Note: This post is in English only presently, since I am not sure when I will have the presence of mind or time to sit down and write out this full post in French. Saturday evening, perhaps. Thank you!
Note: Cet article de blog est en anglais seulement, au moment, comme je ne suis pas sure quand j’aurai la tranquillité de l’esprit ou le temps ‘a écrire le meme texte en francais. Le soir du samedi, peut-être. Merci!
Hi everyone,
Having lived in the Baltimore-DC area all my life and having had a long familial history here, I find this crisis, frankly, devestating and confusing. Basically, to give you an idea of how long we’ve been here, it’s been since the time of Edgar Allan Poe, truly; his adoptive father is my 4x-great-grandfather since he had his delegitimized son Charles Allen with an unknown mistress. Thereby, Mr. Poe is my 3x-great-uncle via adoption/legal guardianship.) Yes, so we are established here. In fact, my entire maternal family grew up in or around the area and some of us still live within the region.
That said, I can vouch for it 100% that what you are seeing now is not, nor has ever been, what Charm City is; at least, that was never the case for me. Has Baltimore had a violent reputation? Yes. However, from what I understand from others who grew up in the area, Baltimore was a peaceful, diverse, and friendly community until after the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, in 1968. What my loved one described like Baltimore was as I remembered growing up. The violence I’m seeing today, I can promise, is nothing like what I ever experienced as a child. In fact, I remember frequenting the city with my family and even went to a famed restaurant in Little Italy for Easter dinner with my extended family this year, in keeping with our tradition for many years.
Therefore, I promise what you see here is not what the majority wants. We want peace, reconciliation, healing- not violence. Many have lost loved ones, lost homes,their livelihoods, access to basic needs such as food, water, and clothing….the list goes on. We’re already sick of this crisis and want nothing more than healing and to see the Baltimore many call home, regardless of what living here was like for any one of us,
All things considered, please pray for Baltimore and, if you live in the area, do what you are able to help bring peace and reconciliation to the area. That’s all I believe most of us would ask. I do. Thanks.
God Bless,
Michelle
Musings on Life from A Work In Progress : Living Life On The Straight and Narrow 