My home city of Chicago continues to reel from soaring crime rates. Among the categories of increasing crime is a 135% spike in carjackings. One would think that the legislators would be focused on better policing and other programs. Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. (D, Chicago) however wants to ban video games like “Grand Theft Auto” which depict “motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present.” While it would not likely make a dent in carjackings, it would curtail free speech and individual choice.
Owning a car in Chicago has become increasingly difficult. I have one close relative in Chicago who sold his car because it became simply too expensive to continually replace tires and other items regularly stolen in broad daylight. Cars are stripped on city streets by gangs that drive around harvesting sellable items or just stealing entire cars. The solution for many is to simply not have a car.
The idea of limiting what people watch or listen to is hardly new. For years, leaders have sought to limit video games and rap music as causes of crime or the erosion of family values. The idea is that the government can regulate what you are enjoying and modify your desires and actions. It is the ultimate expression of paternalistic governance theory. It is not just limit to criminal impulses but extends to dietary impulses like the Big Gulp laws. There are real issues of individual choice that are dismissed in such measures. When it comes to banning video games, however, there are also free speech issues in the curtailment of forms of artistic and social expression.
Carjacking is increasing because there is insufficient deterrent. It is treated as an exciting exercise or thrill by young people. Eliminating GTA will have about as much impact on carjacking as eliminating Call of Duty will reduce world wars or banning Minecraft will decrease structure-destroying “mobs.”
What such bills accomplish is not crime reduction but political protection. It gives the appearance of action from legislators who do not want to take more decisive or direct action. It is easier to blame a video game than state or city enforcement policies.
Where is the demographic analysis establishing a profile of who is committing carjackings in Chicago?
The “who” might explain why legislators won’t legislate to aggressively address the problem.
Legislators who want to retain their political sinecures don’t legislate against their constituents.
duh, there is no need for a study, anybody can guess. young black men aka urban youths jack cars. the exceptions, if any, prove the rule
The question that is never asked is why legislators “…do not want to take more decisive or direct action?”
The obvious ty
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But what is it about aggressively legislating to reduce carjackings
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Not content with insulting 75 million Trump voters, Biden seeks to criminalize 105 million with his gun control scheme.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/biden-gun-control-plan-would-criminalize-up-to-105-million-people-gun-rights-group_3707740.html
Smart gun tech doesn’t work.
If Biden is so sure of it, why not give it to all of his Secret Service detail(s) and the Military.
The truth is that neither the Secret Service or the Military will ever think to do this.
They want their guns to go bang when they need to do so.
Just as the millions of legal gun owners who rely upon their guns for protection.
I’d maybe question the intelligence of anyone, elected representative or not, making such a stupid suggestion, but – seeing it’s Chicago, I won’t.
.
Don’t want to be considered “ray’ciss.”
Lori knows best! That’s my motto. Remember, always vote for the worst, that way we’ll sooner piss off enough people to get some educated humans in power.
This is like saying obesity was caused by Pac Man influencing people to just keep eating, and eating, and eating.
The question is, do elected officials know what they are proposing is nonsense, or do they actually believe their own fantasies?
The question is, do elected officials know what they are proposing is nonsense, or do they actually believe their own fantasies?
I guess we could try to get inside their heads, but we might need some really bright lights and a magnifying glass.
So let’s see; – We have a 135% increase in car jackings…what should we do?
– eliminate cars…nope, we need the revenue
– stiffen penalties…nope, I’ll lose my constituents
– increase law enforcement…nope, oh, he!! no.
– loosen gun restrictions and allow concealed carry…nope, they’re already loose, how else are all these kids getting shot?
– require car-owning citizens wear bodycams…nope, hmm, what else you got?
– install cameras everywhere…nope, not in the budget.
– resign…nope, bwahahahaha!
– eliminate a video game…That’s it!
Well, that Zoom meeting took all of 15 minutes. What else we got to fix?
The war between the sexes, even if it’s endless war among all 78!
The city could use ‘big data’ and predictive analytics to place police in the areas where they suspect car jackings to occur.
That would be a start.
They could pressure the judges to actually detain and charge the criminals. Most of whom are under 18 because the gangs know that the kids would be out of the system quickly.
They could pressure the judges to enforce the gun laws on the books and to detain criminals who use a gun to commit a crime.
That would be a better start.
And also remember that this is post Laquan McDonald. The city needs to support their police so that they can do their jobs.
That’s clear, logical thinking. You took an approach that removed any political considerations to positively address the needs of the law-abiding citizens. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in their executive sessions to hear them rummage through their options and ultimately propose eliminating a video game.
One dark night in desperation
A young man slips away.
He buys a gun
He steals a car but he don’t get far
Before another guy in the ghetto shoots him in the head.
And his momma cries.
“in the ghetto” by elvis pressley
All fifty Alderman in Chicago are Democrats. Instead of blaming themselves for the policies they put in place they blame a video game. They should be carful. They might make a large part of their constituency angry. Before it’s over they’ll blame the Republicans for getting rid of Grand Theft Auto.
In Chicago, if you want to get into office, you need to be running as a Democrat.
But thanks to the Feds finally doing their jobs.. Madigan is out.
They need to continue and to dismantle the Chicago Machine he helped to build.
Note that some ‘Democrats’ are really GOP in cheap clothing. 😉
Speaking of Windy City, I want to recommend a very enjoyable movie called “Chicago Overcoat” with Frank Vincent. See his face and you will recognize him from many “gangster” movies. I watched this gleefully since it was mostly staged in “Bridgeport” which was the old Italian neighborhood well known to me from many friends. I could almost taste the “italian beef” sandwich with giardiniera and soggy bun.
Today a ride down 31st avenue will witness a lot less Italian names and a lot more Chinese ones. The proximity to IIT and the older Chinatown suggest that something similar is happening to this neck of the woods as happened in the last decade to Queens. In a word I am tempted to call it, Sinicization. If the Chicago schools were smart they might offer Mandarin as an elective. But they are ever as always, anything but smart.
Sal Sar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U05gkpB681U has armand assante too., very underrated actor. sal. and stacy keach. lol