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Author Topic: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low  (Read 1703 times)

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Offline Chris_

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Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« on: August 12, 2012, 10:55:40 PM »
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Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low

Despite its reputation as a hive of gun-toting murderous maniacs, the United States has enjoyed a tremendous drop in crime over the past twenty years. The murder rate alone is half what it was two decades ago, but all types of crime have plummeted. What could be causing this unexpected long-term trend? Social scientists have proposed some pretty weird theories which could just be right.

The stereotype of Americans is that we are a violent lot, prone to shooting each other at random. And yet if you compare US crime rates to those in European countries, you can see that crime has been rising in Europe as it declines in the US.

io9

Oh, hey Europe.  How you doin'?
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2012, 11:19:01 PM »
I wonder if those trends in the US also follow the trend of more people believing in the Second Amendment.  An armed society is a polite society.
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Offline catsmtrods

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2012, 04:19:41 AM »
Those researchers are smoking something!
Unemployment, legalized abortion and nice windows?
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2012, 10:34:31 AM »
The most rational explanation I've heard is that it's largely an artifact of an aging population.  Strange but true, even most career criminals settle down to more normal and acceptable behaviors during their mid-forties.  Europe has the large slice of Muslim, Indian subcontinent, and African immigrants with a large young families, with the extra 'benefit' of them being even more poorly acculturated to civilized living standards than their home-grown yutes.
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Offline NHSparky

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2012, 11:13:08 AM »
I would disagree, DAT.  While a very small portion MIGHT have something to do with it, I would opine that the two largest factors in it are "3 Strikes" laws and the expansion of shall-issue CCW states.
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2012, 11:46:49 AM »
The national crime rates are dropping, but what about the crime rates in large cities?  Are they dropping at the same rate as the national rate?
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Offline Eupher

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2012, 12:07:26 PM »
Quote from: NHSparky on August 13, 2012, 11:13:08 AM
I would disagree, DAT.  While a very small portion MIGHT have something to do with it, I would opine that the two largest factors in it are "3 Strikes" laws and the expansion of shall-issue CCW states.

I dunno, Sparky. Seems to me that the aging population business strikes at the heart of behavior, which, as we all know, may or may not be affected by the knowledge of a perp that someone may have a CCW or that County X is a shall-issue county.

I've seen the nutcases in Europe. And I can pretty much guarantee that where you see insanity, you'll find yutes.

And they honestly don't give a **** about what and who and why they hurt someone.
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Offline Ptarmigan

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2012, 01:15:34 PM »
Quote from: NHSparky on August 13, 2012, 11:13:08 AM
I would disagree, DAT.  While a very small portion MIGHT have something to do with it, I would opine that the two largest factors in it are "3 Strikes" laws and the expansion of shall-issue CCW states.

Aging plays a role as criminals get older and are willing to settle down or die from it, "3 Strikes" Law, CCW, etc.
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Offline NHSparky

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2012, 01:38:52 PM »
Quote from: Eupher on August 13, 2012, 12:07:26 PM
I dunno, Sparky. Seems to me that the aging population business strikes at the heart of behavior, which, as we all know, may or may not be affected by the knowledge of a perp that someone may have a CCW or that County X is a shall-issue county.

I've seen the nutcases in Europe. And I can pretty much guarantee that where you see insanity, you'll find yutes.

And they honestly don't give a **** about what and who and why they hurt someone.

And while an overall aging population MIGHT have something to do with it, I don't think it's nearly as large a factor as what I mentioned.
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Offline Zathras

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2012, 02:11:50 PM »
I wonder if the influx of immigrants of the Muslim persuasion is part of the continued rise of crime in the Eurozone?
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Offline NHSparky

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #10 on: August 13, 2012, 02:13:53 PM »
Quote from: Zathras on August 13, 2012, 02:11:50 PM
I wonder if the influx of immigrants of the Muslim persuasion is part of the continued rise of crime in the Eurozone?

That's a lot of it.  It's also disarming of the populations in Britain and elsewhere.
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Offline WinOne4TheGipper

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #11 on: August 13, 2012, 02:41:10 PM »
Quote from: catsmtrods on August 13, 2012, 04:19:41 AM
Those researchers are smoking something!
Unemployment, legalized abortion and nice windows?

Yeah, the death penalty doesn't affect the crime rate, but if we kill 50 million people before they're born, that'll help. :whatever:
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #12 on: August 13, 2012, 03:59:31 PM »
Quote from: NHSparky on August 13, 2012, 11:13:08 AM
I would disagree, DAT.  While a very small portion MIGHT have something to do with it, I would opine that the two largest factors in it are "3 Strikes" laws and the expansion of shall-issue CCW states.

I strongly support CCW, but the same trend exists nationwide...the slope may be better in CCW states, but nearly if not ALL of them have falling rates over the period, CCW or not.  If you correct for the states with a well-above-normal portion of young illegals in their populations (Like CA and AZ), I believe the age demographic still dominates, IIRC.
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Offline Kyle Ricky

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Re: Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low
« Reply #13 on: August 13, 2012, 04:23:13 PM »
Crime rate low? Apparently that OP has never been to Chicago.
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