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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In my opinion it’s nothing complicated or mind bending.
Simple case of a gradual shift in culture with regard to how conflicts are resolved coupled with a gradual shift in commerce with regard to the availability of firearms.

When I was growing up in the 80’s the cultural norm in DC was that dudes fought.  Like actually put their hands up at school or on the basketball court or on the street corner (wherever) and straight up fought somebody they had a problem with.

Feelings got hurt and asses got whupped but dudes lived to see another day and ultimately shit got squashed.  That was the culture.

Also one of the main reasons that shootings were primarily drug/gang related when I was growing up in the 80’s was because not only was the cultural norm that only drug dealers and gang members carried guns but economically the o my people who could afford things like pagers and cell phones and guns were drug dealers and gang members.

Fast forward a few years and by the time I’m a sophomore in high school I had a pager.  Everyone had one.  And gradually more and more people were getting cell phones and yea...guns too.  The commerce side shifted and made shit more accessible and affordable.

That fast forward a few years saw a cultural shift as well with regard to conflicts.  With all that crack money flowing and every drug dealer and gang member trying to be a baller and rocking bling and popping bottles in clubs disputes became less about who can whip who’s ass but who has the artillery to back up their big talk.

Average everyday dudes started getting guns cause the culture started shifting away from fists towards firearms and the commerce started shifting towards more available and affordable guns.

Basically things just changed.
In my teens dudes fought and nobody was packing.
Nowadays dudes rarely throw down they simply track for their gun when confronted cause everybody is packing.

Least that’s my take.
[/quote]

I was the early poster about beefs between crews. I think this post explains it so much better. It's not just about territory, it's about the cultural shift that led from fistfights to gunfights + easy availability of firearms. Remember the opening sequence of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Nowadays, that fight on the basketball court would not be about Will being twirled around in the air before getting a black eye. It would be him getting bullets. I don't know the answer to eliminating crime, but I do know it has to address both the culture and availability issues. Culture requires a community change. It will take some time -- we devolved in a generation, and it will take another generation to get back to the thriving, self-respecting black communities our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up in. Availability requires policy + business change. It seems like firearms are so entrenched that we could never remove them all. But like all mechanical objects, they eventually wear out. It's really hard to find a rotary telephone, a hand-cranked automobile, and other technological marvels. Here's hoping for the day that handguns that fit in your pocket will be impossible to find. [/quote]

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