So the thugs (er, youths) who rioted in Baltimore, attacked police, and burned neighborhood stores did so, according to assorted Democrats and their media flaks, for the same reason that the train in Philadelphia went off the track; Republican insensitivity. Republicans haven't provided enough money to pay for whatever Democrats claim will solve America's inner-city problems (which Democrats caused in the first place).

Of course, the whiners forget that driving several hundred tons of train at 106 mph on a 50 mph curve might be problematic and, more importantly, that Democrats have been running Baltimore since just about forever. They can't blame Bush.

Progressives love to look for "root causes" but will never admit that the root cause of the poverty and social disruption we so often see in our inner cities is progressivism itself. But that's for another column. For now, let's look at the Baltimore incident.

On April 12, Freddie Gray, a convicted felon with some 20 arrests, mostly for possession and distribution of narcotics, ran from police, apparently fearing arrest for yet another drug deal. After a brief chase, Gray stopped and surrendered to the pursuing officers without further incident.

Within about 15 minutes, he was placed in a police van and is said to have asked for an inhaler. On the way to the police station, the van picked up another prisoner who was put inside though in a separate compartment from Gray. Gray was then shackled but not belted into the seat.

What is known is that Gray, at some point, suffered a severe spinal injury, went into a coma, and died about a week later. When and how the injury occurred remains to be determined but the timeline does suggest some level of misconduct or at least negligence by the police. Six officers, three black and three white, have been indicted for a variety of crimes, the most serious of which is second degree murder.

Predictably, following Gray's death, the violence began. We now know that some of the "demonstrators" were bussed in and paid. The money was funneled through ACORN-like groups funded by George Soros. This also happened in Ferguson. Amusingly, some of this rent-a-crowd are now complaining that they haven't yet gotten their money. Maybe they'll picket Mr. Soros.

That said, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby threw gasoline on the fire by behaving more like Al Sharpton than like a supposedly responsible state official. Her harangues to the Baltimore protestors assured them that she would get justice for Freddie Gray; no mention of justice for the officers or of justice in general.

And then it was learned that the Gray family's attorney, Billy Murphy, was a major donor to Mosby during her election campaign and served on her transition team following her victory. Moreover, her husband, Mike Mosby, is the city councilman who represents the district where Gray lived. Because of these obvious conflicts of interest, the police union and defense attorneys asked Mosby to recuse herself. So far, she has refused. They also seek a change of venue.

On top of everything else, Mosby irresponsibly appeared on stage at a Prince concert while he sang a song about Freddie Gray. She later sat for an interview with Vogue magazine and has become quite the celebrity. Oh, and she's trying to get a gag order that restricts the defense lawyers from discussing the case.

It's a huge mess on so many levels, not just because of what happened to Gray, but because Mosby, either through excessive zeal or simple incompetence, has over-charged the officers in order to placate the mob. This will come out during the judicial process and at least some of the charges likely will be reduced or dropped. The officers could even be acquitted. If that happens, Baltimore had better brace itself.

And, naturally, the oh-so-progressive folks who have run Baltimore into the ground will just blame the Republicans.

In Middleburg every member of our small but highly professional police force swears an oath; an oath in addition to the official oath of office required by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The formal ceremony takes place in public, in front of the Middleburg Town Council, citizens, administrators, other members of the force, and more often than not, in the presence of the new officer's family and friends.

They raise their right hands and swear:

On My Honor,
I will never betray my
badge, my integrity,
my character, or the public trust.
I will always have the courage to hold myself
and others accountable for our actions.
I will always uphold the Constitution,
and the community I serve,
So Help Me God.

A Middleburg officer's badge is thus in every sense a shield, an outward and visible sign of the values embodied in that short oath, incorporated in the department's standing orders, and constantly reinforced by its training.

"Community Policing" is not just a catchphrase here. It is what our policemen do.
It's why they are known.
It's why they are respected.
It's why we feel not only safe, but watched over.
Every local policeman's sense of honor defines and enables mutual trust.
That trust, in turn, both permits and enables discretion based on what we believe will be their sound judgment about what is right and what is wrong.
Mitigating, minimizing, or avoiding unnecessary harm thus become a rule of thumb here . . . and a matter of honor.
It makes a difference.
Middleburg is not Baltimore, or Ferguson, or New York, or Cleveland, or any of the many other places in the United States that have seen innocent people killed by bad cops or good cops killed by bad people.
Some would argue that the circumstances that prevail in such places would never allow cops there to treat their communities in the same way cops here treat ours.
In Baltimore and other such places some experts argue that communities will never trust the police and the police can and will never trust the people they are sworn to protect and serve.
I like to believe otherwise. And so do a lot of good cops.
Outstanding cops, like outstanding soldiers, are enveloped by a shield of their own making, an aura of trust and respect that transcends uniform, badge and gun.
No one can give it to them.
But they can build it, earn it, and embody it.
And only they can lose it.
To lose it, of course, is a tragedy of the first degree, all too often irreparable, and harmful not only to the officer who has betrayed himself, but to all those on whom he depends, all those he protects, and all those he serves.
Hence the particular form of tragedy that has surfaced in Baltimore, and Ferguson, Cleveland and New York, and all the other places where officers have failed themselves, those they lead, those they protect, and those they serve.
If duty and honor are to be served, there is no choice but to hold to account those who failed themselves and those who trusted them.
It's hard. And sometimes seems unfair. But, it must be done, by those in charge, and more important by those in the ranks and on the line.
Why?
After Vietnam two highly decorated military officers, Colonels Richard Gabriel and Paul Savage put it this way: "All officers are responsible for the actions of all their brother officers. The dishonorable acts of one officer diminish the corps, the actions of the officer corps are only determined the acts of its members and these actions must always be above reproach."
Easier said than done. Which is why we honor those who do, and sometimes trust our lives to them.