[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

Agree 100%, this is about where I land on this too. No more bullshit.

People who live in safety have no idea how bad it's gotten. This was a family friend of my best friends parents - and a topic of conversation during my 45th birthday dinner. A violent lunatic was posing as a "community organizer" to get the 85 yr old women Lucy to open her door before he beat her (she later died) with a glass jar.

https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news...-brutal-attack

[XutvJet]

Violent crime in most US cities is down substantially in all categories and this was before Trump took office too. I'm not going to say that violent is not a problem in the US, but to think that things are worse overall is not reality. I think much of this belief that a lot of places aren't safe is the result of everyone having phones and the US public being videoed by a multitude of surveillance systems, both public and private. We now get to watch significantly more acts of the violent crime through things like the news, social media, and politics. When you get inundated with this information, you start to believe it's everywhere and rampant.

There have always been dangerous parts of town and there always will be. You must understand your surroundings and be aware of the good areas and bad areas.

I'll say it again, violent crime (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) in the US is lower than it was in the 1990s and that includes the uptick in violent crime after COVID. But thanks to the media, social media, body cam footage, etc., we are conditioned to believe that crime is getting worse. The media wants you to believe this to increase their revenue. Sad and frightening news sells. Politicians want you to believe this so that they can get your vote and convince you one party is better than the other at controlling crime.

Locking up all criminals and building more prisons isn't the solution either. It's a narrowed-minded solution to a deeply rooted and complex problem in the US, largely the result of massive income inequality.

[zx10guy]

I haven't talked about this much since it has happened. I think this is the first time I'm mentioning my incident online. A months ago, I was accosted in DC mid day right in front of the Capital One Arena. Tons of people around. The guy appeared to be homeless. I was walking to get lunch from my corporate office. Normally, if I ignore these individuals they would go away. Nope. He jumped into my path of travel and then proceeded to follow me for 2.5 blocks. Along that walk, he grabbed me twice. I didn't want to provoke him further by pushing him away as I didn't know if he had a knife or some other weapon. The guy was acting so erratic that when we got to the Chinese arch a group of girls were totally freaked out by him. I walked into a Smash burger hoping he would stop following me. Nope. He followed me right into the restaurant. Fortunately for me, the security there (yes a fast food place had to have security) became the target of his attention. I took that opportunity to walk right out of the restaurant. Fortunately, he didn't follow me.

That crime isn't part of the crime statistics as I didn't report. Don't know what good it would have done to even report it. I did report it to my manager. This is just one anecdotal situation. But someone in the DC Metro PD is under investigation for not reporting the crime statistics accurately for his district.

I grew up in Chinatown in DC. It's no where like it was when I grew up and is definitely more dangerous to be out and about there.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

I haven't talked about this much since it has happened. I think this is the first time I'm mentioning my incident online. A months ago, I was accosted in DC mid day right in front of the Capital One Arena. Tons of people around. The guy appeared to be homeless. I was walking to get lunch from my corporate office. Normally, if I ignore these individuals they would go away. Nope. He jumped into my path of travel and then proceeded to follow me for 2.5 blocks. Along that walk, he grabbed me twice. I didn't want to provoke him further by pushing him away as I didn't know if he had a knife or some other weapon. The guy was acting so erratic that when we got to the Chinese arch a group of girls were totally freaked out by him. I walked into a Smash burger hoping he would stop following me. Nope. He followed me right into the restaurant. Fortunately for me, the security there (yes a fast food place had to have security) became the target of his attention. I took that opportunity to walk right out of the restaurant. Fortunately, he didn't follow me.

That crime isn't part of the crime statistics as I didn't report. Don't know what good it would have done to even report it. I did report it to my manager. This is just one anecdotal situation. But someone in the DC Metro PD is under investigation for not reporting the crime statistics accurately for his district.

I grew up in Chinatown in DC. It's no where like it was when I grew up and is definitely more dangerous to be out and about there.

I had a similar experience going to a Caps game with my mom and brother back in November.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

...and complex problem in the US, largely the result of massive income inequality.

I'll add the disintegration of the nuclear family as a root cause as well.

[jaffles]

My observation or part thereof

Women are 50% of population, so they should make up 50% + - of most roles in society. Governance, medical, teaching, defense, policing ect. Maybe not front line but in the system somewhere to balance the man with the wo-man. My life is sure more balanced with good women around me rather then just good men. Women bring compassion generally.

My wife works in drug rehab, its a 1 in 50 or more success rate. Virtually all of these souls have a horrific back story you would not want for an enemy. They are born into abuse that becomes generational and desperate, so crime along with failure are guaranteed and the repetitive nature of drugs. They all want to be free of their curse, but have poor judgement and decision making skills, no self esteem, no income beside welfare, shit role models, little support after getting off the gear you name it. Old mates, old ways, old habits just resurface almost immediately.

Cost of living: ie cost of company greed has a large impact on everyone not doing great. An example from someone I have dinner with. Women's G string under-ware made in China for 9c but sold in Australia for $30. Bras made for 89c sold for $80. However no matter where its made these day % of profit is no longer fair, its rape. Iphone, Nike, Ebay etc. In Aus mining companies that pay no tax promote average to poor royalties as their contribution to being good corporate citizens. If profit was noy so extreme then for most of us life would be a lot easier.

Cost of living: ie cost of Government policy for the rich getting richer. The tax laws in Australia favor mostly the wealthy for their supposed trickle down economy. Perhaps true in certain light, but the average house is now over $1,000,000 pushed up by investors and tax incentives. How does a well raise balanced child on a reasonably well paid steady income afford that. Especially when the banking sector is approved to never loose or risk anything, its all covered and paid for by the home owner regardless. So add that into the cost of life for the contributing balanced, and resentment, depression, haplessness starts creeping in. Perhaps even drug abuse and lack of respect around the edges. Mean while and always has been stable housing is the foundation of a stable community, a stable country.

Now our police perhaps don't fear for their life with every interaction, but recently we have had police gunned down and killed by radical Christians, conspiracist, and preppers while walking up the driveway to serve a warrants. Australia has 1 million registered gun owners with 4 million registered guns. I can see a farmer may need a light rabbit gun and more powerful wild pig gun, but outside of that why a neighbor needs any gun in a community is just a ego / small dick bullshit.
Everyone has a bad day, and particularly in America (much of Australia content these day) the gun is a celebrated problem solver. So to me less guns in community makes for better relationships with neighbors, and perhaps police don't have to be so highly stung, short tempered and outwardly aggressive. Thay are there to help community not hate them.

A possible solution or to part of it.

Youth crime: build that facility in the outback and have it as a centre to take troubled youth and give them purpose. Let them discover worth, learn skills, self esteem, pride, group work and a career in defense. Like a national service for lost souls under 30. 2 years minimum away from their deadshit family and friends, when they return to their past completely different and a future ahead of them, observation will be painful but clear. Hopefully.

Adult crime: I imagine the US has plenty of shit roads, litter, and vast tracks of cleared land that could be rehabilitated for nature, fresh air, and water quality. It cost $100,000 AU to keep an inmate in a jail each year, and there are around 45,000 currently. Converted shipping containers could make for mobile housing as inmates repay the nation in a meaningful way, rather then just pay time while community pays. They could do fencing for farmers after fires, clear weeds, rebuild rail line or bridges etc, but all the jobs that cost heaps or no one wants. It would also give them skills to means to find a better path when released. Fearful communities can get over their not in my back yard with going back to tuff love with work done chains, or the promise of a bullet in the back from some ex Afghanistan service man struggling to find peace and would love to top a prisoner rather then themselves.

Think for me if we collected tax in a more truthful way, or stopped spending so much on defense and redirected that into people rather than guns and inequality; respect, understanding, collaboration for a nation would be far greater than the have and have nots, us V them, rich V poor, male V female, black V white, white v immigrants, drug consumption for escape or pay the bills type mentality we don't seem to be good at moving on from.

People and relationships are the journey of life. Why do we all post here? Not how many cars, boats, and houses one has. Relationships cost nothing, so the need to work more or have endless productivity and employment could potentially start to be remodeled.

Thing is it starts at the top, with honest people who value fairness and equality for a nation, not just themselves and their mates. Ol Donny may wish for Nationalism but his got the Globalisation to deal with, something largely created by the US.

I don't think its in the US phyche to let China take over the rains while the US go about quietly fixing themselves to be great again. its why China has such a big army.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Violent crime in most US cities is down substantially in all categories and this was before Trump took office too. I'm not going to say that violent is not a problem in the US, but to think that things are worse overall is not reality. I think much of this belief that a lot of places aren't safe is the result of everyone having phones and the US public being videoed by a multitude of surveillance systems, both public and private. We now get to watch significantly more acts of the violent crime through things like the news, social media, and politics. When you get inundated with this information, you start to believe it's everywhere and rampant.

There have always been dangerous parts of town and there always will be. You must understand your surroundings and be aware of the good areas and bad areas.

I'll say it again, violent crime (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) in the US is lower than it was in the 1990s and that includes the uptick in violent crime after COVID. But thanks to the media, social media, body cam footage, etc., we are conditioned to believe that crime is getting worse. The media wants you to believe this to increase their revenue. Sad and frightening news sells. Politicians want you to believe this so that they can get your vote and convince you one party is better than the other at controlling crime.

Locking up all criminals and building more prisons isn't the solution either. It's a narrowed-minded solution to a deeply rooted and complex problem in the US, largely the result of massive income inequality.

This is a short sighted and narrow minded view of things.

The reality is that violent "is down" is not because tmits actually down, it's due to under reporting and population growth. Income inequality is a nice way of saying that poor kids that get into gangs commit more crimes.

The way you stop this is by ending the glorification of crime in media, zero tolerance policies that lock criminals up for life or exile them forever, and promotion of nuclear families with a dad that teaches you right from.wrong.

When you have a revolving door of policing, where criminals are in jail for short periods of time and then back out committing more crimes, you'll never get it under control. These people are trained that crime isn't a big deal because they'll probably be in for a short stint, and will largely have cases dismissed by DAs that have an agenda. They learn they can get away with crime, so why wouldn't they commit crime? They don't have a moral compass to guide them, they just want what you have and don't give a damn about if they hurt or kill you in the process. And they're surrounded by people and media glorifying it all for them.

You have to have severe consequences to scare people straight. And we need to strongly reinforce the nuclear family with two parents sharing responsibilities for the kids every day. Kids that grow up without two parents are far more likely to end up on a path of self destruction and crime.