Is it because of the "economy" or are things really getting worse?

[xblack_x_rosesx]

So, the fam and I went camping for a week, and when we came back, we all sat down and read the pile of newspapers on our doorstep to see what we'd missed. It wasn't more then five minutes of reading before we'd all put down our papers and couldn't read any more.

For instance. I live in a small town, about 5000 or so people.

Two days ago, a man in our community killed his wife, daughter and granddaughter, and then himself. In the surrounding communities, there have been TWO other murder-suicides in the past week.
That and two teens were murdered yesterday in the city just outside of my community, and another man was murdered today.

My parents are saying that it's because of the recession that so many people are dying, and that it happened in the 80's and blah blah, but I'm just wondering if it IS that, or are things actually getting worse?

Regardless, this is all very sad... I'm just a little young to know if all this... violence has always been the norm, or if things are really just... escalating and escalating?

[Technomancer]

Without knowing the specifics of those particular incidents, one can only guess at the particular motivations. That said, however, given the increase in stress, anger, despair, etc that many people are undoubtly going through, it would not be surprising if there was an increase in rates of violence (especially domesitc), etc.

[Tsukuyomi]

That's horrible, but like what was said above.. Lots of families are suffering due to recession. Some really do get so depressed that they rather.. yeah.. they pretty much lose hope >_>

I thought things were getting a bit better around here (my sister's boyfriend got called back to work), but it's kinda on and off. Right now, we're waiting to see if my dad will be laid off as well >_> I forgot how many people my dad said his work place was laying off, but the number was pretty high <__>

We're housing three more people then the original number that was living here, and two that mind as well live here, and one who mind as well live here, but he may be staying with his dad's @__@ Soooo, we hae a very full house atm >_> We just filed bankruptcy too. So if we miss one car payment and/or house payment, we're afraid the bank might step in a take those things away. Then, where will we go o_o?

Ok, I got off topic, but that's how bad things are getting over here. o___o;

[Cognitive Gear]

Yes, things are going to be getting a "little worse" due to the economy.

However, crime has notably decreased in the last 15 years or so. For more information, you can read the quite extensive wikipedia article on crime in the US.

[EricTheFred]

I often see quotes in news stories of law enforcement officers linking rises in violent crime rates to declining economic conditions. I don't know if this is conventional wisdom among police officers or statistically proven fact though. It does make sense, since violent crime rates are proven to rise geographically with falling economic conditions. In other words, the highest rates of violence tend to be in the poorest neighborhoods. I imagine many factors contribute to this, including anger, frustration, depression, stress. Everyone has these emotions, but they don't come quite as quickly on a full belly.

[Roy Mustang]

Yes, things are going to be getting a "little worse" due to the economy.

However, crime has notably decreased in the last 15 years or so. For more information, you can read the quite extensive wikipedia article on crime in the US.

Yep, its getting a little worse in suicides due to the economy. But outside of that it has been a decrease in crime in the US.


It just makes me wonder if people now a days give up more easy, when things get a little bad for them due to the economy. I feel that most of people in the US today, couldn't have handle the economy down turn of the 30's.

You have to give it to people in that era, they stuck it out.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Etoh*the*Greato]

That followed immediately by one of the largest wars in the history of man. There's a reason why the kids raised in the depression were later called the "greatest generation."

[Mr. SmartyPants]

You have to give it to people in that era, they stuck it out.

Well I'm sure they had their big share of craziness back in the time too, including suicides...

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Man against woman! Brother fighting brother! Babies havin' babies!

[xblack_x_rosesx]

Ya, I remember my social teacher was telling us that when the stock market crashed in 1929 that there were literally handfuls of stock brokers jumping out of their office windows on Wall Street, because they were responsible for SO many peoples poor investments that they didn't want to deal with the obvious stress about to come... or something along those lines.

Ya, I never thought about suicide rates too... I know we've had a couple suicides in town lately, but I don't think any were related to moneysss.

[Roy Mustang]

Well I'm sure they had their big share of craziness back in the time too, including suicides...

There is no lie they didn't. People did do some crazy stuff in that time to make it. My grandmother live in that era and she tells me how it was.

But the way life is now, its all about who has the biggest house or best car or the newest electronics that a man or women is what they are worth these days.


Sure, back then, you didn't have that kind of stuff to deal with. But most did try to make it and not just give up easy.



[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Tsukuyomi]

I often see quotes in news stories of law enforcement officers linking rises in violent crime rates to declining economic conditions. I don't know if this is conventional wisdom among police officers or statistically proven fact though. It does make sense, since violent crime rates are proven to rise geographically with falling economic conditions. In other words, the highest rates of violence tend to be in the poorest neighborhoods. I imagine many factors contribute to this, including anger, frustration, depression, stress. Everyone has these emotions, but they don't come quite as quickly on a full belly.

I'd imagine crime rates rising in the nearest city here >_> Due to so many policemen being laid off o___o;

(Yeah, of all people.. policemen are even being laid off >_>)

[shooraijin]

Quiet note: I haven't seen this veer into anything political so far, which is good, and I hope people keep it that way.

[ashfire]

With thing like it is here where I live there is a lot that is being affected by the economy.
All county employees have to take ten day furloughs for a second year plus possible layoffs.
Rotating closures of fire stations and closure of two stations and removal of career personnel from two other stations unless volunteer fire and ems personnel can man those stations. Now volunteers have to build up their ranks which had been forced to deline in the past few years by the last county fire chief and under the new fire chief have to now start working again. A mayor of one town is asking people who live there to become volunteer fire and ems members to build up the ranks.
A new police station that was suppose to be up and running now a dream to the people of a district where crime is picking up.
New vehicles and equipment are needed through out the county because its too old to get parts.
There are projects that are needed being put aside until things improve.
Everything to conserve utilities is being done to save money.

[Raiden no Kishi]

I would say that the economy's state and its corresponding side effects have probably inspired more people to express their flawed nature in more extreme ways.

[Sailor Kenshin]

So, the fam and I went camping for a week, and when we came back, we all sat down and read the pile of newspapers on our doorstep to see what we'd missed. It wasn't more then five minutes of reading before we'd all put down our papers and couldn't read any more.

For instance. I live in a small town, about 5000 or so people.

Two days ago, a man in our community killed his wife, daughter and granddaughter, and then himself. In the surrounding communities, there have been TWO other murder-suicides in the past week.
That and two teens were murdered yesterday in the city just outside of my community, and another man was murdered today.

My parents are saying that it's because of the recession that so many people are dying, and that it happened in the 80's and blah blah, but I'm just wondering if it IS that, or are things actually getting worse?

Regardless, this is all very sad... I'm just a little young to know if all this... violence has always been the norm, or if things are really just... escalating and escalating?

You're not imagining this---violence is escalating. And it has nothing to do with the economy, but everything to do with people turning their backs on God.

I'm old enough to remember a different world.

[Dante]

... LIFE IS WONDERFUL IN FLAGSTAFF! LIFE IS ALWAYS WONDERFUL IN FLAGSTAFF!

It stays 70-80 degrees up here all summer long and the clouds are always perfect and there is nothing ever wrong. But I live in Flagstaff, it's about a couple of miles from Heaven . I love it up here! So, no, things aren't getting worse for me.

(But we do have a large hippy population up here and all the flower children hate killing each other (Makes me like them more)... that and I never brought a TV when I left my parents house so I never hear of violence and live in happy bliss. If I die I demand it be painless and there be an epic sword-fight before I do so... with me being involved in an epic way. That is all)

[Cognitive Gear]

A visual aid to give us some hope. Crime may be increasing slightly at the moment, but when compared to two decades ago, things are getting better all the time.

[ashfire]

In my area a law was just enacted for against witness intimidation. Two brothers shot and killed a witness who had witnesses the killing of a local disc jockey who's car was stolen from in front of his house and he went after them before the police could get there. The car thieves made it look like a repo job using a tow truck. This law has been used on them.
In the same area there have been two murders of a mothers and daughters which has not been solved. One mother and daughter were shot and killed in their home and the other two were shot and killed put in the trunk of a car driven a block from their house and parked in front of a vacant house and the car set on fire.
Many a night goes by that there is not a car jacking.
Many crimes may not be reported because of the Latino population in our county. They are afraid of the reporting to the police because they maynot be legal or retaliation by someone connected to the one that committed the crime.
The rest of our population are afraid of retaliation.
There have been cases of single mothers killing their children. One mother strave and stabbed her four daughters and the only way anyone knew what had happened was because the city came to evict the family from their home and found the decomposing bodies.
Then there are the mothers who adopted children abused them then killed them. One mother hid the bodies in a freezer so she could keep getting payments from the government while she abused another child.
The problem is that teachers, school bus drivers and other parents reported the abuses and no one did anything to investigate what was happening until the bodies were found or the children escaped.
Accidents of transit systems have been the possiblity of cut backs in maintenance. People getting killed in a subway train accident because the system didn't detect a train stopped ahead of it.