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Too many people base moving to a city or determining how dangerous it is solely on violent crime and murder rates. This type of of thinking is flawed because if you are a certain race, female, or over a certain age your chances of being a victim are much lower. For any urban area in this country especially in cities like DC, NYC, Baltimore, Philly, Chicago, SF, ATL, and a few others, if you are a young black male you are ten times more likely to be a victim vs a young white male. I mentioned the young part because most of the people who get killed in these cities are black males under the age of 35. Young Hispanic men have the same problem but not on the same level as black men. This may vary from city to city but if you are white, Asian, over 40 or female then almost every city in this country is safe... I know what I'm about to is gonna cause backlash but when they determine murder rates for cities they should separate them by age, race and gender because when I turn on the news or read the post I don't hear about a 50 year old white or Asian woman getting murdered.... maybe every two years and even then its most likely domestic.
This year, for another example, the city of Baltimore has had 200 murders so far and of those 200 only 8 of those victims were white. The other 192 were black males.
I say this all the time, major cities are largely safe. The violence and murder is only because of the longest and costliest war in US history taking place in deserted and deindustrialized areas across the country with very few other lucrative industries to turn to. The war on ”drugs” is a racist war and causes infinitely more strife than otherwise would exist. Sad that Obama is choosing to intensify this war (among others).
I actually like this article. Disregard the source, and the analysis sounds pretty spot on with crime rates. It's more or less correlated with age rather than race.
Most major American cities are pretty muted nowadays compared to the 1980s, but are still more violent than other industrialized countries not named Russia.
I say this all the time, major cities are largely safe. The violence and murder is only because of the longest and costliest war in US history taking place in deserted and deindustrialized areas across the country with very few other lucrative industries to turn to. The war on ”drugs” is a racist war and causes infinitely more strife than otherwise would exist. Sad that Obama is choosing to intensify this war (among others).
Bull$hit.
The majority of violence and murders, in urban areas, is gang-related. They are criminal thugs, engaged in every form of illegal activity. Buying & selling drugs is a small part of what they're involved in.
Legalize drugs (whatever good you think that would do) and you still have the same criminals involved in illegal and violent activity. It beats the heck out of staying in school, getting an education, then getting and keeping a legitimate job.
That said, the overwhelming majority of people living in urban areas (myself included) are at extremely small risk of falling victim to any of these crimes.
The majority of violence and murders, in urban areas, is gang-related. They are criminal thugs, engaged in every form of illegal activity. Buying & selling drugs is a small part of what they're involved in.
Legalize drugs (whatever good you think that would do) and you still have the same criminals involved in illegal and violent activity. It beats the heck out of staying in school, getting an education, then getting and keeping a legitimate job.
Gang related? What does that even mean? Do you really think the astronomical tally of murders in the US and especially Mexico are over the color of someone's shirt? There are however drug gangs and cartels built specifically around the thriving drug trade.
I don't think you understand how profitable the industry is. When the demand for a product is so great that it's suppliers can afford submarines to ship it, I think it is past the point of illegality. New, Improved Cocaine Submarines | Photos - ABC News
Luckily, people with your position on The War on "Drugs" and mass incarceration in America have become the minority and will now have to use common logic to defend it, something always missing from that side.
What logic is there to explain how we continue to incarcerate people for victimless and non-violent crimes? There is no logic that would enable The US to have 5% of the World's population and 25% of it's prisoners, a record in modern history and in the "land of the free". Drug use is equal across all racial demographics yet 70% of our prisoners are non-white. What logic is there that now private corporations profit off prisons and lobby for stricter and new laws?
The worst drug problems are the abuse of LEGAL DRUGS-Oxycontin, Xanax, Percocet, etc.
"Drug death rates are currently more than twice what they were during the peak years of crack cocaine mortality in the early 1990s, and four to five times higher than the rates during the year of heroin mortality peak in 1975"
Where is the outrage? When crack-cocaine use was in its peak years, entire cities were destroyed via mass imprisonment, breakdown of families, increased dependance on the government, the nonsensical 100-1 Crack-Cocaine sentencing rule.
I suppose because currently, corporations are raking in the profit of addiction, the current and real drug problem is marginalized.
Gang related? What does that even mean? Do you really think the astronomical tally of murders in the US and especially Mexico are over the color of someone's shirt?
Yes! But the simple fact that you funnel gang membership and activity to the color of a shirt proves that you know NOTHING about urban gangs. Absolutely NOTHING.
And to think that gangs are about drugs is further evidence that you know NOTHING about urban gangs.
Remove the occasional domestic violence death, and you'll find that virtually ALL urban homicides are gang related. Period. It's about turf. It's about bravado. It's about control. It's about identity. It's about money.
There were gangs and turf/shirt/bravado murders before the drug epidemic...the drugs just intensified things and made the gangs become more dangerous due to having more cash because of the drug sales.
Drugs just give gangs an industry that fits their lifestyle....take away the drugs and they're still there...just less potent.
Remove the occasional domestic violence death, and you'll find that virtually ALL urban homicides are gang related. Period. It's about turf. It's about bravado. It's about control. It's about identity. It's about money.
Are you from Chicago or California? Virtually all urban homicides are gang related?
Some cities (like Philly) don't really even have gangs but rather loose affiliations based on where you're from.
If not domestic or random vengeance, murder is business related. Period. The largest criminal business is drugs. Period.
I agree it's all about money, and the whole purpose of fighting over turf is MONEY.
You don't make money selling cheap knives, you make money selling expensive (due to them being illegal) drugs.
I don't even know what we are arguing about anymore.
Drug legalization is the way to go. Spread the word!
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