The FBI released its most-dangerous-cities list. Some of the worst are right up the road from me. Yikes!
According to the Feebs, dangerous is determined by the highest violent-crime rate per 1,000 people in cities with 100,000 people or more.
Out of the top ten, two are in California, four are in the South (A fifth one is Baltimore and a sixth one is St. Louis, both of which could be considered in the South), and two are in Michigan.
Nearly within walking distance of me are Atlanta -- No.8 on the list -- with 88 murders last year and 12.1% unemployment; and No.7 Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham had 54 murders and deals with a 10.9% unemployment rate. Memphis and Little Rock -- No. 5 and 6 respectively also made the cut.
The at the No. 1 and 2 spots are Flint and Detroit, Michigan. Detroit had 344 murders last year amid 20% unemployment, while the winner and champion Flint -- with a population of just 102,000 -- had 52 murders and has a 19% unemployment rate.
(Any clue how long it took me to find an image of a bikini-clad gun toter?)
Frankly, I'm surprised Chicago isn't on the list. It racked up 10 murders on Memorial weekend alone with another 45 or so more shot and wounded. Of course, as a holiday weekend, it had an extra day; so that might explain it. Last weekend another 8 were sent off to their great reward.
Who mops up after all that mayhem?
Through the end of May, there have been nearly 200 murders in the city. When someone in Chicago yells, "Duck!" chances are they aren't talking about Daffy, and you best get your head down.
Amazing, the U.S. city with some of the strictest gun laws has one of the highest murder rates. How do you account for that? I have some thoughts, but what do I know?
What I do know is that up through 2010, Greenville wasn't a blip on the old murder radar. 2002 was a big year with a whopping 9 murders, but for the decade from 2000 to 2010 the average was roughly 5 murders per year. Chicago racks up more than that on a slow Saturday.
"What do ya mean you're out of fries!" Bang!
If I ever have someone I want to knock off, I'm not going to plot and plan how to do the deed; I'll just buy them a bus ticket to Chicago. Chances are, the fool won't even make it out of the Chicago bus terminal in one piece.
It's a plan.
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