print“An uptick in crime in his city,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts blames on “looted drugs that have made their way to the streets of Baltimore.” In the April race riots, “at least 27 pharmacies and drug clinics” were ransacked.” While broadcasting this Batts fatuity, CNN showed in the background video of a swarm of sub-humans descending on a pharmacy and plundering the place.
The pharmacy employee is right: This is a joke.
Let’s trace the causal chain:
1. Criminals committed crimes called robberies.
2. Criminals came into the possession of goods called drugs through crimes called robberies.
3. Criminals bickered over loot appropriated during the commission of crimes.
3. The bickering of criminals over goods appropriated through crime escalated, resulting in injuries and deaths.
See what I’m getting at?
Drugs are not causing crimes on the streets of Baltimore; criminals are.
Drugs got onto Baltimore streets during the commission of crimes.
Criminals were first on the scene. They committed crimes. And then more crimes.