More gang activity

[Jonnin]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/sep/25/chattanooga-3-days-5-shot-2-dead/

Hopefully this is not the start of a turf war or some other stupidity.

time to put the PLR back in the CAR?

[Chucktshoes]

Why did it ever leave the car?

[Spots]

Thats a lil to close to home. I'm glad I live in the country away from this stuff. Anyone who is in a city had better be vigliant at all times.

[Jonnin]

Why did it ever leave the car?

I do not leave a weapon like that where it can be stolen, so it becomes a hassle to take it to and from all the time. I only carry that kind of firepower when necessary, but since I work on one of the roads involved, I think it will be going back in until the dust settles. Normally I would hope a regular firearm is sufficent; if I feel I need something like that all the time, I need to move!

[TMF]

Sounds like it's just criminals shooting each other. Five people shot; not a victim amongst them.

[RobertNashville]

Perhaps is some of those who are so sad that their friends died were, insted, angry that there are gangs operating in their neighborhoods there woudl be less "gang related violence".

[RichardR]

I am seeing an increase in local activity, seems to be a lot of restlessness lately, lots of small fights erupting, groups of kids & young adults roaming around at night being loud and obnoxious.

Not sure what is going on yet, could just be that they are taking advantage of the cooler weather.

[Dennis1209]

As long as it is contained to gang-bangers, I've no problem with rodent / animal control but, you and I know it doesn't end there.

Moving from a gang infested area, it doesn't matter how well you're armed because YOU have to follow the law, they do not (Illinois). I found it best to maintain a low profile, save funds and move to the country. It's impossible to protect your family, yourself and your property 100% of the time.

All the best efforts of the police, alphabet soup agencies and citizens will only put a dent in gang related activities at best, then they come back even smarter. Civilized society and laws need to be changed if citizens are to have a chance of taking their "hood" back from the thugs.

To date, I can't think of even one gang in any city that has been eradicated or one neighborhood taken back due to police / government intervention. In fact, the government is directly responsible for the mess we're in today with gang activity. Need I expound on that fact?

The way I see it, there's only three possible solutions to the escalating problem of gang activity. The easiest of which is obvious, move if you can afford it, if not you're screwed.

The second in my view is change the laws to support residents in high crime / gang infested areas, to allow them to legally fight to take back their hoods. And we all know that ain't going to happen!

The third and most probable solution (drum roll please)... Is take away the money. That's what it's all about; money, turf, drugs and not having to morally work for a living, the easy life of Riley. Well how's that you maybe asking Doctor Dennis1209?

The direction we're heading now young Grasshoppers, a cashless society, where Big Brother tracks and controls all financial transactions! Problem solved.

Any other complex societal problems I can solve for you guys

[Jonnin]

Agreed with all that stuff.

Mostly a little concerned as that is the other end of the street I work on (maybe 5 miles?) and all around me though my house proper is in a good area. Historically these folks just shoot every which way and several innocents have been hit at some distance from the action, including one little kid that, while alive, is in bad shape.

Honestly that is my biggest fear, not being targeted or even attacked, but just stray rounds.

[TMF]

We are starting to see it rise sharply in Clarksville as well. There have been three major shootings in a week in Clarksville, two resulting in death. It seems it stays in certain neighborhoods and only targets folks of a certain lifestyle. That's fine. There hasn't been much spill over in the human communities, with the exception of one individual that was far too trusting and found himself dead for giving a ride to a couple of punks. I would like to feel bad for the folks that live in these communities that are honest, and do not engage in criminal enterprise. I would like to. But I can't because it is partly their fault that such activities thrive. A general distrust/dislike of the police amongst the community is what allows these gangs to thrive. You'd figure they'd be more distrustful of hoodlums shooting up the neighborhood, but they aren't. I can't imagine putting up with that kind of nonsense, but people do.

[Links2k]

We are starting to see it rise sharply in Clarksville as well. There have been three major shootings in a week in Clarksville, two resulting in death. It seems it stays in certain neighborhoods and only targets folks of a certain lifestyle. That's fine. There hasn't been much spill over in the human communities, with the exception of one individual that was far too trusting and found himself dead for giving a ride to a couple of punks. I would like to feel bad for the folks that live in these communities that are honest, and do not engage in criminal enterprise. I would like to. But I can't because it is partly their fault that such activities thrive. A general distrust/dislike of the police amongst the community is what allows these gangs to thrive. You'd figure they'd be more distrustful of hoodlums shooting up the neighborhood, but they aren't. I can't imagine putting up with that kind of nonsense, but people do.

What you just described is Memphis crime in a nutshell. I only disagree with the part about the people being distrustful of the police. I think that it is more a fear of the retaliation that is certain to come after the police leave. Think about it, the reason that most of us carry is to defend ourselves and our loved ones. In a bad community if you talk to the police the next time that they return will be to put up crime scene tape around your home.

If you are poor, can't afford to move or can't purchase a weapon to defend yourself the best way to have any semblance of safety is to see nothing, hear nothing...say nothing. The police are not personal security.

Edited September 25, 2012 by LINKS2K

[JayC]

It's all a government created mess to begin with... The fact is you can't stop capitalism... There is a product and a high demand market.. By driving that market underground you end up with street gangs who can't work within the system and therefore blood spills out into the streets.

We've seen this movie before and the *only* way to get rid of the gang problem is to get rid of prohibition because the high demand for their product is impossible to get rid of.

Make the product they're selling legal and the gang problem would be gone in 12-18 months.

We are starting to see it rise sharply in Clarksville as well. There have been three major shootings in a week in Clarksville, two resulting in death. It seems it stays in certain neighborhoods and only targets folks of a certain lifestyle. That's fine. There hasn't been much spill over in the human communities, with the exception of one individual that was far too trusting and found himself dead for giving a ride to a couple of punks. I would like to feel bad for the folks that live in these communities that are honest, and do not engage in criminal enterprise. I would like to. But I can't because it is partly their fault that such activities thrive. A general distrust/dislike of the police amongst the community is what allows these gangs to thrive. You'd figure they'd be more distrustful of hoodlums shooting up the neighborhood, but they aren't. I can't imagine putting up with that kind of nonsense, but people do.

[Dennis1209]

We are starting to see it rise sharply in Clarksville as well. There have been three major shootings in a week in Clarksville, two resulting in death. It seems it stays in certain neighborhoods and only targets folks of a certain lifestyle. That's fine. There hasn't been much spill over in the human communities, with the exception of one individual that was far too trusting and found himself dead for giving a ride to a couple of punks. I would like to feel bad for the folks that live in these communities that are honest, and do not engage in criminal enterprise. I would like to. But I can't because it is partly their fault that such activities thrive. A general distrust/dislike of the police amongst the community is what allows these gangs to thrive. You'd figure they'd be more distrustful of hoodlums shooting up the neighborhood, but they aren't. I can't imagine putting up with that kind of nonsense, but people do.

I agree with that but would like to expand on my experience.

They're coming to an urban area near you. One of the main principals of gangs is they want / need to expand and start new chapters with money producing street corners and drug houses. Mixed income housing and Section 8 housing is helping them do just that.

As far as the gang infested neighborhoods not trusting the cops, that's a cultural and survival instinct. Trust me when I tell you the neighbors will "talk the talk" in the beginning of an infestation and do absolutely nothing, not even call the cops when they witness something for fear of retaliation. In the established "hoods", there's only Mamma's that are head of households so parental control is extinct. The "hood" is not going to report on their own neighbors, friends and family because it's income generation and personal survival.

[Links2k]

It's all a government created mess to begin with... The fact is you can't stop capitalism... There is a product and a high demand market.. By driving that market underground you end up with street gangs who can't work within the system and therefore blood spills out into the streets.

We've seen this movie before and the *only* way to get rid of the gang problem is to get rid of prohibition because the high demand for their product is impossible to get rid of.

Make the product they're selling legal and the gang problem would be gone in 12-18 months.

Legalize weed and tax it like cigarettes you will cut down on crime and generate revenue. Enforce the law just like you would a DUI.

Edited September 25, 2012 by LINKS2K

[RichardR]

*shrug* I believe that even if you legalized narcotics there would still be plenty of gangs, violence and crime.

It really just boils down to the fact that bad people just do bad things, extortion, kidnapping, rapes, robberies, all of that will still go on, maybe the lower cost of legalized narcotics will help reduce it some because "junkies" will have an easier time aquiring their fixes, but I just don't think that bad people will suddenly stop doing bad things as a result.

[RobertNashville]

Leagalizing drugs is a mantra of many but as to evidence that it would actually reduce crime or have any positive results at all is dubious to non-existant.

Crime and gangs existed before we had any drug laws in this country and crime and gangs would exist if all drug laws were suddenly eliminated...it might reduce crime or some types of crime some but most crime really flows out of a person's general depravity, lack of compassion and lack of moral fiber - those shortcomings don't get fixed just because somehing that was illegal is made legal.

[zgunbear]

Leagalizing drugs is a mantra of many but as to evidence that it would actually reduce crime or have any positive results at all is dubious to non-existant.

Crime and gangs existed before we had any drug laws in this country and crime and gangs would exist if all drug laws were suddenly eliminated...it might reduce crime or some types of crime some but most crime really flows out of a person's general depravity, lack of compassion and lack of moral fiber - those shortcomings don't get fixed just because somehing that was illegal is made legal.

Amen to that.

[Jesse]

not to change the topic direction but I notice when things like this happen a lot of the time it happens in the am hours. I tell my friends all the time to watch youself if you are out after 12pm. Bad things happen. Athletes who get arrested etc.. its almost always in the am hours. The freaks come out at night.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Leagalizing drugs is a mantra of many but as to evidence that it would actually reduce crime or have any positive results at all is dubious to non-existant.

Crime and gangs existed before we had any drug laws in this country and crime and gangs would exist if all drug laws were suddenly eliminated...it might reduce crime or some types of crime some but most crime really flows out of a person's general depravity, lack of compassion and lack of moral fiber - those shortcomings don't get fixed just because somehing that was illegal is made legal.

Dunno if the repealing of alcohol prohibition reduced robbery or "crimes of passion", but it certainly reduced alcohol gang wars down to near-unmeasurable levels. Quickly. Repealing of prohibition also paradoxically reduced the average citizen's alcohol intake, People drank more when it was illegal than when it was legal again. Repealing of prohibition also "virtually eliminated" cases of poisoning due to bad booze.

[Chucktshoes]

Dunno if the repealing of alcohol prohibition reduced robbery or "crimes of passion", but it certainly reduced alcohol gang wars down to near-unmeasurable levels. Quickly. Repealing of prohibition also paradoxically reduced the average citizen's alcohol intake, People drank more when it was illegal than when it was legal again. Repealing of prohibition also "virtually eliminated" cases of poisoning due to bad booze.

It is a harm reduction model. Impurities and the absence of QC in the narcotics industry leads to more overdoses and negative effects than if people were able to reliably purchase a stable, pure product.

[QuietDan]

Some South American countries solve the drug trade problem and others like it with "right wing death squads." Of course, that won't work here.

[RobertNashville]

It is a harm reduction model. Impurities and the absence of QC in the narcotics industry leads to more overdoses and negative effects than if people were able to reliably purchase a stable, pure product.

I'm not sure I care about the mfg quality of the addict's drug of choice. I do care a if he becomes a burden on society.

I don't think the quality of the drug will make addiction any less likely.

Edited September 25, 2012 by RobertNashville

[leroy]

Im concerned about this. Its close to some kinfolks who live in the Brainerd area. Chattanooga (....and lots of other locations like Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis....) desparately need a good cleaning up.

leroy

[DaveTN]

*shrug* I believe that even if you legalized narcotics there would still be plenty of gangs, violence and crime.

It really just boils down to the fact that bad people just do bad things, extortion, kidnapping, rapes, robberies, all of that will still go on, maybe the lower cost of legalized narcotics will help reduce it some because "junkies" will have an easier time aquiring their fixes, but I just don't think that bad people will suddenly stop doing bad things as a result.

Of course there would still be plenty of crime. Unless they plan on making the dope free; the dopers will still need money. A pack of cigarettes is $5 and going up, all tax. Pot would cost more than it does now.

And it still won’t be “legal†for those that have to work for a living. Companies aren’t going to change their drugs policies; test positive and you are out. Just another nail in the U.S. manufacturing coffin.

Drugs are the reason people will break into your homes, and the reason you need to carry a gun.

[daddyo]

So, we're winning the "war on drugs" then?

Edited September 26, 2012 by DaddyO