Oakland, Richmond named among the most dangerous cities (Montclair: low crime, school)

[aswedc]

4. Oakland, CA
9. Richmond, CA

The annual list of the most dangerous cities in America is out again and the Bay Area is well represented. A variety of news stories on the study can be found easily enough on Google News.

Any thoughts on why there is such a serious crime problem within close proximity to one of the wealthiest and most educated cities in the world?

[Bob The Builder]

Originally Posted by aswedc

4. Oakland, CA
9. Richmond, CA

The annual list of the most dangerous cities in America is out again and the Bay Area is well represented. A variety of news stories on the study can be found easily enough on Google News.

Any thoughts on why there is such a serious crime problem within close proximity to one of the wealthiest and most educated cities in the world?

Having been born and raised in Oakland, schooled at Cal and Hastings and having left the Bay Area years ago in disgust, I will tell you. It is because in general, you are not as "wealthy and the educated" as you think you are. Think about it. Does your post speak of shame about the poor or shame about your wealth?

A quote from Confucious:

A land well governed is ashamed of its poor, while a land poorly governed is ashamed of its wealth.

[Milliano]

Originally Posted by aswedc

Any thoughts on why there is such a serious crime problem within close proximity to one of the wealthiest and most educated cities in the world?

All throughout the USA, there are cities with a serious crime problem that are next to cities that are wealthy and highly educated. In some cases you just need to travel a few blocks to get from a poor area with a serious crime problem to a wealthy area with low crime and high education levels. It's not unique to the Bay Area, if that is what you were implying.

[18Montclair]

5-1-0 represent!

At least the Bay Area will always have street cred-cant say the bay is nothing but white yuppies sipping chardonnay.
jk

I was going to go off on this diatribe about Oakland having safe and dangerous and that you cant generalize based on stats...blah, blah, blah. But it wont change steeply entrenched perceptions that people have so why bother?

Yes there are dangerous areas, what the bloody hell are we supposed to do about it? Oakland has tried everything short of martial law and the people in the hood continue to thumb their noses at the rule of law because they follow a different code there. In many ways, people in the flatlands of Oakland deserve exactly what they get.

On the other hand, and I mean this quite sincerely, in my opinion, crime, even in much of the areas perceived as dangerous, really isnt that bad at all. In fact, my parents hated living in the hills so much that they actually moved back to the hood. Outsiders will never understand it but it makes perfect sense to those of us familiar with what Oakland is really like.

I say that because most of the crime in Oakland in Richmond, be it murders, assaults and probably even property crime, is criminals engaging in acts against other criminals. The rest of us for the most part, are just fine.

Instead of looking at Oakland and Richmond with ire or disgust, perhaps we in the Bay Area should thank them for dealing with these huge problems in their cities so we dont have to in ours.

So much for not going off on a diatribe.

[aswedc]

Originally Posted by Milliano

All throughout the USA, there are cities with a serious crime problem that are next to cities that are wealthy and highly educated. In some cases you just need to travel a few blocks to get from a poor area with a serious crime problem to a wealthy area with low crime and high education levels. It's not unique to the Bay Area, if that is what you were implying.

Look at the other top cities. Detroit, St. Louis, Flint, Camden, Cleveland. These are all places with serious economic problems in the entire region. While the contrast between rich and poor may not be unique to the Bay Area, it is still one of the most notable examples.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Bob The Builder

Having been born and raised in Oakland, schooled at Cal and Hastings and having left the Bay Area years ago in disgust, I will tell you. It is because in general, you are not as "wealthy and the educated" as you think you are. Think about it. Does your post speak of shame about the poor or shame about your wealth?

A quote from Confucious:

A land well governed is ashamed of its poor, while a land poorly governed is ashamed of its wealth.

1. The Bay Area is among the wealthiest places in the world, by just about any measure.

2. Oakland has one of the highest concentrations of educated and wealthy families of any city in the US. That's a fact.

3. Your disgust is my joy

[Pleasanton4EVA]

No suprise, man. In the Bay Area, Oakland and Richmond are by-words for urban decay and high crime.

[Bob The Builder]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

5-1-0 represent!

Yes there are dangerous areas, what the bloody hell are we supposed to do about it? Oakland has tried everything short of martial law and the people in the hood continue to thumb their noses at the rule of law because they follow a different code there. In many ways, people in the flatlands of Oakland deserve exactly what they get....

I say that because most of the crime in Oakland in Richmond, be it murders, assaults and probably even property crime, is criminals engaging in acts against other criminals. The rest of us for the most part, are just fine.

Instead of looking at Oakland and Richmond with ire or disgust, perhaps we in the Bay Area should thank them for dealing with these huge problems in their cities so we dont have to in ours.

So much for not going off on a diatribe.

Montclair

You also mention in a follow up post that my disgust is your joy. Bless you. The reason I am so disgusted with the Bay Area is not the crime, but people like you who take joy in other people's diminished condition.

[Alexus]

Originally Posted by aswedc

4. Oakland, CA
9. Richmond, CA

Any thoughts on why there is such a serious crime problem within close proximity to one of the wealthiest and most educated cities in the world?

Because the beautiful bay area is truly a place where one can create their own reality.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Bob The Builder

Montclair

You also mention in a follow up post that my disgust is your joy. Bless you. The reason I am so disgusted with the Bay Area is not the crime, but people like you who take joy in other people's diminished condition.

No, actually Ive been everywhere else and nowhere is like this place-gunfire notwithstanding. People who leave in disgust are actually doing the rest of us a favor by ridding us of some negative energy. Thanks.

In another thread, you'll find that this is the most optimistic place in CA-nearly 7 in 10 Bay Area residents rate CA one of the best places to live, if the question was posed just about "The Bay Area", it would probably climb to over 90%.