I don't live farfrom Baltimore. I watched the devastation from the comfort of myking-sized bed, in my master suite of my warm home in theexurbs.

I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn't believe that anyonewould tear up their home in that way. I couldn't believe that manyof the ones causing trouble were kids not much older than my son,whose biggest worries are getting his science project completed andhow much time that leaves for Minecraft.

I overheard a teammate of his at baseball excitedly tell theteam that he was at the Orioles game on Sunday, and they weren'tallowed to leave. For him it was a pseudo-adventure in an otherwiseprotected life.

But for the 13 year olds and their families outside themakeshift fortress that was Camden Yards, Freddie Gray's death wasthe catalyst to release the pent up frustration that comes with thelack of opportunity, respect, jobs, and awareness or empathy forthe underlying issues.

Violence and rioting is wrong. It is the wrong response whenyour soccer team loses (or wins), and it's the wrong reaction whensomeone in police custody, no matter their arrest record, diessuspiciously. But I'd like to point out, that in the middle of allof the chaos a video of a woman beating her son to prevent him fromwreaking any more havoc went viral. Facebook lit up with glibaccolades for this woman — this woman who was hitting her son.Violence begets violence. When someone is shown nothing butdisrespect, how are they expected to respond in a stressfulsituation?

The comment from my son's friend, simultaneously innocent andobtuse, is why I wanted to raise my kids in that quirky zonehalfway between suburb and horse country. Innocence is notsomething to be squandered, and respect should run from parent tochild and vice versa.

But when someone is shown no respect, when someone grows upwitnessing violence and they're worried whether their parent willcome home drunk again because they have no job, the culture mustchange. It must change not only for the children and familiestrapped in this situation, but awarenessof these issues must be cultivated within the families that havemore options.

Credit unions have role to play in helping tolift communities out of the downward spiral of Baltimore's povertyvortex. Credit unions must advocate for their communities, and workwith other like-minded organizations.

MECU of Baltimore, for example, works regularly with the foodpantries, supports programs that support inner-city teachers, andhosts financial seminars on various topics. Yet MECU was forced toshutter its doors in some locations for safety reasons during theheight of the Baltimore riots. That's not good for anyone involved.

SecurityPlus FCU in Baltimore commemorated Martin Luther King,Jr., Day with a donation to his namesake school. It had to closeits headquarters branch. SECU, which also operates in Baltimore but serves the entirestate, cut hours short, too. SECU is also working with crisiscenters and food pantries throughout Maryland on an ongoingbasis.

Credit unions have a civic and fiscal responsibility to advocatefor the community surrounding their credit union, even if it is notwithin the technical field of membership. If the area is sohostile, the credit union cannot conduct its business or reasonablyensure its members' safe passage, then it is the credit union'sproblem.

It will be a painfully slow and arduous task, and it willrequire coordinating with law enforcement, chambers of commerce,community groups and the like. It will take resources from servingyour members today so that the credit union can serve them in thefuture.

Members may be grateful when they are able to obtain a loan theycouldn't get from the bank down the street, but assisting incleaning up the community where they live by trying to get at theroot of the problems ­— improving the local economy, expandingopportunities, and providing a hand up for the next generation —demonstrates true investment and deep respect.

Awareness. Advocacy. Assistance. It's strategic. It'scooperative. It's people helping people. And it's the right thingto do for credit unions and communities everywhere.