chicago murders plummet

[Trent]

Wow, imagine that. After school and summer job programs, anti-gang enforcement is working, where gun control failed.

Shocking, I tell you.. just shocking.


http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...rcent-in-americas-deadliest-city-chicago?lite

...the Police Department has put more officers on the street and City Hall is beefing up after-school and summer job programs to stop youths from falling in with gangs.

 

[kimbershot]

another april fools day joke

 

[BigBore44]

Isn't that amazing. Give kids something to do and they cause less trouble? Now THAT'S a novel idea!

 

[Trent]

Isn't that amazing. Give kids something to do and they cause less trouble? Now THAT'S a novel idea!

Yeah, exactly. When I was young we had boy's club, paper routes, detasseling jobs (in the corn fields, for you urbanites), and a host of other things to keep us busy.

Now paper routes are becoming extinct, machines do the detasseling. Boy's club is still around but their summer program is nothing like the camps we had as a kid.

We need to relax the labor laws a touch and get these kids working. I had to go through miles of red tape to get my 15 year old a part time job. DR. Physical, written permission from the school, etc. And even then he can't work during the school year because there are restrictions on hours (40 hours of combined school AND work, which during the school year means no job at all).

Once he turns 16 those restrictions relax a little, not much, but some.

But face it, by the time a kid is 16, they are already ruined or not. What patterns of discipline and respect they have are already learned and part of them.

 

[BigBore44]

Well Trent,
I didn't have time to get in trouble when I was young. Football/Baseball practice. Then Football/Baseball games and tournaments. Chores. Homework. Then I turned 15 and had a job on top of all the other things. But I lived in a fairly small town. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Everybody's parents knew all the kids. And watched out for them. And we got volunteered to help the parents too. And we dang sure didn't say no. Think they call that a community. Not a city.

 

[Trent]

When we moved out in to the country in 2007, my oldest boy stopped getting in trouble. Small community (not city), graduating high school class between 25-30 students each year.

He's a responsible firearms owner, and went with me to Springfield this year to lobby our representatives. Met with his reps, told his story.

I think the biggest difference is here, parents are expected to raise their children. In cities, parents leave that to the school system and peers, by and large, and the schools and peers don't do a good job most of the time.

Might be a dumb hick town in the eyes of the Chicagoan's but despite it's tiny size my kid's varsity scholastic bowl team won regionals 18-0. He also individually placed in the 99% of the nation on pre-SAT's.

Quality does not equal quantity.

 

[kwguy]

schools and peers don't do a good job most of the time.

Exactly. Schools don't have any REAL interest or stake (individual teachers may care, but the institution does not), and peers are incapable of raising themselves. That's what parents are for.

I only wish that when, after some period of time passes, the writers of the revisionist history of this reduction in crime will put the credit where it's due: The things that are being discussed here. But I fear that what will remain is: 'See, gun control works!"

 

[BigBore44]

Amen Trent. And congrats on a fine young man. It's amazing what REAL PARENTS can do.

 

[Texan Scott]

Three months after Chicago notched the most murders in the nation, officials are touting a dramatic downturn in crime.

From murder capitol of the nation to... NOT murder capitol of the nation, in 90 days? I don't know if I should be skeptical, or underwhelmed.

Seems like a percent change like 42% ought to be drawn off a larger statistical sample to be credible. They're desperate, and definitely reaching a bit on this one.

 

[Robert]

Summer work programs are not on topic for THR.