The stinging - and correct - response to this?
The fact is that our White faces make Our Beloved Overlords - /sarc - nervous.
The distance between us and them is too short. They KNOW they don’t deserve their place by merit - many of us outperform them in any objective test of competency. So, they bring in competitors that they can use their Paternalistic Privilege to distance themselves, and their undeserving offspring, from.
Time and time again, in American life, once the immigrants have shed their accents and learned how to navigate American culture and power pathways, the White Leftist Privileged Class cuts those ‘usurpers’ off at the knees. This time, they not only import those who are given preference for jobs and education, but force the native-born competitors to swallow down ideology that blames THEM for their own failure to succeed.
Ba$tard$.
The Upper Classes simply don’t worry about Street Crime - they have the means - hiring a private car and other ways of avoiding public transport - to make that an unlikely event in their lives.
Regular people do. For much of my life, I used public transport - buses and trains - to get around Lakewood and Cleveland, OH. I only acquired my first driver’s license when I was 36. Until then, waiting for buses (even after the births of my 3 children) was my daily fate. To give you an idea of how inconvenient that was, I took kids to 2 different day care centers (one memorable year, 3), every day, after which I commuted to the college I was attending.
All by bus - 2 different buses to board and exit from, every day, twice a day, followed by a third bus to get me to my school. Two kids under 5, one school age, with my books and purse hanging off my arm. Crossing several major highways.
So, yes, I understand the inconvenience of even well-run public transportation.
Even then, there were some sketchy people traveling along the way. A few intoxicated people, some rather pungent bums, a few (often ladies) whose elevator didn’t go all the way to the top floor, which was evident from their conversations with imaginary people. Occasionally a few loud teens, more bluster than threat.
But, not generally violent. That was the rare exception.
And, the crime in cities is both organized and targeted.
“Research shows that [organized retail crime] groups commit retail crimes for their financial benefit, and specifically target items that are concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable and disposable, also known by the acronym CRAVED,” as the National Retail Foundation puts it. In 2022, a mere 327 people accounted for nearly a third of all shoplifting arrests in New York; apprehended and sprung from custody ad nauseam, like Batman villains, in total they were arrested and rearrested more than 6,000 times.
Imagine that - if they just arrested AND kept those few in jail, nearly ONE-THIRD of the arrests would be unnecessary.
I hope it’s clear that the election of just a few public officials, namely the DAs, judges, and mayors, could potentially change the course of cities, stopping the decay that is making them unlivable.
This issue has been an ongoing focus for me over the last few years. The FIRST change we need to zero in on is the LOCAL offices:
DA’s set the policy for prosecution. If they decide not to prosecute shoplifting, ‘mere’ assault, sexual crimes, drug use and sales, prostitution, and robbery/mugging/armed robbery, all the cops in the world cannot make you safer. Eventually, cops will tire of re-arresting offenders, only to see them out before they can finish the paperwork. Their job CANNOT be done without the cooperation of the DA’s office.
Judges can either enforce the laws, or negate the efforts of cops, DA’s, and other parts of the system. Some judges regularly release repeat offenders, even those accused of violent crimes, OR (Own Recognizance). That is the term for those who will NOT have to put up bail, meaning they lose NOTHING by not showing up to court. These have been called the No-Bail Laws, that allow people to go freely after their court appearance. A few of those reputed offenders will be required to wear an ankle bracelet. It SHOULD not be available for violent crimes, but many jurisdictions have a great deal of leeway on charging. To qualify only needs the DA’s office to make the charge(s) that don’t involve physical violence, and drop the others.
In addition to the legal system, other local offices that hold vast power or control large amounts of money include:
Zoning boards - there is HUGE potential for under-the-table money in selectively applying the laws and regulations. Many boards are elected; check your local district.
Water and sewage boards - again, by deciding on where maintenance/upgrades/improvements occur, and how much will be paid for them, graft opportunities arise. Huge amounts of money are authorized to keep clean water flowing and sewage water treated to reduce the likelihood of disease. Who pays what part of the cost is a touchy issue. Many farmers have been driven out of business due to the high assessments put upon them by these boards. Many of these boards in rural areas are volunteer/poorly paid. In more highly populated areas, they are well-paid positions (sometimes supplemented by under-the-table money).
County Commissioners - I used to think of this as a rinky-dink job. Since that time, I’ve learned of the staggering amount of money - and influence - the officials have in the state. See link here for some basic understanding of the job.
Sheriff’s office is a county office.
Board of Elections - the ability of these members to sway/change/manage an election makes them VERY powerful people in the state (today more than ever).
Vital Statistics Records
Real Estate Transaction Records
In addition to the above, other responsibilities might include:
Broad scope
In western and southern states, more populated counties provide many facilities, such as airports, convention centers, museums, recreation centers, beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries, and public housing. They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control, probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. They have many additional officials like public defenders, arts commissioners, human rights commissioners, and planning commissioners. Finally, there may also be a county fire department and even a county police department (as distinguished from fire and police departments operated by individual cities, special districts, or the state government). For example, Gwinnett County, Georgia, and its county seat, the city of Lawrenceville, each have their own police departments. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of the county jail.) In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level.
Find out what local/county/state offices you can vote on, and make sure that you educate yourself and your influence circle about your choices. And, consider running for office, or helping with the campaign of other worthy candidates.
Get out of big cities. Get out of big city counties.
We did.
How many of the immigrants are enemy soldiers?