Rural America's murder problem

[Anonymous]

Stimulant drugs like meth and something called "boot" are a major culprit, I bet.

I have a sneaking suspicion that if one were to go look at the crime data of this profiled county from before the pandemic, there's probably already a pattern of an uptick in violent crime that can't be blamed on COVID policy. These trends have not emerged from a vacuum created by lockdowns. They were definitely present beforehand.

Very sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize you’re half joking half serious, but you are correct.

Something has uncorked the violence in this country. Regressives are quick to blame the loss of religion in this country, but that can’t be given the murder numbers in rural areas where people still actively worship.

You didn't read the piece, did you?

From the posted link:

Pastors point to the suspension of rituals such as in-person church services, town gatherings and everyday exchanges between neighbors. Such interactions can serve as guardrails, helping to prevent conflicts from turning violent. The psychological and financial stress due to isolation and job loss were especially pronounced in remote areas, where social services were limited even before Covid-19 struck, local leaders say.
When Covid struck, some churches stopped in-person services, and restaurants shut down. Walmart started closing early. People no longer stopped to socialize in the grocery store.
Authorities in rural counties said that as the pandemic wore on, troubled individuals became even more isolated, and in some cases, tipped over the edge.
“There are parts of our county that don’t even have internet service,” said Tammy Erwin, a victim’s advocate for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. “So it’s not like everyone could just jump on Zoom.”


I remember a former president who said, "We can't make the cure worse than the problem itself."

Seems as if that is exactly what we did. With extended lock downs, closed schools, online learning that wasn't really learning at all, closed churches, and everything that came with "the cure," we have caused psychological, emotional, and physical problems - particularly in our youth who were at low risk of bad outcomes from the virus.

When people try to explain the social roots of crime rates in poor urban communities, a frequent response from white conservatives is to dismiss that as just excuses, and they demand that people take responsibility for their own actions no matter what circumstances they find themselves in. Wonder what they would say about this explanation of murder committed by rural whites as stemming from inability to attend church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize you’re half joking half serious, but you are correct.

Something has uncorked the violence in this country. Regressives are quick to blame the loss of religion in this country, but that can’t be given the murder numbers in rural areas where people still actively worship.

You didn't read the piece, did you?

From the posted link:

Pastors point to the suspension of rituals such as in-person church services, town gatherings and everyday exchanges between neighbors. Such interactions can serve as guardrails, helping to prevent conflicts from turning violent. The psychological and financial stress due to isolation and job loss were especially pronounced in remote areas, where social services were limited even before Covid-19 struck, local leaders say.
When Covid struck, some churches stopped in-person services, and restaurants shut down. Walmart started closing early. People no longer stopped to socialize in the grocery store.
Authorities in rural counties said that as the pandemic wore on, troubled individuals became even more isolated, and in some cases, tipped over the edge.
“There are parts of our county that don’t even have internet service,” said Tammy Erwin, a victim’s advocate for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. “So it’s not like everyone could just jump on Zoom.”


I remember a former president who said, "We can't make the cure worse than the problem itself."

Seems as if that is exactly what we did. With extended lock downs, closed schools, online learning that wasn't really learning at all, closed churches, and everything that came with "the cure," we have caused psychological, emotional, and physical problems - particularly in our youth who were at low risk of bad outcomes from the virus.

When people try to explain the social roots of crime rates in poor urban communities, a frequent response from white conservatives is to dismiss that as just excuses, and they demand that people take responsibility for their own actions no matter what circumstances they find themselves in. Wonder what they would say about this explanation of murder committed by rural whites as stemming from inability to attend church.

This a million times.

This is all part of the alternative reality where a good chunk of conservatives live. They watch Fox and get that Dem run cities are overrun by violent crime because “those people” are lazy and criminals by nature and when welfare is not enough they go out robbing old ladies, and liberal prosecutors do nothing, while conservative-run areas have little crime, people live snd respect the police, work hard and pull themselves up by their bootstraps, go to church and with their guns help keeping the peace with their tough-on-crime prosecutors and judges. Then when somebody pokes the fake balloon “oh but we could not go to church because of the hard lockdown we never really had”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:white men + guns = sky high murder rates in red states.

F’ing DUH.

Why should I be persuaded to give the slightest F’ that white men in red states are killing each other? This is a BAD thing? Explain to me how my life is improved because an additional trump voter in some red state is alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers?

Seriously, how does that benefit me? A WOC in a blue state. How does having more white men around in a place I don’t live help me? Please - explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
white men + guns = sky high murder rates in red states.

F’ing DUH.



Why should I be persuaded to give the slightest F’ that white men in red states are killing each other? This is a BAD thing? Explain to me how my life is improved because an additional trump voter in some red state is alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers?

Seriously, how does that benefit me? A WOC in a blue state. How does having more white men around in a place I don’t live help me? Please - explain.

You are taking the same position as white rural Americans who say "why should I give the slightest F that black men in blue states are killing each other? How is that a BAD thing? How is my life improved by some additional Biden voter in some blue state being alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers? How does having more black men around benefit me?"

Do you seriously not see the problem with this thinking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
white men + guns = sky high murder rates in red states.

F’ing DUH.



Why should I be persuaded to give the slightest F’ that white men in red states are killing each other? This is a BAD thing? Explain to me how my life is improved because an additional trump voter in some red state is alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers?

Seriously, how does that benefit me? A WOC in a blue state. How does having more white men around in a place I don’t live help me? Please - explain.

Are you a Christian?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
white men + guns = sky high murder rates in red states.

F’ing DUH.



Why should I be persuaded to give the slightest F’ that white men in red states are killing each other? This is a BAD thing? Explain to me how my life is improved because an additional trump voter in some red state is alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers?

Seriously, how does that benefit me? A WOC in a blue state. How does having more white men around in a place I don’t live help me? Please - explain.

You are taking the same position as white rural Americans who say "why should I give the slightest F that black men in blue states are killing each other? How is that a BAD thing? How is my life improved by some additional Biden voter in some blue state being alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers? How does having more black men around benefit me?"

Do you seriously not see the problem with this thinking?

That’s… pretty much what Republicans say about Black people killing each other. The only time they pretend to care about it is when they want to damage Democratic leaders.

And I believe there’s a rather famous phrase espousing the same, something along the lines of, “the only good ____ is a dead _____.” So that plus the annoying little fact that it was White men who enslaved Black people and White people who lynched them and enforced segregation (with assists from White ladies, I don’t want to forget our contribution to Black misery) and now it’s White Republicans who enforce white supremacy means the WOC is having what I think most people would call a rational response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:white men + guns = sky high murder rates in red states.

F’ing DUH.

It really is that simple. The mere existence of the gun greatly increases the likelihood of suicide and murder. People who are temporarily off-their-rocker see the gun and take drastic action. The more guns you have floating around the more these incidents will happen.

Guns + humanity = death. That’s it.

No, not “humanity”.

White. Men.

There’s plenty of guns in the rest of the world. This is a white male problem, not a gun problem.

DP. Ooh, now tell us who is committing the out of control gun violence in urban areas? We'll wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:white men + guns = sky high murder rates in red states.

F’ing DUH.

Why should I be persuaded to give the slightest F’ that white men in red states are killing each other? This is a BAD thing? Explain to me how my life is improved because an additional trump voter in some red state is alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers?

Seriously, how does that benefit me? A WOC in a blue state. How does having more white men around in a place I don’t live help me? Please - explain.

It has no effect on your at all. What you need to worry about more is MOC crime on MOC, WOC, and COC. Statistically, a WOC is more likely to be murdered by a MOC than by a MOW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize you’re half joking half serious, but you are correct.

Something has uncorked the violence in this country. Regressives are quick to blame the loss of religion in this country, but that can’t be given the murder numbers in rural areas where people still actively worship.

You didn't read the piece, did you?

[…]

So… exactly what I said: “Regressives are quick to blame the loss of religion in this country, but that can’t be given the murder numbers in rural areas where people still actively worship.” With you and the WSJ being the regressives in this instance.

And sorry kiddo. It’s not the loss of church, it’s economic despair - largely caused by right wingers. https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-crime-rural-urban-cities.html It may have spiked during the pandemic, but people have been desperate in lots of rural areas and they really haven’t abandoned church.

Also while I’m up on this soapbox, if their faith (let’s be straight: Christianity) is so weak that without in person attendance it falls apart and causes them to murder people, they’re not really people of faith, are they? Further, I grew up rurally. I know these people. They are my family, they are my childhood family friends - their faith is a small, angry thing that puts them above people instead of below them, lifting them up. Perhaps your rural religious upbringing brought you to different conclusions, but this is what mine showed me.

First of all, I am not a kiddo. Save that for your children.
Secondly, I currently LIVE in a rural area. And, your experience with your family and their faith as "a small angry thing" is far from what I have experienced. For many here, the church is the place where people go not only to worship, but to socialize. And, these places where people went for spiritual fulfillment and to visit with friends were abruptly shut down. Many of these people live, not in neighborhoods, but in areas where they don't have neighbors nearby. They were isolated and alone. And, many don't even have internet in which to connect to others.

Many of these people may not be as wealthy as you, but they are not suffering from "economic despair." They live simply. The most important "things" in life to them are not "things" at all.... they are family, friends, faith. Maybe some of us could learn something from them.

Dp- I live in a rural area too. Huge homes, barns, boats, and guns. Ah… just the simple little things. GMFB

+1
Don’t forget all the giant not used for work trucks. I also live in a rural area and it’s definitely not the Coca Cola commercial illustrated above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize you’re half joking half serious, but you are correct.

Something has uncorked the violence in this country. Regressives are quick to blame the loss of religion in this country, but that can’t be given the murder numbers in rural areas where people still actively worship.

You didn't read the piece, did you?

From the posted link:

Pastors point to the suspension of rituals such as in-person church services, town gatherings and everyday exchanges between neighbors. Such interactions can serve as guardrails, helping to prevent conflicts from turning violent. The psychological and financial stress due to isolation and job loss were especially pronounced in remote areas, where social services were limited even before Covid-19 struck, local leaders say.
When Covid struck, some churches stopped in-person services, and restaurants shut down. Walmart started closing early. People no longer stopped to socialize in the grocery store.
Authorities in rural counties said that as the pandemic wore on, troubled individuals became even more isolated, and in some cases, tipped over the edge.
“There are parts of our county that don’t even have internet service,” said Tammy Erwin, a victim’s advocate for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. “So it’s not like everyone could just jump on Zoom.”


I remember a former president who said, "We can't make the cure worse than the problem itself."

Seems as if that is exactly what we did. With extended lock downs, closed schools, online learning that wasn't really learning at all, closed churches, and everything that came with "the cure," we have caused psychological, emotional, and physical problems - particularly in our youth who were at low risk of bad outcomes from the virus.

in rural red areas?

You think all rural areas are red?

the OP said rural red areas and the quoted mentions Marion County that is 65-35 republican. No not all rural areas are red but it is a majority republican leaning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
white men + guns = sky high murder rates in red states.

F’ing DUH.



Why should I be persuaded to give the slightest F’ that white men in red states are killing each other? This is a BAD thing? Explain to me how my life is improved because an additional trump voter in some red state is alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers?

Seriously, how does that benefit me? A WOC in a blue state. How does having more white men around in a place I don’t live help me? Please - explain.

You are taking the same position as white rural Americans who say "why should I give the slightest F that black men in blue states are killing each other? How is that a BAD thing? How is my life improved by some additional Biden voter in some blue state being alive rather than having been murdered by one of his peers? How does having more black men around benefit me?"

Do you seriously not see the problem with this thinking?

That’s… pretty much what Republicans say about Black people killing each other. The only time they pretend to care about it is when they want to damage Democratic leaders.

And I believe there’s a rather famous phrase espousing the same, something along the lines of, “the only good ____ is a dead _____.” So that plus the annoying little fact that it was White men who enslaved Black people and White people who lynched them and enforced segregation (with assists from White ladies, I don’t want to forget our contribution to Black misery) and now it’s White Republicans who enforce white supremacy means the WOC is having what I think most people would call a rational response.

Most people dont think in these terms at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/articles/violent-crime-rural-america-homicides-pandemic-increase-11654864251

Clearly, their woke governments are enabling this. These deep-red rural areas shouldn't have defunded the police or elected DAs unwilling to prosecute crimes. If only they had more guns, maybe there'd be less crime. I can't believe nobody talks about this white-on-white crime. Where are the fathers?

Why can't these people follow rules, behave themselves, and stop killing each other? Is it the neck tattoos?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There should only be one door to enter snd exit rural America. Guarded by ex military with assault rifles.

Exactly and throw away the key.