Oakland, Richmond named among the most dangerous cities (San Diego, San Jose: crime rates, neighborhoods)

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by Chicagoaklandish

This bothers you? I'm a bit more perturbed by the people shooting up heroin or smoking crack in broad daylight. And a lot more perturbed by the 100 or so murders in SF and Oakland each this year

The point is...the justice system in the Bay Area is a joke to many criminals. If I can roll a joint, maybe I can shoot up heroin, if I can shoot up heroin, maybe I can break into a car next, if I can break into a car, maybe I can rob a person, if I can rob a person, maybe I can kill a person etc. You can't just turn your head on some crimes because it will always lead up eventually. Also, why have laws if you aren't going to enforce them?

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

The point is...the justice system in the Bay Area is a joke to many criminals. If I can roll a joint, maybe I can shoot up heroin, if I can shoot up heroin, maybe I can break into a car next, if I can break into a car, maybe I can rob a person, if I can rob a person, maybe I can kill a person etc. You can't just turn your head on some crimes because it will always lead up eventually. Also, why have laws if you aren't going to enforce them?

Wrong. Marijuana in San Francisco is basically Legal, it's always been that way going back to the 60's. Now you even have Medical Marijuana which makes it even less of a "Crime". People do not commit acts of violence to get high on weed like other drugs. There is also a tax on marijuana purchased at clubs which is good revenue for the city. Smoking Marijuana should not be a crime anyways. I've seen more damage done by Drunk club goers than weed smokers. Stop being a prude.

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by City Boy

Wrong. Marijuana in San Francisco is basically Legal, it's always been that way going back to the 60's. Now you even have Medical Marijuana which makes it even less of a "Crime". People do not commit acts of violence to get high on weed like other drugs. There is also a tax on marijuana purchased at clubs which is good revenue for the city. Smoking Marijuana should not be a crime anyways. I've seen more damage done by Drunk club goers than weed smokers. Stop being a prude.

The point is NOT whether or not it should be legal. The point is either it is LEGAL or it is ILLEGAL. I'm saying when you can break this law, why shouldn't you break another if you can get away with it. The justice system does not deter many criminals away because there is so much of this...well maybe I can get away with it attitude. The fact that they were/are going to build a safehaven for bums to inject themselves is crazy. Either make it legal and then create the safehaven or don't allow it all.

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by City Boy

Wrong. Marijuana in San Francisco is basically Legal, it's always been that way going back to the 60's. Now you even have Medical Marijuana which makes it even less of a "Crime". People do not commit acts of violence to get high on weed like other drugs. There is also a tax on marijuana purchased at clubs which is good revenue for the city. Smoking Marijuana should not be a crime anyways. I've seen more damage done by Drunk club goers than weed smokers. Stop being a prude.

People who get stoned on pot are not really your major criminal element. Ever seen a speed freak hopped up and trying to outrun the cops? NIIICE

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

The point is NOT whether or not it should be legal. The point is either it is LEGAL or it is ILLEGAL. I'm saying when you can break this law, why shouldn't you break another if you can get away with it. The justice system does not deter many criminals away because there is so much of this...well maybe I can get away with it attitude. The fact that they were/are going to build a safehaven for bums to inject themselves is crazy. Either make it legal and then create the safehaven or don't allow it all.

Give me a break, Jay Walking is "Illegal" but plenty do it in the city and it's not enforced, stop being an arm chair lawyer. Marijuana is Legal in SF if you have a Cannibus card. Only the Feds can enforce the law. The most a cop will do is tell you to put out the joint if smoking in public. How are you going to compare rolling a joint on the street to shooting up heroin or robbing somebody? If a cop see's you shooting up on the street they will stop you. Hard Core drug use is a health hazard to more than just the abuser.

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by City Boy

How are you going to compare rolling a joint on the street to shooting up heroin or robbing somebody?

How many times do I have to tell you about the safe haven to shoot up? lol How many of the major crimes in San Francisco are commited when they are completely clean? Why else do you think the crime rate is so high? Trust me, no homeless man on the street has a marijuana card.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

How many times do I have to tell you about the safe haven to shoot up? lol How many of the major crimes in San Francisco are commited when they are completely clean? Why else do you think the crime rate is so high? Trust me, no homeless man on the street has a marijuana card.

Why are you talking about Shooting up again? What does that have to do with anything? Shooting up heroin vs. smoking weed? Are you crazy?


Also You're not from San Francisco, because if you were you would know that the majority of major crime in SF comes from the long time violence in between gangs in the cities housing projects and ghetto's over retaliation and turf. Those people you assume are homeless may not be. Did you ask them if they were homeless? Or do people hanging out on the corners who are not wearing banana republic sweaters and loafers automatically assumed to be homeless.

[Ant.]

Originally Posted by City Boy

Or do people hanging out on the corners who are not wearing banana republic sweaters and loafers automatically assumed to be homeless.

nicely put man

[Blackstone]

We know why.. These problems are what they've always been.

Gangs- social identity. The fix is education and holding the leadership to the light of day.

Homelessness- disenfranchisement. The fix is mental heath management in most cases(itself a problem) and employment in others.

But the fact is the USA(and that includes SF) gives one damn for anybody in need until it's own interests are at stake. This method of living was decided long ago. The cold hard fact is the US may simply have interest in some people's misery.

I do not blame the person raising kids in Italy at all. I'd prefer that for my own (when I have them) because I see the USA as the best and worst country to live in. Even when American kids do not join so called 'gangs' they go through a process which seems to leave them hollow somehow. Where are the new existentialists when you need them- they're too busy in the Mega- Church I suppose..

[Blackstone]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

The point is...the justice system in the Bay Area is a joke to many criminals. If I can roll a joint, maybe I can shoot up heroin, if I can shoot up heroin, maybe I can break into a car next, if I can break into a car, maybe I can rob a person, if I can rob a person, maybe I can kill a person etc. You can't just turn your head on some crimes because it will always lead up eventually. Also, why have laws if you aren't going to enforce them?

Ok, but understand that the persons life slips and slips fast down the drain.

Think of it like this: if SF made a law today which stated everyone who smokes pot gets their right arm cut off, what would logically happen?

Sure, no one would ever be caught with pot again after the first few unlucky folks. However while no offense takes place, you don't solve the real problem. And you create so many more problems.

If what you describe worked, Puritans would have rid America of all crime a while back and so would Iran.

Now on the flip side, where 'conservatives' (I use that loosley) may have a point is if the junkie breaks in to my car and I catch him, I can freely body slam him to the ground with no questions asked. Where SF may err is in that concept.