The kid who was dragged home speaks out

Michael Singleton, the young man dragged out of the Baltimore riot Monday by his angry mom, is now telling his side of the story.

Which in itself is surprising. One moment he’s this mean-looking rock-thrower, the next moment he’s being dragged off by mom on national television. You’d think he’d want to lock himself in the bathroom for a month.

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Yet there he was, face to face with CNN’s Anderson Cooper &#8212 explaining why he decided to act out.

“A couple of my friends had been beaten by police, killed by police so I felt as though I needed to go down there and show my respect,” Singleton told Cooper.

He remembers exactly what went through his mind when he heard that voice screaming at him.

“Ain’t nobody else talk like that but my mother,” Singleton said. “I was embarrassed a little bit, until she started talking to me. She was telling me basically she did it because she cared about me.”

So did he learn his lesson? Or could he see himself getting angry enough to try it again?

“No. I don’t think I’ll go down there,” he said. “Why would I want to go put myself back in a predicament that I just got myself out of?”

There it is &#8212 a happy ending. An inspiring example of how a determined parent can turn a kid around.

But publicity like this comes with side effects &#8212 the main one being that people who are suspicious of happy endings will be watching for any relapse. The Internet loves inspiring stories, but what it would love even more would be to see Michael Singleton show up again, a mask over his face and a rock in his hand.