spinning out of control? (crime, buy, school)

[movintochi966]

I read the news daily and over the past few weeks it seems like things in the city are getting a lot worse. Some of the more notable stories are the 3 teens gunned down with an assault rifle and a lot of cps students getting shot (3 out of 100 are also homeless).
Anyone else feel crime is in a definite uptrend? I think this is due to current economic outlook.

[surlycue]

I don't think crime is going up I think it is just being reported on more. The 3 kids killed in South Shore would not have made the news typically if it wasn't for the assault rifle and the fact that one of the kids was 13.

[sittingduck41]

Originally Posted by surlycue

I don't think crime is going up I think it is just being reported on more. The 3 kids killed in South Shore would not have made the news typically if it wasn't for the assault rifle and the fact that one of the kids was 13.

I'm pretty sure a triple homicide, or even a double, and in many cases a single, would make the news.

[Venom]

No, this is normal.

[Lookout Kid]

More of the same. You've had your head in the sand if you didn't notice this before.

[At1WithNature]

I don't buy general numbers given by the media. whether they are reported troop deaths or silly generalizations like 3 out of 100 are homeless. That's absurd and means roughly 90,000 to 300,000 people homeless in the chicago area...LOL. that's absurd. no if's and's or but's about it.


3 black teens getting killed by an assault rifle is nothing new and has been happening all over the country since crack hit the streets in the 80's. In fact, it is predictable. As far as students getting killed, as sad as it is, we have come to expect it. every year at least 25 or so students are murdered. welcome to chicago. this has been going on for years...

[Costa Rica Chica]

^Sad, but true. Even if it seems like violence has escalated, maybe it's a good thing the media is reporting on it more. This a problem that needs some attention.

[jdiddy]

There's a balance between wanting to push back against media sensationalism, which hypes any uptick in violence and can distort the overall perception of crime, and not desensitizing one's self from how terrible it is seeing the number of CPS student murders this school year.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

There's a balance between wanting to push back against media sensationalism, which hypes any uptick in violence and can distort the overall perception of crime, and not desensitizing one's self from how terrible it is seeing the number of CPS student murders this school year.

I'll be honest here--I'm desensitized. And it's a terrible human tradgedy to have school children gunned down. But, with the exception of innocent bystanders, they are usually doing it to themselves, and I blame "them" (gang members, bad parents, broken families, cultural values) as much as any systemic problems. After a while it becomes, "yep, look at those idiots shooting each other again". Sure, there are socio-economic factors at work, but at some point the excuses for terrible human behavior wear thin.

If you claim to NOT be desensitized to this, you are lying. You wouldn't be able to live your daily life if you could allow yourself an emotional response to each and every life lost in urban America.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I'll be honest here--I'm desensitized. And it's a terrible human tradgedy to have school children gunned down. But, with the exception of innocent bystanders, they are usually doing it to themselves, and I blame "them" (gang members, bad parents, broken families, cultural values) as much as any systemic problems. After a while it becomes, "yep, look at those idiots shooting each other again". Sure, there are socio-economic factors at work, but at some point the excuses for terrible human behavior wear thin.

If you claim to NOT be desensitized to this, you are lying. You wouldn't be able to live your daily life if you could allow yourself an emotional response to each and every life lost in urban America.

There's a middle ground there.