With increased local armed robberies, I’m no longer wearing Rolexes

watchyouwant

" ...most illegal gun crime " and " legal gun ownership " in one sentence? Oh Dear..... Take Standy's advice. Get out of there.

noelekal

Folks will have as just as much crime as they are willing to tolerate. Our societies will be found to tolerate a lot.

Say what y'all will about Texas, but it's pretty idyllic here in Texas except for certain very large cities which suffer from being run much like most other very large cities in the United States. This clip could just as easily be me ... in our neighborhood ... within our community.

Feel free to post humorous clips poking fun at Texans. I'm willing to laugh at myself too.

janice&fred

Good plan John. I'll strap on our 1803 and 14k Deville and take a stroll down Congress Ave. in the historic downtown section of New Haven this afternoon. I'll wear my usual clothes of choice - Hawaiian shirt and shorts, hold my head up high and stay alert so I can see which of the lowrider Toyotas slams on the brakes first. 😁

gbesq

For a very wealthy state, some of Connecticut’s cities have appallingly poor, and dangerous, neighborhoods. New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford and Norwalk all have areas where it would be unwise to be seen wearing a luxury watch. I worked in New Haven in the early 80s and I remember feeling very uncomfortable walking to my car after dark.

Walrus

I do some work in all of those cities the only one these days that really makes me feel uneasy in certain areas is Hartford but it could be because I don’t know the streets that well, either that or the crossfire.

JwRosenthal

I would think it would be New Haven- we know the types of people that Yale graduates 🙄

Omegafanman

Being serious (for a change) I do think we should all listen to our gut more and react to it. A very famous footballer died in a plane crash off the UK and I was struck by this quote which I read tonight -

The footballer had also expressed his fears about the aircraft in a voice note sent to his closest friends as the plane was taxiing on the runway at Nantes Atlantique Airport. The player told them, "man, I'm scared" and that the plane he was on "looks like it's falling apart". "I don't know if someone will look for me because they won't find me," Mr Sala told his friends about a potential crash.

We are all stuck in a social construct and don’t want to offend - but if you feel something is wrong strongly, it is better to act on your gut feel.

On that social point it also make me think about social and asocial violence. Even a typical watch mugging is to a degree transactional /social violence - give up your watch easily and there will be minimal collateral damage. That might be the best outcome.
Asocial violence is rarer but it is a zero sum game.

Maybe we all need to be alert to the fact that some violence is still just the monkey game which can be predatory and or ego driven, but has rules (social violence). It is possible to negotiate. Rarer but far more dangerous, it can be or become asocial, which has no rules and is a zero sum game for all concerned. Better to talk your way out of the first one but be alert and prepared to go all the way if the second scenario looks to apply.

It can also flip - I read about a sad case in the UK - the guy was mugged / social violence. They regrouped and realised despite having his stuff that he could ID them. They then chased and killed him with no mercy - it flipped into Asocial no rules violence and the poor murdered victim was unprepared for that.

Walrus

I don’t carry a weapon, well at least a lethal one as in the past I had terrible road rage which fortunately I have gotten over and these days I rarely even use my horn.
Regardless I can understand the desperation to steal, or understand the gang mentality of targeting whom you perceive as the wealthy and being in an organized theft ring. I can’t grasp how one could dehumanize their victim where they would be shot and killed when the crime is completed, the victim complied, and the goal has been accomplished. I feel bad for a day or two if I run over an animal in the street.

I have talked to such people who committed such crimes when they were 18 and 20-30 years later they leave jail with deep remorse, most of the time we are different people at 40 than we were at 18 but then you have 40 and 50 year old guys still committing such crimes.

Also in the US just because you have a gun permit it doesn’t naturally grant you the right to shoot someone because your licensed and in danger. My area has no castle or self defense laws to speak off so even if you are “protecting yourself and your belongings ” you will probably go bankrupt with lawyers fees and end up with charges anyway. I’m not interested in taking someone’s life over possessions and I’m pretty sure my risks of dying driving somewhere are much higher than getting robbed.

We make the decisions we feel are the best and carry on, what else can you do. A break in of my home when it’s occupied may turn out differently but we have a pretty good neighborhood crime watch so I’m not living in fear of that.

gbesq

The best home defense is a dog, preferably a sizeable one with a strong growl/bark. On the street, common sense is your best friend. If you know where you shouldn't be, don't go there, especially after dark.

janice&fred

Ok Ok let's call a truce. Us chosen must stick together. Even if you are an annoying verbose anal pain in the butt.

Go Bulldogs!

gbesq

mydeafcat

This is so awesome - I immediately thought the same thing!

Mad Dog

…and more lerts will be manufactured by chugging the almighty Dunkin’…