American Cities

I've been prepping posts on our days playing tourist in Manhattan and on introducing Jon's family to Washington, but they're going to have to wait to be published.  These two quintessential American cities have incredibly complicated cultural, economic, and social histories that I - a DC native with family in New York - still can't entirely comprehend, but I do know it's insensitive to share carefree recaps with you while Baltimore, only a 45 minute drive north of where I'm sitting right now, is writhing in anguish and pain.

What's happening in Baltimore isn't just about Baltimore.  It's not just about Ferguson.  It's not just about Staten Island.  It's not about prejudiced cops or rioting looters or shortsighted community leaders or frustrated protesters.  It's about America.  It's about us - it's about all of us, and it's about how we change the system so that words are enough so that no one, neither the officials nor civilians, feels they have to resort to violence to be heard.

This is America.  These are our American cities.  This is where we live - not in photos taken from the top of Rockefeller Center, not in pictures of Central Park's tranquility, not in views across the Tidal Basin from amidst cherry blossoms.

We live in Baltimore no matter where we are in America.