Shooting of little Rhys Jones!!

[scott-atkinson]

We do not seem to have any of our American cousins commenting on this thread, perhaps they do not understand the nature of the crime.

I will endeavour to explain.

In certain parts of the UK, we are experiencing gang culture, and in this instance an Eleven year old boy was caught in a crossfire between two rival gang members.

The innocent lad was shot in the neck and died at the scene.


I would be interested to here how the gang culture is handled in the US, and would be particularly interested to here from any New Yorkers to see how their city was cleaned up, and if it really is better as portrayed by the govenrment.

 

[Rich]

Dennis - That includes you and your girlfriend and any subsequent children either of you had?

Surely not if they moved out of the area?

 

[Rich]

I would be interested to here how the gang culture is handled in the US, and would be particularly interested to here from any New Yorkers to see how their city was cleaned up, and if it really is better as portrayed by the govenrment.

They're not interested in tackling gun crime because an old scrap of paper says they can shoot each other, that's why NewYork can't really "clean up".
Money and the NRA rule the US

 

[Brianwarnock]

Croxteth covers a wide area and parts now have smart new private housing, but yes parts are dreadful, this incident seems to have been in the border area.

Brian

 

[qailoh]

We do not seem to have any of our American cousins commenting on this thread, perhaps they do not understand the nature of the crime.

I will endeavour to explain.

In certain parts of the UK, we are experiencing gang culture, and in this instance an Eleven year old boy was caught in a crossfire between two rival gang members.

The innocent lad was shot in the neck and died at the scene.


I would be interested to here how the gang culture is handled in the US, and would be particularly interested to here from any New Yorkers to see how their city was cleaned up, and if it really is better as portrayed by the govenrment.

I've been off the map serving jury duty the last few weeks, and once I got back I observed that Col and Rich were just using this thread to spew their usual drivel so I'd been staying away from it, but you seem genuinely interested in a real US perspective so I'll give it a go. Long story short, I think the only real way to deal with the gang issue is to punish the crime based on its seriousness. Too many juvenile offenders have gotten off with light or suspended sentences due to being underage. I figure if you're old enough to murder someone you're old enough to be executed for it.

From what I can see, the official policy towards gangs in the US is increased police activity to combat them. For a while the Seattle PD Gang Unit had been disbanded, but once the usual offenders had done their time and were back on the streets doing their thing the unit was reinstated.

 

[ColinEssex]

I've been off the map serving jury duty the last few weeks, and once I got back I observed that Col and Rich were just using this thread to spew their usual drivel so I'd been staying away from it,

Truth hurts eh?

I suspected my comments on New Orleans would be ignored by the people who can change things but never bother to do so.

Col

 

[Dennisk]

I didn't live in Croxteth, I lived in Anfield at the time.

 

[Pauldohert]

I didn't live in Croxteth, I lived in Anfield at the time.

And where are you now?

Self evidently with this story - Croxteth and neighbouring areas have serious gang problems, however -

Croxteth is mostly full of decent people - and if the stats are correct - the home ownership rate and employment rate on the big new estate where Rhys was killed is far higher than the national average.

My family and I suppose Rhys Jones family wouldn't be too happy with the statement croxteth is full of scallys and their children are obviously scallys too - especially when you add nothing else to a solution.

The impact of this story - is that Rhys was an 11 yr old - and not a scally nor his parents.

Which makes your statement look ignorant and lack of offering any solution callous.

 

[scott-atkinson]

And where are you now?

Self evidently with this story - Croxteth and neighbouring areas has serious gang problems, however -

Croxteth is mostly full of decent people - and if the stats are correct - the home ownership rate and employment rate on the big new estate where Rhys was killed is far higher than the national average.

My family and I suppose Rhys Jones family wouldn't be too happy with the statement croxteth is full of scallys and their children are obviously scallys too - especially when you add nothing else to a solution.

The impact of this story - is that Rhys was an 11 yr old - and not a scally nor his parents.

Which makes your statement look ignorant and lack of offering any solution callous.

I for one would like to offer my condolences to the Jones family for their loss, I have two young children myself and the thought of losing one of them just reduces me to tears, I can only imagine the anguish that they are going through.
But I hope that they can take some comfort in knowing that people do care and that the majority of people would change things if they could.

 

[qailoh]

Truth hurts eh?

Col

The truth that you'll use any excuse to stroke your own ego and push your own narrow minded and already thoroughly documented views into a discussion about gang violence? Not hurtful, just tiresome. I guess without a relevant comment on the issue one must expect you to fall back on your patented vitriolic rhetoric. I for one thought the issue of youth on youth violence well worth a discussion.

 

[scott-atkinson]

Is New York really as clean as the press would have us believe, my understanding is that certain parts of the big apple were no go areas, but after a rigourous zero tolerance campaign the streets have been reclaimed.

Is this true or is it just looking through rose tinted glasses?

 

[qailoh]

Is New York really as clean as the press would have us believe, my understanding is that certain parts of the big apple were no go areas, but after a rigourous zero tolerance campaign the streets have been reclaimed.

Is this true or is it just looking through rose tinted glasses?

You'll have to wait for a NY resident to answer that one. I could speak to the situation In Seattle, Detroit or Los Angeles, all of those have areas that would require some situational awareness if you insisted on going. Both my current and previous jobs in Seattle are located in high crime areas, I wouldn't say they're no go zones but you'd be a fool not to pay attention to what's going on around you. Detroit's the only place I've been to where I saw someone not in the armed forces carrying a full automatic weapon...

 

[Rich]

For a while the Seattle PD Gang Unit had been disbanded, but once the usual offenders had done their time and were back on the streets doing their thing the unit was reinstated.

And I bet the first thing the gangs do is to envoke their constitutional right to carry a gun

 

[qailoh]

And I bet the first thing the gangs do is to envoke their constitutional right to carry a gun

Anyone convicted of a felony has no constitutional right to carry a firearm.

 

[Rich]

Anyone convicted of a felony has no constitutional right to carry a firearm.

Well that's a start, how about making further headway and bringing a law at first for say under 21s not being allowed guns, I mean you're not allowed to drink over there until that age

 

[qailoh]

Well that's a start, how about making further headway and bringing a law at first for say under 21s not being allowed guns, I mean you're not allowed to drink over there until that age

Well, this is a continuation, hijacking a thread to spew your usual drivel, how about starting a new thread or bumping one of the many that already exist to rant about the gun control issue, and get back to the topic at hand?

 

[Rich]

Well, this is a continuation, hijacking a thread to spew your usual drivel, how about starting a new thread or bumping one of the many that already exist to rant about the gun control issue, and get back to the topic at hand?

The topic is regarding gun crime, can't you read either?

 

[Alc]

Well, this is a continuation, hijacking a thread to spew your usual drivel, how about starting a new thread or bumping one of the many that already exist to rant about the gun control issue, and get back to the topic at hand?

From the post that started this thread.

How can we combat this growing gun and knife culture that is ever growing within our culture?
....
....
Be interesting to understand from our US cousins as to how if any they tackle this problem, as undoubtedly this issue is magnified ten fold in their land.
What do you think?

I think the issue of gun control is pertinent to the discussion.

We have very strict gun laws in the UK and yet firearm-related deaths do still occur. Although, as Scott observed, the problem is far worse in the US.

Since the whole 'right to bear arms' thing can and will be interpreted in a number of different ways - seemingly, depending on whether people want a gun or not - I'd find it interesting to know what other alternatives are being suggested?

 

[Rich]

- seemingly, depending on whether people want a gun or not - I'd find it interesting to know what other alternatives are being suggested?

I'm afraid that "the leaders of the free world" are not interested in anyone elses opinion or suggestions on this topic......

 

[Alc]

I'm afraid that "the leaders of the free world" are not interested in anyone elses opinion or suggestions on this topic......

I was actually curious about their opinion, so it's not like they're being slighted.

If the first post had implied that they were wrong, I could see the potential problem, but it was asking how they plan to deal with a problem which they have far more experience of than the UK does.