thepiece
merion village
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JonMyers wrote <a
Columbusite's point of view is one I often find to be consistent with those who come from privilege and/ or a sense of entitlement.
I have no idea of Columbusite's background, but that's how it comes off, privilege talking.
Furthermore, when I encounter those points of view, they often contain coded language followed by "I'm not racist, and I have black friends, but..."...
plus 1 to that observation, I have had a similar experience
rus
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bman wrote >>
Jergarr27 wrote >>
It'll never change as long as we condone and/or ignore poverty, poor education and guns in our society...+1
The first two there's a bit of a point. On guns though, that's just the tool. Banning the tool doesn't ban the behavior.
Just two from google:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/27/beating-death-of-derrien_n_301319.html
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/06/chicago-police-make-arrest-in-brookfield-death-probe.html
sean2outerspace
Clintonville
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honestly, I think that there are LOTS of contributing factors to the recent crime rate. I'm sure it doesn't help that air conditioning is a luxury not everyone can afford, and it has been like walking around inside someone's mouth in Columbus for the past couple of weeks.
drewtoothpaste
upper arlington
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The drug war is what sends young black males to prison on non-violent offenses and turns them into felons who cannot find unemployment, and are then forced back into the prison/poverty cycle.
If pulling up your pants will destroy the prison-industrial system and break the endemic poverty in the worst parts of Columbus or any town, let me be the first.
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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ChrisSunami wrote >>
roy wrote >>
Blaming murder rates on 2009 budget crisis rec center cutbacks is at best irresponsible. Individuals don't make a choice to kill another human being because the rec center isn't available, and rec centers aren't even open when these people are shooting and stabbing each other, here are some facts:The reason I drew the connection was because many of the advocates of the closed rec centers predicted an increase in neighborhood violence to follow as a result, and it is one concrete thing that is different this year than last year. That's far from proof, but it is notable that the predictions were realized.
As far as the shootings occurring outside rec center hours, that's a bit more simplistic a connection than I think anyone would suggest. The basic idea is that having a positive social/recreational/physical outlet can have a shaping impact on an individual or a community; and that lacking one can lead to an entire range of bad choices.
This is purely anecdotal evidence, of course, but a few months ago one of the kids in my program began hanging out with a rough group of delinquents, but then made the (difficult and somewhat dangerous) decision to break with them because he preferred being a part of our community. I don't think it's a stretch to say that he could have easily made a very different decision without a support network (which he didn't have at home or at school).It's a cultural problem. Even when the economy was good, quite a few people in our roughest neighborhoods didn't want an actual job and don't want a job: they prefer to be ignorant, violent thugs and build their life and identity around that. When neighbors acquiesce and don't tell these younger thug wanna-bes to pull up their pants/present themselves decently in public and handle themselves in a socially positive manner, what do you expect?
Columbusite, I really didn't expect an analysis as shallow and reactionary as this from you. While people certainly do need to take responsibility for their own decisions, this kind of "it's their own damn fault" dismissal of a larger social trend doesn't do anything towards finding real solutions. Given what I know of you, I'm hoping that you offered this as a piece of satire rather than as a representation of your true position.
They don't have direction and no one is giving them direction. What's complicated about that?
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Whe it's hot more people spend time outside (especially those without AC) and more people drink to get cool.
So you have drunk people in higher densities who are irritated with the weather.
You can track homocides by temperature in most cities.
ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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Columbusite wrote >>
They don't have direction and no one is giving them direction. What's complicated about that?
Your two statements are wholly non-equivalent. This second statement has no racial implications and no value judgments, and seems to at least imply that providing directions for at-risk youth is a responsibility that we all share. In this, it is completely in line with my original post which also did not mention race, did not seek to assign blame, and was seeking constructive action.
Your other post had very different connotations. It used the term "thug", which is a coded statement in American discourse for young black males of the inner city, with additional implications of violence, intimidation and criminality. It is also a term used almost exclusively in dismissive constructions denying the target's humanity such as "these thugs are animals", "these thugs should all be locked up" and "these thugs deserve to be shot". Then you added the reference to "baggy pants", which I think everyone knows to be a fashion choice strongly identified with the black cultural movement of hip-hop. Finally, you followed up by blaming the parents and neighbors, which indicates that you're disclaiming any larger social responsibility for inner city conditions, and uninterested in exploring any ways in which you might personally improve the situation.
You can track homocides by temperature in most cities.
While I'm absolutely sure this is true, there's not much we can do about the weather. Maybe we should see what the cities where homicide doesn't go up with the temperature are doing differently.
rus
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ChrisSunami wrote >>
You can track homocides by temperature in most cities.
While I'm absolutely sure this is true, there's not much we can do about the weather. Maybe we should see what the cities where homicide doesn't go up with the temperature are doing differently.
Which ones would those be?
HeySquare
German Village
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ChrisSunami wrote >>
Apparently the City homicide rate is way up. Worse, it seems like a lot of the victims and perpetrators are teenagers. I can't help but think there's a connection with all the rec centers and youth programs that were cut last year.
Anyone have any thoughts on how to remedy this? The program I run is aimed at least partly at reaching high risk youth, but we haven't had a whole lot of luck bringing in youth participants from outside of our own church community.
In the Dispatch article, there was a comment that the city was looking to coordinate volunteer groups, as well as doing a police crackdown. Perhaps a first step might be to get in touch with this coordination effort. It sounds like you have a resource that could be very valuable in providing a positive atmosphere for at-risk youth, but don't really have a methodology for getting people referred to your group.
And if the talk of coordination is more lip service than actuality, a call or email may help encourage efforts at coordination.
HeySquare
German Village
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Tenzo wrote >>
You can track homocides by temperature in most cities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/nyregion/19murder.html
Both time of day and temperature are corelated.
ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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deraj1013
Merion Village
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From the Dispatch...
Coalition suggested to address violence
Mayor looks for ways to get public involved
By Jeb Phillips and Jim Woods
Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman proposed a new coalition for nonviolence in a meeting yesterday with Blockwatch members, civic-association leaders and community activists about this summer's spike in violent crime.
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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Word 'round the hood is it's almost entirely gang related. It's interesting that I haevn't read anything referring to that in any of the media coverage - the thing I'm thinking is that gangs *heart* publicity, and will sometimes respond to such by doing things to get MORE publicity.
rus
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Twixlen wrote >>
Word 'round the hood is it's almost entirely gang related. It's interesting that I haevn't read anything referring to that in any of the media coverage - the thing I'm thinking is that gangs *heart* publicity, and will sometimes respond to such by doing things to get MORE publicity.
Columbus doesn't have a gang problem because there have been no news reports of gangs?
gk
columbus, ohio
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Displaced Columbusite wrote >>
Out of curiosity what is the actual rate increase? "City rate way up" sounds like a lot, but I am wondering what the actual number is; at the same time what is the property crime rate rise compared to violence crime rate?
A better question yet, anyone know where I can find the information myself?
According to today's Dispatch there have been 64 homicides so far this year, compared to 49 homicides at this time last year - 31% increase.
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