Why Do YOU live in a "dangerous" area?
- Thread starter Brian Pfleuger
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Some of it is a matter of perspective. IMO you have to consider two types of crime. One is the ordinary, garden variety, "we live on a tough planet" sort of crime. That's broken down into violent crime and crime against property.
From the FBI, 2007 stats (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/2007prelim/table4.htm)
Seems safer to me. FEELS safer to me. I have a teenage daughter and I certainly think she's less likely to be raped or end up on a milk carton here.
That's general crime. The other kind of crime is the directed crime against who I am. The FBI calls that hate crime. It's on the increase everywhere, especially against certain groups. I'm a member of a couple of them. I think I am more likely to see it coming here, and have a chance to react. We have OC, easy CC, and castle doctrine. On the downside, since it's not very metropolitan here, I have a lower chance of the police giving a damn.
No place is truly safe. You have to make the best of what you have, where you are, and what options you see.
From the FBI, 2007 stats (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/2007prelim/table4.htm)
Where I used to live: Pop 271,000 (metro area 2.5 million)
Where I live now (1200 miles away): Pop 100,000
- violent crime 2327
- murder 14
- rape 173
- robbery 777
- prop crime 11,118
Where I live now (1200 miles away): Pop 100,000
- violent crime 200
- murder 3
- rape 20
- robbery 54
- prop crime 4,280 (note that if you leave your car unlocked and someone takes CDs out it, it's reported in the paper on Mondays as a property crime....)
Seems safer to me. FEELS safer to me. I have a teenage daughter and I certainly think she's less likely to be raped or end up on a milk carton here.
That's general crime. The other kind of crime is the directed crime against who I am. The FBI calls that hate crime. It's on the increase everywhere, especially against certain groups. I'm a member of a couple of them. I think I am more likely to see it coming here, and have a chance to react. We have OC, easy CC, and castle doctrine. On the downside, since it's not very metropolitan here, I have a lower chance of the police giving a damn.
No place is truly safe. You have to make the best of what you have, where you are, and what options you see.
I think you are assuming that we all live in a place where we rent. We live in a dangerous place now because the illegals have moved into the neighborhood and brought their drug trade with them;heroin. Our house has been for sale for a long time, reasonably priced.
13 years age when we bought the house it was a great and safe place to live. Now we have installed bolts on everything, locked during the day when we are home, and the garage door is NEVER open but to bring out a vehicle. We live in a "dangerous" place because our local politicians needed to get $6 an hour labor for their buddies that own businesses. Fact.
"Moving is NOT that expensive, especially when you consider the the money that many people spend to stay safe in a dangerous place. What keeps you in a place that is not "safe"."
13 years age when we bought the house it was a great and safe place to live. Now we have installed bolts on everything, locked during the day when we are home, and the garage door is NEVER open but to bring out a vehicle. We live in a "dangerous" place because our local politicians needed to get $6 an hour labor for their buddies that own businesses. Fact.
"Moving is NOT that expensive, especially when you consider the the money that many people spend to stay safe in a dangerous place. What keeps you in a place that is not "safe"."
grymster2007
New member
There's more to it than that. The bleeding hearts, labor unions, the global village types, declining moral values and politicians seeking tax revenue are also responsible to one degree or other. And my list probably not complete either. But to simply blame business for you living in a dangerous area is a bit simple.
David Armstrong
Moderator
Of course not, and while the logical response is not always the best response it is sort of sad to see logic tossed aside for things like putting others in greater danger, IMO.
That is certainly your choice, and as you said, it doesn't have to be logical. Lots of people have died or been hurt over ego, pride, and other values, and if that is more important than the safety and well-being of your family, then there is nothing wrong with it for you.
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David Armstrong
Moderator
You find safeR, you find LESS dangerous.
Tucker 1371
New member
I kinda live out in the boonies on what used to be my grandparents cattle farm so theres not exactly a high crime rate. However, my grandparents who live nextdoor have been broken into twice, the second time a .454 slug chased them out the door and it hasn't happened since. I still keep either a loaded shotgun or my AK within five feet of my bed when I'm home from college though because we have some shady types drop by every now-and-then who look like they're scoping our place out.
David Armstrong
Moderator
And that pretty much says it all, IMO. Let's not care what the facts are, let's not engage in a reasoned and reasonable analysis.
David Armstrong
Moderator
Which is totally irrelevant to the discussion, so I'm not sure why one would even post it. If you want to compare family sacrifice and who has put their life on the line and so on I'll be glad to play.
Perhaps you could explain what essential liberty is being given up if one logically decides to move for the safety of their family or themselves??
Quote: "That is certainly your choice, and as you said, it doesn't have to be logical. Lots of people have died or been hurt over ego, pride, and other values, and if that is more important than the safety and well-being of your family, then there is nothing wrong with it for you."
" Let's not care what the facts are, let's not engage in a reasoned and reasonable analysis. "
Nothing is more important than my Family, all of us here feel the same way. "Other Values", as you put it, is what keeps us in our community.
Of course, the responsibility that goes along with those
"Other Values", requires a set of BALLS !
" Let's not care what the facts are, let's not engage in a reasoned and reasonable analysis. "
Nothing is more important than my Family, all of us here feel the same way. "Other Values", as you put it, is what keeps us in our community.
Of course, the responsibility that goes along with those
"Other Values", requires a set of BALLS !
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Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
Come one guys.
Let's not get personal.
Let's not get personal.
How 'bout impersonal? Fictional?
Look at Clint Eastwood's characterin Gran Torino. His neighborhood went to heck. He didn't move.
Why should I move because other people can't behave? Maybe they should behave, eh? Call the cops. Form a neighborhood watch. Sponsor a Boy Scout troop.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
Look at Clint Eastwood's characterin Gran Torino. His neighborhood went to heck. He didn't move.
Why should I move because other people can't behave? Maybe they should behave, eh? Call the cops. Form a neighborhood watch. Sponsor a Boy Scout troop.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
My area has been considered very safe, relatively speaking, until the past year or so. Since I'm pretty close to the Mexican border, that's all changed recently. Still, crime on this side of the border tends to be low. But the threat of the drug cartels' violence spilling over into Texas is real and always in the back of one's mind.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
Thinking that you can make real life emulate the movies is a dangerous proposition, to say the least. If I have to live in the movies I'd rather be a Jedi than a neighborhood vigilante.
I'm all for trying to improve the neighborhood. I only have two concerns with that. First, it should be done BEFORE the place goes to hell. Second, how many of us actually do ANYTHING to try and make things better? 20% of the people do 80% of the work, that's true just about everywhere.
Some things to consider.
In today's housing market, moving is not as simple as it sounds unless you can afford to make payments on two houses until the old one sells. There are also other practical reasons why a person might be unable or completely unwilling to move.
Which gets me to my next point. If the people who ARE are mobile simply move when an area begins to go downhill, the ones who are really hurt are the less mobile folks--people who can't afford to buy another house or who don't have the ability or resources to move. That often tends to be the elderly.
We like to focus on guns as a solution since this is a firearms forum, but avoiding the need to use a firearm is better than having to shoot someone. Sometimes you avoid the need by changing your location, but it's even better if you can avoid the need by making your location safer.
In today's housing market, moving is not as simple as it sounds unless you can afford to make payments on two houses until the old one sells. There are also other practical reasons why a person might be unable or completely unwilling to move.
Which gets me to my next point. If the people who ARE are mobile simply move when an area begins to go downhill, the ones who are really hurt are the less mobile folks--people who can't afford to buy another house or who don't have the ability or resources to move. That often tends to be the elderly.
The question shouldn't be "How many of us actually do something?" it should be "Why am I not doing something?" I've seen ONE person turn a neighborhood around. While many people aren't willing to actually make the effort to get things started, most will help out to some extent once someone else has kicked things off.
We like to focus on guns as a solution since this is a firearms forum, but avoiding the need to use a firearm is better than having to shoot someone. Sometimes you avoid the need by changing your location, but it's even better if you can avoid the need by making your location safer.
grymster2007
New member
Happens every time I move!
Best point yet made. Now, there's not a lot to do in my neighborhood, but with that question as kind of a mindset, keeping the place nice would be easier.
Its already well underway in my neighborhood. It all started with simply waving and saying "Hello!" to my neighbors three years ago when we moved in. Now we have a neighborhood watch in effect which has led to the arrest of a bunch of teenagers as they burglarized a neighbor's home.
David Armstrong
Moderator
Sure you are. You can live where it is more dangerous or where it is less dangerous. Nobody is depriving you of any essential liberty.
Given that the U.S. is getting safer rather than more dangerous, I'm not too worried about that.
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