America's Most and Least Peaceful States

[Catfan63]

Interesting read...

America’s Most (and Least) Peaceful States - 24/7 Wall St.

 

[eagleeyes]

peace begins withinLink Removed

 

[wmodavis]

I'm sure the gun controllers will jump on this as Arizona and Florida fell into the 'Worst States' category. Would be nice to see some credible analysis of the whys of this outcome. Likely the control freaks will say 'The Guns Did It'.

 

[Bill Cavalieri]

Louisiana has the highest number of police per capita and the highest number incarcerated per capita yet it also has the highest murders per capita. Runs contrary to the "wisdom" that hiring more cops is the answer to all ills.

 

[doublebarr]

This is a completely biased study directly against gun ownership as shown by the parameters used in making their classifications:

The report considers five categories — separated into three groups — to calculate the United States Peace Index for 2011. The first group includes rates of violent crimes such as robbery and aggravated assault, as well as the rates of homicide in each state. The second group relates to the institutions used to prevent violence and is measured by the number of police per capita and the number of incarcerated residents per capita. The third includes the availability of small arms.

They are basing their decision on a formula that used availability of small arms. Once again, the gun control advocates are showing that they believe the simple availability of guns is a direct indicator of potential crime. Flawed theory. Remember this quote when you read studies: "Paper holds still"

 

[B2Tall]

Take away the crimes committed in the inner cities/dense urban areas and each state's crime stats would plummet. Ahhhhh the wonders of demographics.....

Read the last line in my signature.

 

[BC1]

I'm not so sure. What about Il, NJ and NY? More monthly murders in Chicago than Afgan. There are areas of NYC where the police are afraid to stop at a red light (75th precinct). In Newburgh, NY, the murder capital of the state, police arrive at a call only to be met by rocks, bottles and gunfire. They routinely pull-out and ask for help from the state and neighboring towns. What about places like Compton (LA), Newark (NJ), Philly (PA)?

 

[Rhino]

This is a completely biased study directly against gun ownership as shown by the parameters used in making their classifications:



They are basing their decision on a formula that used availability of small arms. Once again, the gun control advocates are showing that they believe the simple availability of guns is a direct indicator of potential crime. Flawed theory. Remember this quote when you read studies: "Paper holds still"

I never even got that far. I got to "a new report published by the Institute for Economics and Peace" and started laughing. There was no point in reading any further.

 

[fstroupe]

MS, SC, TN, LA, AR. These states are still, 135 years later, feeling the devastation of reconstruction, and nearly 100 years of complete refusal of Northern investors creating industry here, which ended in the 1960s. Each state has a huge black population that has been impoverished for generations. Many have never known anything else, living in some state of poverty since their ancestors were freed from bondage during the Civil War. Though each state has a significant black middle class who is as successful as their white counterparts. Though most of them remember from where they came, they have no plans of returning.

Mississippi is kind of unique in that there are no real urban areas. Arkansas is similar, I suppose. One city over 100K, (173,5xx) one over 50K (67,79x), and the rest are under 50K. Crime is really no worse than many places, better than many, the numbers are skewed mainly due to the low population. But, nearly all of the crime is in those cities, and the huge percent is black on black crime, usually drug related.

Yes, the prisons are full, because the judges don't play around. Even if you plea out, you are going to prison. LA is the same way.

The other thing somewhat unique about MS is the Delta. (the alluvial plain of the Mississippi River) Farming has always been nearly the only industry in the Delta. And farming, like every other industry, has become very automated. So there is no work in the Delta to speak of, and the 90% black population lives in poverty. Really, much of the Delta looks like a third world country, like Haiti or Jamaica. Though, it of course is "American poverty", a DirecTV dish on the side of a shack that you could throw a cat through any wall.

SC is similar to MS but much more urban area. The "coastal plain" has a lot of poverty, as do the barrier islands.

AR is also similar to MS, they also have a delta region but not as large or as populated.

TN, most of the crime is in Memphis and Nashville. I live 75 miles from Memphis and can count the times I've been there in 10 years on one hand. 30 years ago I went there more than once a week.

I'm not so sure. What about Il, NJ and NY? More monthly murders in Chicago than Afgan. There are areas of NYC where the police are afraid to stop at a red light (75th precinct). In Newburgh, NY, the murder capital of the state, police arrive at a call only to be met by rocks, bottles and gunfire. They routinely pull-out and ask for help from the state and neighboring towns. What about places like Compton (LA), Newark (NJ), Philly (PA)?

It's all in the population. Mississippi's population is 2.9 million. Chicago's population is 2.6 million, with an additional 10.2 million in the rest of the state. All of these states with the exception of Texas have fairly small populations. Tennessee isn't so small, but Memphis and Nashville are horribly crime-ridden.