Jeffrey Carter puts his finger on a universal truth – one that the current administration and its hangers-on don’t seem to recognize.
No one is truly safe anywhere in the urban jungle these days given the way violence against people has been randomized. A lot of wealthy people I know in NYC, Chicago, and LA are traveling a lot right now. They aren’t at home. They stop in for a few days, regroup, and go to the airport again.
If you look at Minneapolis, Chicago, and San Francisco, it is a race to see who can be Detroit first. NYC is terrible right now when it comes to crime and daily living. So is Los Angeles. New Orleans is the murder capital of the country. Memphis, St. Louis, Louisville? Please spare me the Chamber of Commerce pitch. No doubt, tourists are balking at going to those places due to fear of crime.
Name an urban area that is a delightful place to live, has great public schools, doesn’t have rising crime, and you can build wealth right now. The only ones I can think of are in the Old Confederacy.
John Galt is shrugging. He is moving places. It’s not the weather.
There’s more at the link.
We’re finding that personal safety and security are big factors in people moving to Texas from California and other progressive-infested hellholes. A friend moved here from Eugene, Oregon last year, and has had to make a couple of trips back there to finalize her affairs. Her commentary on that city is incendiary, to say the least!
Big-city Texas does have its crime problems, although they’re often localized to certain neighborhoods. In the small town where my wife and I live, it’s not unusual to find that people don’t even bother to lock their doors, even when sleeping at night. For a start, the great majority of residents here are honest; secondly, one knows one’s neighbors by sight, and often speaks with them; and lastly, if anyone saw a stranger going in and out of another home, particularly if he’s carrying something, they’d challenge him – and, being good Texans, they’re well-equipped to do something about it if he shouldn’t be there.
As a result, this is a very peaceful town. The most serious police involvement we’ve had in our street was when a neighboring farmer’s cows got out, and were grazing on our grass (and our neighbor’s rose bushes) while leaving hoof-shaped divots in our lawn! It was fun seeing our cops, with their high-tech SUV’s and tactical flashlights, trying to persuade a cow to stop eating the tasty flowers and go back to her field. Talk about failure to comply!
Right now, I wouldn’t move back to a big city – particularly anywhere near an inner-city urban ghetto environment – if you paid me . . . or unless you paid me enough to build a secure residence, with systems in place to make sure I’ll live undisturbed. Even then, I’d hesitate.
Peter
Just curious if the owner of the cows helped with fixing up the damage to your lawn and to the rose bushes? I'm sure they did as it's the expected thing to do.
Here in Sin City, we just had an officer shot and killed by a thug (they did catch the guy, thank God). This makes third officer-involved shooting this week here.
If it wasn't for job and family I'd be headed to a more rural part of Nevada, but needs must as they say.
You may be surprised at the pay and perks of rural Nevada – higher average pay and lower average housing costs to start with.
I moved out here last year and the only drawback is the lack of rain.
I'm telling you, it's pretty bad when people are leaving Eugene.
@Phil:
Eugene was no great shakes and sliding rapidly downhill 30 years ago when my kids were at U of O.
A big part of why we left California. Our old city was pretty safe but surrounded by less-safe areas, and the political climate against self-defense only makes matters worse. We didn't have a Soros (let them walk, no charges so no bail) DA yet but that could change with next month's election.
When things go spicey there is no guarantee that this will stay in the cities. Everyone needs to be ready to defend their hearth.
The distance from my front door to the end of my driveway is 117 yards. Don't ask me why I know that.
I would disagree on Houston though. When I grew up there 60's – 70's crime was mostly localized to "bad" areas. Returned after 32 years and the assholes pull their stupid shit across the city and most of the metro area. We changed retirement plans and moved out to a rural county. As a good Texan I can deal with the bullshit and have the means. After a navy career and a subsequent corrections career I have had enough of dealing with impulse control challenged retards. Just leave me , the wife and my dogs alone is all I ask. Otherwise it will go badly for anyone that bothers us out here. Lots of forests with feral hogs to clean up afterwards
Even away from the big cities, you have to pay close attention to land use rules at all levels, and to how they're being interpreted at any given time.
You'd be surprised where new slums are being built, just because a patch of land can be bought on the cheap, the zoning (as enforced) doesn't quite prohibit high-density housing, and the building inspectors aren't too worried about construction quality.
Remember, the Obama Administration pushed to eliminate single-family residential zoning and force all middle-class neighborhoods (not, of course, the areas where the big donors live) to accept Their Fair Share of Affordable Housing, regardless of whether the infrastructure could support additional density – and of course with negative regard to quality of life.
It's been said many times and even here in Wyoming I'm starting to see it in areas outside Jackson Hole but 90% of these twits that are zomg I gotta get outta here to be safe.. will bring the idea that those policies they voted for that made things with them right along with them. They will vote for those same type of politician and want the locals in the area they move to, to conform to their views that created the hellholes in the first place
Comparisons of crime rates at an international level, often try to claim that the US should not be compared to Third World nations, (because the comparison almost always makes the US look good, and that doesn’t suit the gun-grabberd.
The question is, what makes Third World nation, Third World?
I’d suggest that it’s a matter of culture and attitude. There are plenty of such countries with rich natural resources, but a combination of corruption, tribalism, disrespect for the law and lack of work ethic, keeps them poor.
Am I wrong in thinking that the same attributes that make so much of the Third World unpleasant places to live, also apply to the high-crime areas in the US.?
"Am I wrong in thinking that the same attributes that make so much of the Third World unpleasant places to live, also apply to the high-crime areas in the US.?"
No you're not. Low IQ denizens who think from the waist down tend to bring about misery regardless of where they live.
I was in downtown Eugene last night for some music. One street kid I saw was wearing body armor. Security at venue all in armor. Police presence. 7-11 clerk said its been "real interesting". She feels safe. Indicated some homeless outside "they actually look out for me". Okay then.
Worst one, also saw the most obese canine I've ever seen. Poor doggo. </3
Rest of my clan have departed the Willamette.
>or unless you paid me enough to build a secure residence, with systems in place to make sure I'll live undisturbed.
I've been in 'compounds' like that and probably only saw 10% of those systems, those being the ones I'm supposed to see. Considering Peter is from South Africa, I'm sure he knows very well what the other 90% entails…
I live in TN. East to West it gets worse. Memphis is not safe, Jackson is not safe in some areas. Nashville is mostly safe, as are Knoxville and Chattanooga. Tri cities is pretty safe as are most smaller towns. But I generally go armed if I leave my local community.