treated as such.
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