RoR: Forum

Steve I certainly appreciate what you have experienced and I don't doubt your sincerity. For most of my life I have not lived in an urban setting (except Las Vegas and Boston) so I just never experienced any violent crimes or anyone close to me that I know has. That's not to say I am naive to think the possibility doesn't exist I could become a victim or someone I know close to me could become one. But once we start looking at how many people we've come across in our lives, the chances are good we will know someone that has had just about anything we pick has happened to them or they have done. How many people do we know that had cancer? AIDS? Believes in UFOs? Has gone skydiving? Statistics can be a funny thing and it's important not to delude ourselves into confusing how likely something is to happen based on anecdotal evidence.

But I'm still aware there is a risk and as a rational being who values his life, I take precautions to protect myself. Which is why I will be purchasing a gun for self-defense should I need it as well as my wife will be purchasing one for our new house. That's not to say I am a paranoid survivalist but only using some risk management that we all do for a variety of everyday activities.

I also believe the clear answer is longer, and tougher prison sentences for violent crime and decriminalizing drugs, and relaxing our currently over-restrictive gun laws to help law abiding citizens defend themselves, which I think would go a long way.

I don't mean to make light of the crime that occurs in this country and I hope no one construes that I am. No one deserves to be a victim of violent crime but considering the statistics I posted above of homicide rates, the likelyhood of being a homicide victim during the year 2000 was 9 out of 100,000 or 0.009%. But your chances for example of dying in an automobile accident is 0.02%. Twice as likely.

I'm just concerned people will be scared and put off to come to America based on a fear of crime. Some of my extended family members in Greece have expressed concern over visiting me in America (they have no problem me going there!) because of crime issues. I think that's sad we have an image that is just not a fair representation of what American life is like.

Post 21

Sunday, April 22, 2007 - 9:38pm

John,

You said,

I also believe the clear answer is longer, and tougher prison sentences for violent crime and decriminalizing drugs, and relaxing our currently over-restrictive gun laws to help law abiding citizens defend themselves, which I think would go a long way.

I agree. I would add eliminating welfare, fixing the foster kid and juvie systems, and legalize all the other victimless crimes.

You mentioned the deaths from car accidents - too true. I'd change the way traffic laws are enforced - targeting high risk drivers with harsh punishments: reckless driving, road racing, careless lane changing, tailgating, and people driving under the influence.

I agree that there is a lot of scary news that is just to sell air time - but the truth is that most of Europe is safer than here - we do deserve a lot of that bad image. And, I would warn anyone that wanted to listen, to not go to Mexico unless the had to - its much worse.

Post 22

Sunday, April 22, 2007 - 9:50pm

Thursday evening, I got a call from my parents and learned that my second cousin once removed was one of Cho's targets. She apparently got out of the hospital Saturday, having taken two bullets. One of her aunts happens to be a doctor, so I am confident that she will get good care.

As I ponder this case more, I consider the events of the day. He shot two people, went to his dorm to make a video, went to the post office to mail it, and then went back and shot more people. Considering how long I often wait at the post office, I figure he would have been caught there. How did he get away with this? Can someone tell me how this guy managed to do all this without getting caught? It is almost as if he knew that nobody was going to come after him after the first two murders.

As people in New Orleans also learned, if you depend on the "authorities" to protect you, prepare to die. Were all the pigs eating doughnuts somewhere? Were they arresting non-violent marijuana users? Were they handing out speeding tickets on Route 460? Just what were those stupid, incompetent, worthless morons with badges doing? If these idiots can't stop someone like this, what good are they? I've long believed that only people at the bottom of the barrel go into police work and believe it even more now.

Post 23

Monday, April 23, 2007 - 8:55am

You mentioned the deaths from car accidents - too true. I'd change the way traffic laws are enforced - targeting high risk drivers with harsh punishments: reckless driving, road racing, careless lane changing, tailgating, and people driving under the influence.

Steve if you want something that will blow your mind, one day science and engineering will solve this problem. In the near future I would say we will be driving automated robot cars which would severely cut down on motor vehicle accidents. Not only will the elderly not worry about driving a car safely to visit their grandkids, but also people can go and drink all they want at a bar and just have their robot car drive them home. Check out this link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/darpa/

Post 24

Monday, April 23, 2007 - 10:00am

Chris it has been a while since I heard such an asinine comment. Pigs? Incompetent? Worthless morons? Let me ask you this: what would you have done to stop the further violence at Virginia Tech?

In hindsight I am sure there are many �armchair� policemen who would have done things differently, however I am certain this group of actual policemen did what they figured was appropriate.

Post 25

Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 10:41am

It was probably more emotional than rational, Steve. Having experience all the police harassment that comes from driving a red car for ten years, my feelings for them are generally not positive.

Right now, I have very little anger about this. I feel a lot of sympathy for everyone involved, including Cho himself.

Allison (my distant cousin) is out of the hospital and is at home with her parents. Her aunt is a doctor and decided that it was best to leave the bullets in her. The most important thing is that she has great people in her life.

(Edited by Chris Baker on 4/26, 10:43am)

Post 26

Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 9:11pm

The problem of so fast a way of communicating. The internet has given us all the chance to say things that we don�t intend to say and very quickly place here forever.

I can fully understand your anger, though I think you misplaced it slightly. I�m not sure why Mr. Cho chose to act in this way, but I am sure that it was irrational. It is tragic that so many people will hold these scars, physically and figuratively, for the rest of their lives. And all because of the belief that one man must have control over another.

Post 27

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - 6:09pm