THE SEAN HANNITY SHOW

Riots in Baltimore The governor of Maryland has declared a state of emergency after protests and violence broke out in Baltimore after the funeral for Freddie Gray. Gray died just weeks ago after being arrested by Baltimore police. Details of the nature of his death have yet to be released. Gray was arrested by Baltimore police earlier this month after he ran from police. Details of what happened yet have yet to be confirmed, but Gray was put into the back of a police van and was not breathing by the time they arrived at the police station. It is unclear whether Gray was injured during his arrest or during the ride in the police van where he was not seat-belted, according to Baltimore police. Also acknowledged by the Baltimore police is that Gray was not offered medical attention when it was requested and the police did not call for an ambulance when he was arrested. Gray died a week later, on April 19, of a severe spinal injury. His funeral was Monday, which sparked the riots we've since come to witness. Two members of the Obama administration were sent to attend the funeral. A full report is set to be released May 1st. Six police officers have been suspended during the investigation. The United States Department of Justice is investigating whether Gray's civil rights were violated and is sending representatives to Baltimore in the coming days. Despite not knowing any of the details surrounding the nature of Gray's death, people took to the streets of Baltimore to protest. What began as a seemingly peaceful protest about the mistreatment of blacks by law enforcement turned into violence. Baltimore was set ablaze, with 144 vehicle fires and 15 structure fires, according to the mayor's office. Businesses were looted and nearly 200 arrests were made. And at least 15 police officers have been injured, six hospitalized. According to local news reports, “The Baltimore Police Department said earlier in the day they received a credible threat that numerous gangs entered into a partnership to “take-out” law enforcement officers. According to the department, they received credible information that various gangs including the Black Guerilla Family, Bloods and Crips have entered into the partnership.” The Governor of Maryland declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard. The mayor has issued a curfew to start at 10PM and last until 5AM until May 4th. Unfortunately the mayor of Baltimore has been criticized for seemingly allowing these riots to unfold. Over the weekend, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told news outlets that her city government “gave those who wished to destroy space to do that.” Here's the quote in context: I’ve made it very clear that I work with the police, and instructed them to do everything that they could to make sure that the protesters could exercise their right to free speech. It’s a very delicate balancing act because while we tried to make sure they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we gave those who wished to destroy space to do that, as well. And we worked very hard to keep that balance and to put ourselves in the best position to deescalate. And that’s what you saw. Rawlings-Blake has since blamed the media for mischaracterizing her words. You can read them for yourself and decide. Ben Carson, who used to live in Baltimore, weighed in on the violence: “I urge parents, grandparents and guardians to please take control of your children and do not allow them to be exposed to the dangers of uncontrolled agitators on the streets.” Freddie Gray's family attorney says that “those of us who are more mature in Baltimore, black and white together, we need to have a demonstration that shows them the right way to do it, rather than permitting them to go without leadership, the way that they're going now." Freddie Gray's twin sister, Fredericka, says, "I think the violence is wrong ... I don't like it all," and felt her brother would disapprove. While continuing to push for an investigation, NAACP President Cornell Williams Brooks says, “This problem won't be solved with Molotov cocktails. Burning businesses and homes and buildings in your own community is like putting a gun to your own head.” Thousands people showed up Tuesday money to help clean up their community. It's a shame that they are even put in a position to do so; violence and destruction is not the answer. What's Happening at Guantanamo? Among Barack Obama's first promises when becoming president was to shut down Guantanamo Bay. While he has been unable to achieve this thus far, what Obama has managed to do is release many Gitmo detainees, despite warnings from the Director of National Intelligence that they were likely to return to the battlefield But that didn't stop Obama, and former detainees are doing exactly what you would expect. According to a report from the Director of National Intelligence, almost 30 percent of the 647 released Guantanamo detainees have either been confirmed or are suspected of returning to radical Islamic terrorism. It is astounding that we are facing the rise of radical Islam and extremism throughout the world, and yet our own president is so ideologically rigid that his policies are helping to add to their ranks.