Next time you get a chance to vote, remember this video (education, ethnicity)

[BBMW]

Yes, I know that, (at least the incarceration rates.) The prime reason I've heard for this is that the public in the US has much more control over the government than other countries (even democracies.) And criminals are not popular.

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

Oh yeah? When? Certainly not in my lifetime. Meanwhile other countries seem to have significantly lower crime and incarceration rates than the US....

[WhyRUMad]

Savages...

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

But what, specifically, can be done here in Minnesota to reduce the crime rate?

I propose more vigorous policing to arrest criminal for lesser crimes, to charge them for the crimes committed rather than accept plea bargains to lesser offenses, and to incarcerate them for as long as is allowed under the law thereby preventing them for committing the inevitable more serious offense.

I propose replacing our elected officials with ones that support such an effort.

What steps, exactly, do you propose?

Here is a good article discussing the large drop in crime in the 1990’s and which reasons were proven to be factors in the drop and which popularly cited reasons were proven to not factor in the decrease:

http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levi...yCrime2004.pdf

Some things that could help curb crime rates in the future should include the following steps:

-increase the number of police officers
-control the opioid epidemic
-minimize the number of unwanted pregnancies

Increasing the prison population helps too but I think we benefit more as a society by finding ways incarcerate less people, not more.

[TwinsFan1975]

Originally Posted by elnina

Are we still talking about St. Paul or going into general politics?
Please stay on topic.

Actually the topic is on Minneapolis violence, not St. Paul.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

Here is a good article discussing the large drop in crime in the 1990’s and which reasons were proven to be factors in the drop and which popularly cited reasons were proven to not factor in the decrease:

http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levi...yCrime2004.pdf

Some things that could help curb crime rates in the future should include the following steps:

-increase the number of police officers
-control the opioid epidemic
-minimize the number of unwanted pregnancies

Increasing the prison population helps too but I think we benefit more as a society by finding ways incarcerate less people, not more.

I can see how having more cops on the street could act as a deterrent, though at some point you have to let them arrest people and send them to jail or the criminals will know it’s all just a show and the deterrent effect would be lost.

No one would really disagree with controlling the opioid epidemic and unwanted pregnancies, yet the fact that everyone agrees that to do so would be good and it hasn’t been done should indicate that the problem may not be solvable.

That both those things are systems of people attempting to fill a need— either through drugs or sex— indicates that something is missing in that segment of society. I’d suggest it’s the intact two-parent family. You may have other ideas, but whatever it is, it’s not easily fixed and, therefore, not a reasonable solution to the immediate issue of increased crime.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

I can see how having more cops on the street could act as a deterrent, though at some point you have to let them arrest people and send them to jail or the criminals will know it’s all just a show and the deterrent effect would be lost.

No one would really disagree with controlling the opioid epidemic and unwanted pregnancies, yet the fact that everyone agrees that to do so would be good and it hasn’t been done should indicate that the problem may not be solvable.

That both those things are systems of people attempting to fill a need— either through drugs or sex— indicates that something is missing in that segment of society. I’d suggest it’s the intact two-parent family. You may have other ideas, but whatever it is, it’s not easily fixed and, therefore, not a reasonable solution to the immediate issue of increased crime.

Agreed that it would not be easy. However, I’m a firm believer that significant progress could made in each of the areas I mentioned by doing the following:

Opioid epidemic -
1) pass legislation to heavily restrict the amounts and circumstances in which opioids can be prescribed and for prescriptions to be refilled.
2) make all sale and distribution of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids illegal and aggressively prosecute violators. It is currently easy to buy it online. That needs to be shut down.
3) continue to sue opioid producing and distributing pharmaceutical companies for human and financial costs related to the opioid crisis. Use settlements for addiction treatment and an education campaign.
4) fund research to find better substitutes and alternatives for pain management

Unwanted pregnancies
1) improve education and awareness. Mandate sex education in schools. Fund an education campaign. Buy ads on social media and other similar avenues to connect with the younger population.
2) improve access to contraceptives. Provide access to free condoms at all high schools, colleges and other public places. Continue to require birth control to be covered by all health insurance plans. Make more birth control available over-the-counter as opposed to requiring a prescription (patches, pills, etc.)
3) improve access to abortions

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

Agreed that it would not be easy. However, I’m a firm believer that significant progress could made in each of the areas I mentioned by doing the following:

Opioid epidemic -
1) pass legislation to heavily restrict the amounts and circumstances in which opioids can be prescribed and for prescriptions to be refilled.
2) make all sale and distribution of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids illegal and aggressively prosecute violators. It is currently easy to buy it online. That needs to be shut down.
3) continue to sue opioid producing and distributing pharmaceutical companies for human and financial costs related to the opioid crisis. Use settlements for addiction treatment and an education campaign.
4) fund research to find better substitutes and alternatives for pain management

Unwanted pregnancies
1) improve education and awareness. Mandate sex education in schools. Fund an education campaign. Buy ads on social media and other similar avenues to connect with the younger population.
2) improve access to contraceptives. Provide access to free condoms at all high schools, colleges and other public places. Continue to require birth control to be covered by all health insurance plans. Make more birth control available over-the-counter as opposed to requiring a prescription (patches, pills, etc.)
3) improve access to abortions

On restricting opioid access, this burdens legitimate users of opioids, specifically chronic pain sufferers.

On the second, who doesn’t have access to contraceptives or abortion? Both are already widely available and free to whomever can’t pay for them.

Not to mention that your suggestions really seems to be capital punishment for (potential) criminals, just done before they are born. We are already aborting a disproportionate number of black babies. Exactly how many more do you feel we need to kill to have an effect on the crime rate?

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

On restricting opioid access, this burdens legitimate users of opioids, specifically chronic pain sufferers.

On the second, who doesn’t have access to contraceptives or abortion? Both are already widely available and free to whomever can’t pay for them.

Not to mention that your suggestions really seems to be capital punishment for (potential) criminals, just done before they are born. We are already aborting a disproportionate number of black babies. Exactly how many more do you feel we need to kill to have an effect on the crime rate?

If opioids are properly administered and used then it does not result in addiction/abuse. I’m not suggesting that legitimate use be restricted.

I know some of my suggestions are already being applied. I’m just saying that there are cases where people are falling through the cracks. We need to move the needle. Make sure birth control is available and freely distributed at homeless shelters, hotels, etc. There are still plenty of cases of teens getting pregnant who had no clue that would be the result of having unprotected sex. These can be prevented with proper education and awareness. Every unwanted pregnancy we can prevent is one less person born who has a high likelihood of being a victim of neglect throughout childhood and a high likelihood of eventually becoming a criminal.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

If opioids are properly administered and used then it does not result in addiction/abuse. I’m not suggesting that legitimate use be restricted.

I know some of my suggestions are already being applied. I’m just saying that there are cases where people are falling through the cracks. We need to move the needle. Make sure birth control is available and freely distributed at homeless shelters, hotels, etc. There are still plenty of cases of teens getting pregnant who had no clue that would be the result of having unprotected sex. These can be prevented with proper education and awareness. Every unwanted pregnancy we can prevent is one less person born who has a high likelihood of being a victim of neglect throughout childhood and a high likelihood of eventually becoming a criminal.

Opioid controls are already making it hard for chronic pain sufferers to get relief. Increasingly, doctors are refusing to write opioid prescriptions for chronic pain sufferers because of heightened scrutiny. You don’t have to suggest that legitimate use be restricted because it’s already happening. https://www.statnews.com/2019/06/28/...-chronic-pain/

And it sure sounds like you want to prevent crime by killing off the underclass by aborting them. You certainly wouldn’t be alone in that. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...564-story.html

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

Opioid controls are already making it hard for chronic pain sufferers to get relief. Increasingly, doctors are refusing to write opioid prescriptions for chronic pain sufferers because of heightened scrutiny. You don’t have to suggest that legitimate use be restricted because it’s already happening.

And it sure sounds like you want to prevent crime by killing off the underclass by aborting them. You certainly wouldn’t be alone in that. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...564-story.html

I’m not advocating for any change to two responsible consenting adults having a planned pregnancy. This is about unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. I didn’t realize that my position of wanting less of these types of pregnancies was controversial?