As the sun rises in Baltimore today the nation will see a city in chaos following a day and night of rioting, looting and fires which left some 15 police officers injured.

Demonstrators climb on a destroyed Baltimore Police car
Demonstrators climb on a destroyed Baltimore Police car (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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A good portion of the city looks like a war zone with fires burning throughout which destroyed many businesses and other structures.  It all started just hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, who died mysteriously of a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody.  Indications are that high school students were the main culprits in starting it all as they threw rocks and bricks at police officers and firefighters while overturning cars and settings some on fire.

Apparently through social media the word got out to begin riots with “The Purge” which is the name of a movie from a couple of years ago in which for a 12-hour period all crime was legal.  While high school students got much of the blame for starting it all clearly as the day and night wore on more and more adults joined in even though Gary’s family and others insisted this was not the way to protest his death.

A state of emergency has been instituted, public schools are closed today and last night’s Orioles game was postponed.  What is hard for most of us to understand is why people burn and destroy businesses and buildings occupied by their own neighbors and in some case friends.  Who are they really hurting and what message does this send?  I guess the bottom line is rational thinkers have trouble understanding irrational actions and who knows what today will bring to a city that is clearly in turmoil.

Police stand watch outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards before the game was postponed between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox
Police stand watch outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards before the game was postponed between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox ( Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
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On a much more uplifting note:

The Ocean County College Repertory Theatre Company will present a second weekend of “Comic Shorts” on Friday and Saturday night at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts.  Directed by Gary Shaffer it’s a festival of original one-act comedies featuring some two dozen actors.  For ticket information and more visit grunincenter.org

The Beachwood Soccer Club will hold a gift auction Saturday at Toms River Intermediate School South with doors opening at 5:30.  The $15 admission includes a sheet of tickets, door prizes as well as dessert, coffee & tea.  For advance ticket information call Anna at (732) 278-1134.

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