Vietnam War veteran Robert Valentine discussed his decision to confront rioters in Baltimore on Tuesday’s “AC360” on CNN.
Valentine said he wasn’t concerned about his safety, rather, “I’m concerned about the youth, what’s going to happen to them. They go out here, they riot, they get locked up, they got a record, they can’t get a decent job, they can’t advance in life the right way, I want to prevent that…my buddy, the policemen, I’m proud of them. They are very nice, they’re doing an excellent job.”
Valentine added a message to those who wanted to riot, “stop it. Go home. Get your books out, learn something. Do something with your life. You’re not going to make it out here on the streets.” And “I’ll be out until the crack of dawn. I just want to see them not get in trouble. I don’t want to see nobody hurt.”
He concluded, that the protests in Baltimore, “goes beyond” and that there is justified anger in Baltimore. He also said, “they’re taking it all on Freddie. See, the thing is, I don’t believe Freddie would have this. He was a good kid. What was he being chased for. Why were they after him? I think that’s what’s making them mad. Personally, I think he would be ashamed. This is a dishonor to him. It makes me mad. They should respect him.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.