I’m a little shocked to see so many conservatives (on social media, mostly) not exactly defend the killing of Trayvon Marin, but try and turn the tables or say, “what’s the big deal?” I’ve heard or read all of the following: 1) Zimmerman had his nose broken before he shot. 2) Blacks kill whites all the time. 3) Holder is…
Tag: crime
Procedural versus substantive justice
There’s a great review of William Stuntz’s book, The Collapse of American Criminal Justice (which I have but have not read). Stuntz was conservative, just FYI. The review is by Leon Neyfakh in the Boston Globe. Stuntz’s point is that procedural justice is not the same is real justice. And the trend towards the former, encouraged by liberals, has actually…
You Can’t Blame the Police
I wrote in the New York Times: Much — though by no means all — of the disproportionate rate of blacks stopped, frisked, arrested, convicted and imprisoned is a simple reflection of violence in poor African-American communities. Like robbing banks because that’s where the money is, the obvious reason police focus so much of their attention on the young male…
What Kind of Country?
A very good episode of This American Life. Specifically about Trenton, paying too much tax, paying too little tax, budget cuts, and policing. Notice (what is still denied by many academics) the basic link between cutting police, ineffective policing, and rising crime. Or course it could always be just coincidence. Except it isn’t. [thanks to Admiral de Ruiterweg]
“We have to be enraged at this point”
So says, again and again, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. I’m rarely shocked by murders. Nine-month-old shot and killed by a “stray” bullet? 12-year-old girl killed in similar (but separate) circumstances? 6-year-old critically injured after being shot by a 15-year-old with an AK47 in an attempted carjacking? (OK, that last one did make me do a bit of a double take).…
Another Day at the Office (II)
From Sarah Armaghan in the Daily News: Sgt. Craig Bier and Officer Donnell Myers [were] in an unmarked car … when the gunfire started. Myers, who was in the driver’s seat, whipped his head around to see Chinloy squeezing off shots from a .40-caliber Glock handgun at some people in front of a store, police said. “When Officer Myers looks…
What the F*ck?!
I’m just catching up on the news. Those riots at Penn State? Really? There has been lots of intelligent discussion on this matter elsewhere. So I won’t add to that. But I do feel the need to say what’s on my mind: It’s absolutely f*cking amazing what white people can sometimes get away with! Or put it this way: Just…
How many strikes do you need?
You know, I’m against “three strikes and you’re out.” It’s too expensive and doesn’t deter. But the case could be made for “20 strikes and we’ll lock you up till you’re 50” (admittedly, it lacks a certain jingoistic ring). But seriously, at some point you do have to keep “them” (people certain to offend) away from “us” (everybody else). The…
Burglary, Guns, and the UK
One of the thing 2nd-Amendment advocates love pointing out is the England has a much higher burglary rate than the US. Best I can tell this is due the mostly to the publications of one professor. The subtext (or main text) of the more guns equals fewer burglaries argument, of course, is that if the government restricts guns (the U.K.…
Irene Crime
One last bit on crime in New York City during Irene: There were about 30 arrests citywide for crimes committed between midnight and 7:30 a.m. during a police tour of duty that roughly matched the duration of the storm’s approach and arrival. (An earlier estimate of 45 arrests — described by the mayor as proving the inherent goodness of New…