BALTIMORE'S HOMEGROWN TERRORISM

The horrifying murders of a Baltimore woman, Angela Dawson, and five of her
six children is a tragedy not only for their loved ones but also for a city
where some neighborhoods have been described as under siege by lawbreakers.
The arson fire, in which Mrs. Dawson's husband was critically injured, was
apparently the result of her bold decision to do what all of us are asked
to do: She reported drug dealing and other crime in her neighborhood to
police. And she went a step further recently, testifying in an assault case
against a drug dealer.

Baltimore has a history of problems in fighting crime that are linked in
part to residents' apathy. Sadly, the Dawson family tragedy could
exacerbate the situation just as city officials have begun to make some
progress in their struggle to reduce drug-related violence. Baltimore,
however, is still the most violent of the nation's 20 largest cities.
Fueling its high rate of murders, shootings and stabbings is a drug abuse
problem that is similarly acute. A startling estimate often cited is that
as many as one in every eight Baltimore residents is a substance abuser.

The arson murders have prompted calls for state police and even National
Guard assistance, and comparisons to Osama bin Laden's terror network. "We
have terrorist cells of juvenile drug dealers," one state lawmaker told The
Baltimore Sun. Although an arrest has been made in this case, Baltimore
remains a city in which fear plays a large part in the lives of many
citizens. The Dawsons had been urged to move but refused to leave their
home. A fitting tribute to their courage would be greater citizen activism,
including the revitalization of the block clubs and neighborhood
associations that once were so important in Baltimore and can again be
major crime-fighting tools.