Broadsheet

For residents I think Baltimore is safer. Your Baghdad death total is just US casualties, not the locals.

 

Oh - I agree. But if I were a young black male, who dropped out of highschool, with no good prospects, I think I'd take my chances in Baghdad.

 

“...young black male” in the game or out of the game? If I was an innocent Iraqi citizen in Baghdad, I don’t think that there would be a question. I would be ten times more likely to want to take my chances in Baltimore. If I was an innocent Baltimorean citizen, black/white/young/old/male/female, I would still prefer to take my chances in Baltimore than serving in Iraq. But yes, overall, statistically speaking, it is only slightly more dangerous to serve in Iraq than to live in Baltimore when you take into account length of tours and number of service personnel who have served and compare it to overall Baltimore homicide rates. And 2007, comparatively speaking, has been a notably “safe” year in Iraq for American service personnel. But that’s the problem of using raw stats for this comparison, it misappropriates more than it enlightens.

 

Again - I totally agree when you get down to discrete demographics. And the point was not to enlighten as much to highlight - or perhaps shock - us into doing something about both situations.

 

So, what, I don't even get my own link??? It is somewhat comforting that it's not just me, though. I wish it were no one.

 

Jwer - fixed it! Sorry, sadly, it was very linky.

 

You know, the greater problem is the statistical distribution of crime. It is, unfortunately, grossly exaggerated in some areas and barely visible in others. Additionally, while enjoying my current non-working state--I was informed that a crime barrier is going to be erected in my neighborhood in the coming weeks. That should be interesting.

That said, I still am a bit perplexed on how exactly to combat the crime. I really think a crackdown approach needs to occur, along with the residents getting a bit more involved.

 

A good bit of the crime would at least relocate if more developers would focus on parts of the city that aren't already fine; the police are under tremendous pressure, but they are under particular pressure to ensure safety in areas of relative economic boom. So what do developers do? Build giant condos in places that are already out of reach for most prospective homeowners, and make no effort to build in borderline areas. I was very pleased to learn of the condos going in on Howard and Madison, however.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Broadsheet. And, you're right, it was very chilling.

 

If you look on my blog and see the high ranking blak cities you will see a pattern of crime. What people don't know is these places have been blak cities for the longest. They knew we were going to stay in and around these places and allow the conditions to exist. How do you have a baseball field and football field in a town with so much poverty? They don't build the hood, they need the hood to sell the drugs so they can fill the prisons and feed the c o family. Most prisons are in places where the whites populate. Go to the prisons outside of the city and most are in the mountains. Jessup is blak but look how corrupt they say it is. Now bloods are running the prisons. They need to realize the system is their enemy not crips and vice versa.
You all can find me on myspace. My name is nowtheledge. Look me up under that on myspace.
If anyone in park heights or around know an older guy named Curtis Echols leave his info on myspace or tell him to hit me there. He is a long lost friend. His wife named Crystal.

 

I only really write about the gunshots that happen either directly in front of or behind my house! And where I live is just one small block in one Baltimore City neighborhood.

I think since you've posted this entry there have been four(?) more homicides in Bodymore, Murdaland.