The answer is the African-American community.

Let's start at the top with the president of the United States:

BARACK OBAMA: “If our society really wanted to solve the problem, we could.  It's just it would require everybody saying this is important, this is significant, and that we don't just pay attention to these communities when a CVS burns and we don't just pay attention when a young man gets shot or has his spine snapped."

That's easy for the president to say but on his watch unemployment for blacks stands at 10% after more than six years in office.

The overall unemployment number is 5.5%.

In Baltimore, the situation is dire.

Sixty-three percent of the population is African American.

The unemployment rate: 8.4%.

And blacks control the city.

There is a black mayor; nine of the city council members are black, only six are white.  So African-Americans are calling most of the shots.

Despite that, 24% of Baltimore residents live below the poverty line.

But the median income for Maryland is $73,500, the highest in the nation.

But for Baltimoreans, median household income is a whopping $32,000 less than the state median at just over $41,000.

So you can see, despite African-Americans controlling the city, it is not prospering.

The facts then dictate that racial persecution really isn't the problem in Baltimore, something else is in play.

And that something else is personal behavior.

OBAMA: “When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they're not protesting, they're not making a statement, they're stealing.  When they burn down a building, they're committing arson.” 

That is correct, Mr. President.  There is no linkage between what happened to Freddie Gray and torching buildings.

Peaceful demonstrations get national attention.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proved that beyond any doubt.

But what about the police?

Well, black crime in Baltimore is out of control.

The city has the fifth highest murder rate in the country.

Ninety percent of homicide victims are black.

Ninety percent of murder suspects are black.

Ninety percent of those arrested for robbery are black.

About ninety percent of those arrested for aggravated assault are black.

And arrests for all offenses in Baltimore, Maryland … 85% black.

Again, the black population number is 63%.

With so many African-Americans committing crimes, there is going to be tension between the cops and the community.  It's inevitable.

Honest people know that and most African-Americans in Baltimore I believe are sickened by what is happening there.  They are good, honest people who reject violence and crime.

In fact, a mother whose son was rioting has now become famous:

TOYA GRAHAM: (Slapping kid) “What the f*** is wrong with you?! (Kid runs. She chases him and grabs him again) Take that motherf***ing mask off!  You wanna be caged?  Take if off!  You wanna be out here doing this dumb s***?!  Get the f*** over here! (Kid keeps pulling away) Get over here now!”

(EDIT)

Toya Graham is interviewed by the media.

TOYA GRAHAM: “You know I’m a single mom and I have six children and I just choose not to live like that no more. (EDIT) I was angry, I was shocked because you never want to see your child out there doing that. (EDIT) Everybody that knows me know I don’t play that, you know what I mean?  He knew, he knew, he knew he was in trouble.”       

That mother’s name is Toya Graham and she knows firsthand that the destruction in Baltimore last night and black crime in general has set that city back decades.

I mean, who is going to invest or start a business in the poor precincts of Baltimore?

Who?

That means that good jobs will not come to those neighborhoods.

So the big loser in the Baltimore riots are those that live in the poor neighborhoods, primarily African-Americans.

These idiotic thugs rioting and looting are hurting their own people.

And because the entire world sees pictures of blacks rampaging, all African-Americans are affected.

One of the councilmen in Baltimore understands that.

BRANDON SCOTT, BALTIMORE COUNCILMAN (D): “I am simply pissed off.  This is the city I love, this is the city that I chose to dedicate my life to and we cannot stand idly and let thugs–whatever you want to call them–I won’t even say they’re thugs, we’re going to call them cowards, ruin our city.  So what I’m going to say if you are an adult and you’re out there participating in this, you are ruining the future for these young people.”

Mr. Scott is absolutely right on the mark.

Summing up, it is long past time for police agencies in America to have a no tolerance policy towards brutal behavior on the part of officers.  Every American should be safe in police custody.

But it is also long past time for African-Americans communities across the country to begin to police themselves.

Criminal activity, drug use, child abandonment, disrespect and general chaos are all on display every single day in many areas.

And you know what?  No government is going to stop that.

No bureaucracy is going to help you.

The communities have to do it themselves.

And that's the memo.