Bloomberg money and gun control in Memphis
Memphis’ $4.8 million will be used to revive areas of the city cut off by highway construction and approach handgun violence as a public health crisis, according to Mayor A C Wharton.
No details on that handgun violence thing, though.
July 14th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Approaching handgun violence as a public health crisis?
The public health crises in Memphis are the lingering effects of LBJ’s War on Poverty, crack cocaine, meth, gangs (the Gangster Disciples, the Vice Lords, the Crips and the Bloods – I don’t know whether we have a Latin Kings chapter or not) and a generally felonious culture in many, many (black, white and brown) sectors.
Hence, the annual rivalry with Detroit (which always prevail) as to which city has the highest murder rate.
If Bloomie thinks that handguns are the problem in Memphis, he needs to come on down for a few months and leave his bodyguards back in the Big Apple.
July 14th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
The best way to spend the money, if the goal is to reduce handgun violence, is to buy pistols and CCW classes for the poor in Memphis.
A fine use for Bloomberg’s money.
July 14th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
147 murders out of nearly 600k people. NIBRS data suggests that for Tennessee as a whole something like 40% of murders total are committed with a handgun. But let’s even assume that it’s 60%, which might be more typical of the urban environment.
That’s about 80 a year. That’s not a “crisis” of “handgun violence” – that’s a failure of local culture and policing. By which I mean that the violence is not mystically caused by pistols; remove them with a magic wand and it’ll be knives or long guns.
July 14th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Of course, the money will somehow filter into Campaign Coffers for his MAIG buddies.
July 14th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
I grew up in Memphis. It is now a lost cause.
July 14th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Leave the people alone, get out of our business, get out of our lives, get out of our pockets, stay off of our property, stay away from our rights, and we’ll do our own reviving, thank you very much!
July 14th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
@Lyle, +1.
July 14th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Yep, $4.8 Million is what it’ll take…
…to do roadwork for a year (maybe). Seriously, if you’re gonna throw money at this city, just go balls out and *pretend* you give two shits.