[Sheriff Richard Jones, Law Enforcement Expert:] when you have got kids involved, everything changes. And the sad thing with this, is we are all - all the rest of us are learning now from what they have had to put up with, these kids throwing bricks.
[Anthony Batts, Baltimore Police Commissioner:] Do you want people using force on 14, 15, 16-year-old kids that are out there? They are old enough to be accountable, but they are still kids, unfortunately.
[Unidentified Male Speaker:] Kids are the ones who are acting out in that manner, but right now the children are going out because they have no recreation parks And they are angry. It is a lot of anger, it is a lot of people that just want things to change in this city.
[Pinsky:] Back with our breaking news, I have got Sam, Spirit, Jennifer, and several people have commented, Sam, on Twitter that you are correct, and you schooled me properly. I want to show you the urban dictionary definition of thug. Let us put that up full screen if we could here. It is just what you said. A word evolved by the late Tupac Shakur, commonly mistaken for a criminal. Thug life is the opposite of someone having all he needs to succeed when you have nothing, when you have overcome all obstacles.
[Schacher:] Yes. Tupac was very wise, very poetic.
[Pinsky:] So, there you go. So, is not it funny how we
[Schacher:] Let us just not further marginalized a group that already feels marginalized and that is how they feel when people call them that.
[Pinsky:] I am persuaded. I am persuaded that we need to adjust our language. I think you guys are right. Alfonso Rachel joins us now. He is a social commentator at PJTV.com. Now, reportedly gangs had declared open season on police, ultimately came together last night, and here now, Alfonso, I am going to show you what they told Don Lemon, take a look.
[Don Lemon, Host Of Cnn Tonight:] What is really going on?
[Unidentified Male Speaker:] Unity. The unity between all of these rivals that would not be together standing right here right now.
[Lemon:] When you see the stuff that happened with the looting and the fire or whatever, is that gang-related? Who is that?
[Unidentified Male Speaker:] No. That is not gang-related. We have nothing to do with that. We are the ones out here that is trying to bring peace and stop everything. It makes us look bad, man, because that is not the cause. We are not worried about looting because we like money. We make money to get whatever we want. We are not out here trying to say that we are saints.
[Pinsky:] Alfonso, what are your thoughts?
[Alfonso Rachel, Social Commentator:] I am glad to hear that they have got that they can agree on a truce. And,we heard that often. It is unfortunate these truces do not seem to last. And, in terms of rival gangs coming together, what I would like to hear is former gang members coming together. I would be impressed with that. Because if you do not want to be seen as a gang banger, you might want to stop being in a gang.
[Pinsky:] So, but a lot of the guys that get out do end up being of service and helping other guys. Do you think they would welcome those guys that are sort of helping people get out of gangs as a part of this truce?
[Rachel:] I can see where it makes it easier to relate to them, you know?
[Pinsky:] Right.
[Rachel:] It is like a cultural connection that they have.
[Pinsky:] Right.
[Rachel:] But if you are going to try to lead somebody out of the gang lifestyle, it is kind of difficult for me to get my mind around the logic of saying, "Hey, you want to get out of this lifestyle."
[Pinsky:] Yeah.
[Rachel:] Meanwhile, I am flagging you as a gang member.
[Pinsky:] Right.
[Rachel:] You know what I am saying. "OK, if you want know get out of that lifestyle, how about you drop the colors of that lifestyle. And, then we can really have a consistent conversation."
[Pinsky:] I want to show you guys some more from these gang members talking to Don Lemon.
[Unidentified Male Speaker:] Police state where every day we come out, we being harassed by the police, man, they checking out private areas, public areas. It is just out of hand.
[Lemon:] It was said that all of the people who that it all started because gang members said, we are going to riot, we are going to loot
[Unidentified Male Speaker:] That was said my social media. That was said by the commission.
[Pinsky:] Jennifer, I am wondering if there is an alternative motive. I find it confusing. Is it common enemy that is pulling everyone together, you think?
[Keitt:] I am just as confused as you are. What the gentleman just said, to me, makes perfect sense. We need to elevate the conversation right, which means we have to come from this perspective that we are going to try to understand. We are going to try to cooperate. We are going to try to get to solutions, and I do not know how we can do that if we are if we are in lifestyles that are contrary to where we are trying to go. That is my only concern. It is a confusing type of message.
[Pinsky:] Well, it is the only thing they see as an option. Spirit, what do you say?
[Clanton:] Well, I say it is a two-fold thing, Dr. Drew. If you want to lift individuals up out of this lifestyle, then you have to offer them something else.
[Pinsky:] Right.
[Clanton:] Many of them, this is the closest thing to family and camaraderie that they know.
[Pinsky:] Absolutely.
[Clanton:] And, so you asked the question about is this a situation where there is a greater common enemy. That is exactly what is happening. I equate this to what happened to the United States the day after 911
[Pinsky:] 911. Yes. I thought the same thing.
[Clanton:] Think about what happened. We all came together. It was about being American. It did not matter if you were black, white, Asian, Hispanic.
[Pinsky:] Yes.
[Clanton:] We were American, and the common enemy was outside of us.
[Pinsky:] Sam.
[Clanton:] But, then what happened
[Pinsky:] Oops, sorry.
[Clanton:] Slowly, over time, we drifted right back to where we are.
[Pinsky:] That is right. That is right. Sam.
[Schacher:] Not only that, Spirit. You brought up the fact that, you know, what opportunity do they have to kind of be lifted up, right? And, this is also a class issue, because you look at just ten miles away from this epicenter, from east Baltimore, and you have such a different economy. I mean, the difference is so vast. So, you have the difference of people not being able to get jobs because there are not that many new businesses. You have no new schools. I do not know when the last time there was a new a new school built in, in this proximity, which means no afterschool programs. There is not that many athletic programs as well. So, a lot of these kids are left to almost feel oppressed, and in turn we are keeping them down rather than lifting them up if that makes sense.
[Pinsky:] Alfonso
[Clanton:] Which is why the conversation
[Pinsky:] Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. I want to get Alfonso.
[Rachel:] family, and these these youths are looking for some similar of family, and they are depending on a street surrogate. They are looking for a state surrogate.
[Pinsky:] Yes.
[Rachel:] They are looking for these afterschool problems. The problem of it is, is that there is no intact family unit.
[Schacher:] Right.
[Rachel:] There is a total imbalance in the streets, because at the core in their home there is an imbalance.
[Pinsky:] How do we solve it? What do we do?
[Rachel:] That has play outside of your home.
[Pinsky:] Well, Alfonson, what do we do? It is easy to stay, now what do we do about it?
[Rachel:] Let us get away from promoting this lifestyle and celebrating the single mom dynamic. You go girl! It is like, "No, no, this is bad. This is not something to celebrate." These kids out there are totally confused. They are looking for somebody to play their daddy in the streets, gang member to play their daddy. They are looking for the state to play their daddy. They were raised in the schools. This stuff has to stop. We cannot blame this on their lack of afterschool programs. These kids need a dad who takes them to the park. These kids need a dad who are honorable husbands to their wives. That is what they need. That is what is missing.
[Pinsky:] And, statistically though, you are right, Alfonso, but given that the horse is out of the barn so to speak with the kids, do you not agree that each of us could play a substantial role if we reach out and be a part of and participate in and be of service to any one of these communities, do you agree?
[Rachel:] In terms of being observant, absolutely, but in being a service, it has to stop this patronizing circle of "OK. We are in this situation. The horse is out of the barn. Now, this is what we are going to do." No, we have to stop and start promoting getting back to the nuclear family.
[Pinsky:] Yes.
[Rachel:] So, people have a better chance of being, you know, growing up
[Pinsky:] Alfonso. I do not understand how people can disagree with you saying that one thing, which is that families are important for children, they are important for raising healthy children, and they have been that way so long as humans have been in existence, period. End of story. So, how can you argue with that? But, the question becomes how do we help with this? Experts disagree about what is wrong. What is wrong with these cities? How to fix it? We are back with more after this.