Not to sound petty...

[Colddiamond102]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

Again,

SC is a perennial leader (FBI stats) in violent crime; N. Chas, Sumter and (I believe; it's definitely a SC Upcountry city) Aiken are all in the top 10 most violent.

Perception is great, but stats tell the tale.

Oh come on Geechie...Aiken isnt really all that bad. It just depends on which side of it you're on is all...just like any city.

[Geechie North]

I'm sure about N.Chas (aka "Factory Hill") and Sumter being on the FBI's top 10; not sure about Aiken. And too lazy to look it up.

And that's lazy.

[OleTomCat]

There is a third SC city but I don't think it was Aiken, but I have slept since I looked it last so who knows.

[pvjd]

You can't just go by statistics. I live in Birmingham, AL, and if you look up stats it says that we have major violent crime rates, and horrible schools. However, that is the city of Birmingham. If you go to the suburbs, such as Vestavia (where I live), Hoover, Mt. Brook, Homewood, etc., the crime rates are pretty low, especially violent crime, and the school systems are among the best in the US. Even in Birmingham city, there is Alabama School of Fine Arts, which is nationally recognized. And UAB is doing things with HIV and cancer research that is leagues ahead of many of the other leading science and research institutions. We have people from China, India and Africa choosing UAB when they have the opportunity to learn anywhere in the US and choose Birmingham because of the advances in science and medicine. And, though some might disagree, when one is born into a culture of extreme poverty, violence, substance abuse, crime, and systems dependency, the child is likely to feel hopeless, helpless, oppressed, and incapable of change. It is not necessarily because they enjoy it, or because they are lazy. As a social worker, I see this all the time. It is not that they are incapable of change, just need someone to help build their self-esteem and recognize their strengths so that they can find the capacity to change. This is what happens when middle class caucasian males insist that they know what it is like to be oppressed, and what needs to be done about it. Kind of the reason that men don't know what it is like to be faced with the burden of whether or not to have an abortion, or why straight men don't know what it is like to be beaten by your parents and disowned due to the person that you date.

[OleTomCat]

I agree, but people look at the numbers with out qualifying them and then go and make a big stink out of it.