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D.C.’s anti-gang strategy: Just rename them!

By Michelle Malkin  •  May 1, 2008 10:03 AM

You can’t have a gang problem if you don’t have gangs. Thus is the bloody Washington, D.C. gang infestation solved. Brilliant law enforcement and city officials there have simply renamed the gangs “crews.” No “gangs,” no problem!

Via the Washington Times (hat tip - reader Clem):

When is a gang not a gang? When it’s based in the District.

D.C. officials insist on describing groups of young males as “crews,” rather than gangs, even when they are held responsible for violent acts such as the wave of killings in the city last weekend. But police officials in other cities say the distinction is counterproductive.

“The very first step in dealing with gangs is denial,” said Capt. Charles Bloom of the Philadelphia Police Department. “Then you get to the point that you can’t deny it any more.”

D.C. police, lawmakers and community activists say the groups are not gangs because their members are mostly teens who band together for personal protection. That, they say, distinguished them from conventional gangs, which are created for a criminal enterprise such as drug dealing.

Capt. Bloom said Philadelphia quit trying to make such distinctions two years ago. Although they once described such bands as “loose groups,” they now use the term “gang-related” for any group that engages in criminal violence.

Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier acknowledged this week that crews appear to be connected to some of the 10 homicides in the past two weeks — including four this past weekend. And they are connected to hundreds of shots fired and a dozen shootings late last year in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Northwest, officials say.

The only kind of policing the D.C. Police Department seems willing and able to do is policing language.

Be safe, D.C. denizens. We’ll pray for you.

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Comments

  1. #1
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:13 am, WarTip said:

    I say blame it on Booooooosh and the NeoCons … after all, what other group of bitter people would go out and commit homicide just so that they could feel protected?

    / Sarc off

  2. #2
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:13 am, katieanne said:

    A rose by any other name is still a rose. The same applies here.

    Putting one’s head in the sand will not make the problem disappear.

  3. #3
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:13 am, jrlingreenbay said:

    Let’s help them out with some more language tips:

    Mafia: Families

    Murders: Loss of Life

    Assault: Physical altercation

    Grafitti: Urban Artwork

    Illegal Aliens: Immigrants

    Car-jacking: Unauthorized Test Drives

    Burglary: Missing Assets

  4. #4
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:16 am, 30 pcs of silver said:

    Taking a page from Imamadmaninadinnerjacket’s playbook. “There are no gays in Iran.”
    There are no gangs here. Crews - just doing the gang-bangin’ gangs won’t do.

    What’s next they’ll release stats supporting their wild theory that changing the way you refer to them will magically reverse the trend of violence? Poof. Problem solved.

  5. #5
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:16 am, tropicalwave12 said:

    The results of this will be totally opposite of what they expect. First off, Gangs don’t give a whoot what you call them. Then I think you legitimize their uh…”Business” by calling them a “crew” A “crew” fixes the roads, a “Crew” builds houses, now a “Crew” murders and is involved in general mayhem and anarchy.

  6. #6
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am, caligulajones said:

    These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway. Decriminalize drugs and the problem disappears. Only when we take away their money will we take away their power and allure.

  7. #7
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am, abstractmind said:

    This doesn’t surprise me at all.

    Eventually, this cesspool will just hopefully slip into the Potomac, be carried by the Chesapeake to the Atlantic, and all’s well that ends well.

    All that, and the gun issues going on there where citizens cant protect themselves? No guns, no problem! Right?

  8. #8
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am, 30 pcs of silver said:

    decriminalize drugs - which drugs are you referring to?

  9. #9
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am, Roman Con said:

    This reminds me of a time a few years ago, when there was a gang shootout at the D.C Zoo. NPR (Nationalist Proletariat Radio) said that the altercation was a dust-up between “two rival neighborhood groups.”

    As if the PTA and Homeowner’s Association decided to gun it out.

    Morons.

  10. #10
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:21 am, twofoot said:

    Hey that’s great! I wonder if I can start applying that to my everyday life? I don’t have “boys” hanging around my door trying to talk to my teenage daughter. I have “grubby pawed little heathens who are soon to assume room temperature if they try anything with my daughter.”

    Hey I like it. It works in reverse. The D.C. police dept can use it to redifine things to try and ignore the problem. And dads can use it to redefine boys looking at their daughters into a more accurate description.

    Everybody wins. Well, except the people of Washington D.C.

  11. #11
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:22 am, MNUSMCDavid said:

    …..and Jihadists are just radicals.

  12. #12
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:23 am, abstractmind said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am, Roman Con said:
    This reminds me of a time a few years ago, when there was a gang shootout at the D.C Zoo. NPR (Nationalist Proletariat Radio) said that the altercation was a dust-up between “two rival neighborhood groups.”

    As if the PTA and Homeowner’s Association decided to gun it out.

    Morons.

    The scary part…it wouldnt surprise me in the least if those two groups went at it like that. I lived in Virginia for years, and went to DC many times. The place is a pit, in my opinion.

  13. #13
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:23 am, Surveyor said:

    “Crews”??

    Good luck with that D.C.

  14. #14
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:24 am, Rusty said:

    As long as they aren’t treating “crews” any differently than gangs, what’s the problem?

    Although, I’ll be first in line to complain about the awful job Mayor Fenty and Chief Lanier have done since rising to their respective positions last year.

  15. #15
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:24 am, AlturaCt said:

    …..and Jihadists are just radicals.

    And the invaders are just “Undocumented Americans”!

  16. #16
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:25 am, jrlingreenbay said:

    “These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway. Decriminalize drugs and the problem disappears. Only when we take away their money will we take away their power and allure.

    You’ve GOT to be kidding me…

    Drugs aren’t the only way gangs make money - they steal, are into gambling, prostitution, protection and gun sales.

    Legalizing drugs would NOT solve the problem.

  17. #17
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:25 am, Mister P said:

    I am deeply concerned about our cities. We are already a third world nation. The killings in Chicago, LA, DC, Detroit, etc easily far exceed anything in Iraq. More than half the students in the public schools in these cities never graduate from high school, which pretty much makes them a burden on the rest of society and a breeding grounds for gangs and violence.
    At what point do the police forces just abandon these neigborhoods? Why should they continually risk their lives confronting these gangs who own these streets.
    Yet not one of the three stooges even talk about them. They would rather talk about things we have no control over, like the environment. Well lets fix the environment inside our own cities.

  18. #18
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:26 am, walterc said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:13 am, jrlingreenbay said:

    Let’s help them out with some more language tips:

    Mafia: Families

    Murders: Loss of Life

    Assault: Physical altercation

    Grafitti: Urban Artwork

    Illegal Aliens: Immigrants

    Car-jacking: Unauthorized Test Drives

    Burglary: Missing Assets

    Moron: D.C Government Official
    Idiot: D.C. Police Official
    Clueless Bastards: D.C. Community Activists
    Hapless Victims: D.C. Residents

  19. #19
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:27 am, Surveyor said:

    …..and Jihadists are just radicals.

    yeah….and “freedom fighters”

  20. #20
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:28 am, Roman Con said:

    abstract mind: if I keep getting heat about my lawn, I might have to join the PTA!

  21. #21
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:29 am, Peejz said:

    My city said we didn’t have gangs until the gangs said yes we do..

  22. #22
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:29 am, 30 pcs of silver said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:24 am, Rusty said:
    As long as they aren’t treating “crews” any differently than gangs, what’s the problem?

    What’s the point of the exercise? If it doesn’t matter what you refer to them as, why waste time trying to “church” up menaces to society?

  23. #23
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:30 am, cpodug said:

    Of course, we need to rename them! We wouldn’t want to hurt their delicate feelings, now, would we?

    /sarc

    That’s what we get for years of political correctness - we’re afraid to tell the truth for fear of offending somebody.

  24. #24
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:31 am, alaskangrizzly said:

    D.C. is the perfect liberal utopia they want the rest of the country to become. No guns (for you normal Americans), elite and wealthy politicians living in gated communities where they can hire “professional guards” who are allowed to violate the D.C. gun ban since they are paid. Meanwhile the city is rampant with crime and still has one of the highest murder rates of any major city in the US because all the D.C. gun ban did was take away the guns of the citizens who follow the law. You know, the good guys who would only use it to defend themselves?

    So with that, I second your statement Michelle:

    Be safe, D.C. denizens. We’ll pray for you.

  25. #25
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:32 am, caligulajones said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am, 30 pcs of silver said:
    decriminalize drugs - which drugs are you referring to

    All of them. More damage is done because of draconian drug policies than fom the drugs themselves.

  26. #26
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:33 am, tropicalwave12 said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:30 am, cpodug said:
    Of course, we need to rename them! We wouldn’t want to hurt their delicate feelings, now, would we?

    /sarc

    That’s what we get for years of political correctness - we’re afraid to tell the truth for fear of offending somebody.

    And what’s worse, who is it they are affraid to offend. Punks??? The politicians have stopped earning their paychecks.

  27. #27
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:33 am, bloghooligan said:

    i see. so Arthur Laurents had his vocabulary wrong when he wrote West Side Story.

  28. #28
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:36 am, terrig said:

    Nothing that goes on in the District surprises me. I guess the politicians there have to keep the constituency happy so calling them crews instead of gangs is what it takes, then so be it.

  29. #29
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:36 am, bloghooligan said:

    and i didn’t know my car insurance rates were increased while living in DC because of ‘crews’ of ‘teens’ were stealing cars to ‘protect themselves’.

  30. #30
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am, lgm said:

    Talk about petty. Even elite out of touch liberals know “crew” is gang talk for gang. Everyone in the District who knows anything (possibly not the Washington Times reportre) knows calling a gang a crew is not an attempt to diminish anything.

  31. #31
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am, abstractmind said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:28 am, Roman Con said:
    abstract mind: if I keep getting heat about my lawn, I might have to join the PTA!

    ROFL…see, i’m on the other side. If schools want to indoctrinate my kids with liberal “feel good” education (creative -insert subject here- and the like), and refuse to actually -educate- my kids, then me and the Homeowners might have to come down to your “hood”.

  32. #32
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am, tre said:

    #3 Jrlingreenbay

    I’m going to the bank with a gun to make an “unauthorized withdraw”. Then I’ll go to the Chevy dealership to take a Corvette convertible for an “extended unauthorized testdrive.”
    Gee, I can just do whatever the heck I want and make it sound just fine!

  33. #33
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:42 am, abstractmind said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am, lgm said:
    Talk about petty. Even elite out of touch liberals know “crew” is gang talk for gang. Everyone in the District who knows anything (possibly not the Washington Times reportre) knows calling a gang a crew is not an attempt to diminish anything.

    I am shocked, SHOCKED I say, that the WASHINGTON TIMES REPORTER wouldn’t know anything about WASHINGTON! *gasp*

    If you’re calling this petty as well, then you’re once again missing the point. The article clearly indicates that the police and other groups are trying to re-classify gangs as something else, rather than just simply call them what they are. If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…

    Are you done being petty, by the way? Or just more boring commentary? :) I know its an excersise in futility, but…could you actually bring something worth the time to the table? Rusty does it rather well, why can’t you? :)

  34. #34
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:44 am, tre said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am, caligulajones said:
    These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway. Decriminalize drugs and the problem disappears. Only when we take away their money will we take away their power and allure.

    Then, why don’t we just decriminalize murder, rape, and armed robbery while we’re at it?
    The Israelites were committing adultry, then God said it’s wrong. They were dishonoring the Sabbath, then God said it’s wrong. With each of the Ten Commandments, God said it’s wrong. You’ll be punished for doing it.
    If something is right, it’s worth fighting for.

  35. #35
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:45 am, bloghooligan said:

    lgm, and anyone who’s ever picked up a law book knows that such distinctions matter in prosecution and sentencing.

    there are no codes for ‘crew’ related crimes. gang related crimes carry tougher sentences, as they’re considered organized.

    so, it is meant to diminish to severity of the crime; which in turn diminishes the severity of the punnishment.

    essentially what this term change does is allow the police department to determine your group’s organizational level and classify it. if you’re a gang but not real organized…well, we’ll call you a crew, give you a lighter jail sentence, which will in turn give you the time to hone your organizational skillz.

  36. #36
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:45 am, max said:

    …..and Jihadists are just radicals.

    “disaffected yutes”

  37. #37
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:48 am, granite said:

    #34 On May 1st, 2008 at 10:44 am, tre said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am, caligulajones said:
    These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway. Decriminalize drugs and the problem disappears. Only when we take away their money will we take away their power and allure.

    Then, why don’t we just decriminalize murder, rape, and armed robbery while we’re at it?
    The Israelites were committing adultry, then God said it’s wrong. They were dishonoring the Sabbath, then God said it’s wrong. With each of the Ten Commandments, God said it’s wrong. You’ll be punished for doing it.
    If something is right, it’s worth fighting for.

    Is not decriminalizing a crime rather similar to renaming gangs as “crews”?

  38. #38
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:49 am, granite said:

    P.S.:

    Re your post, tre: agreed!

  39. #39
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:50 am, On-my-soap-box said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:24 am, Rusty said:
    As long as they aren’t treating “crews” any differently than gangs, what’s the problem?

    So, we can expect business as usual?

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:42 am, abstractmind said:
    Are you done being petty, by the way? Or just more boring commentary? I know its an excersise in futility, but…could you actually bring something worth the time to the table? Rusty does it rather well, why can’t you?

    Give him credit, he didn’t blame Robertson, Dodson or Christians for the “gang” problem. :)

  40. #40
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:50 am, Dave from Flint said:

    They tried that here a few years ago. No membership lists, no regularly scheduled meetings, no membership cards. Therefore, no gangs. Didn’t work.

  41. #41
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:53 am, caligulajones said:

    Then, why don’t we just decriminalize murder, rape, and armed robbery while we’re at it?

    Because those crimes have victims. If someone wants to treat their bodies like garbage dumps, let them. Too many cops are shot trying to prevent people from getting high and don’t have enough time to investigate the crimes you mentioned as well as missing children. Half of the war on drug money goes to fighting marijuana, which is less addictive and physically harmful than alcohol. I read people’s comments about how personal responsibility is one of the hallmarks of conservatism. If that is the case, why are conservatives usually against decriminalization?

  42. #42
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:53 am, On-my-soap-box said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am, caligulajones said:
    These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway.

    I have to know. How is it unconstitutional?

    Man, I thought I heard everything until this.

  43. #43
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:53 am, abstractmind said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:50 am, On-my-soap-box said:

    OK, i’ll allow that one. Not a fan of those folks either, but neither do i go bashing on them either. can you imagine the gang they’d make though?

    “Yo, Dobs! Wut up? We strapped with the Word, off the chizzain!”

    Yes, i’m far too white for that, apologies! *snicker*

  44. #44
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:54 am, bloghooligan said:

    first, decriminalizing drugs does not mean the price drops. pot in Amsterdam is just as expensive (even when considering exchange rates) as pot in the US. why would that be if everyone could just grow their own? because the logic doesn’t hold.

    second, decriminalizing drugs creates an entirely new problem with law enforcement and social services.

  45. #45
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:55 am, Bob in Myrtle Beach said:

    It brings a whole new meaning to the word CREWCUT.

  46. #46
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:55 am, abstractmind said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:53 am, On-my-soap-box said:
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am, caligulajones said:
    These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway.
    I have to know. How is it unconstitutional?

    Man, I thought I heard everything until this.

    Beat him to the punch. I promise it will have something to do with marijuana (sp?) being biased back in the day against the hispanic community, and thus is racist. I’ve heard that argument before.

    I’m sure it has nothing to do with the negative impact, in all of its forms, that the use of drugs brings with it.

  47. #47
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:59 am, WarTip said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:55 am, Bob in Myrtle Beach said:

    It brings a whole new meaning to the word CREWCUT.

    Thanks, that was funny! LOL (I found my happy thought)

  48. #48
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:59 am, jtex said:

    What’s with all these “gang signs?” Is all that finger flashing supposed to impress someone? I’ve got a finger sign for them and it just about matches the I.Q. of most of these idiots.

    .

  49. #49
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:00 am, caligulajones said:

    On-my-soap-box

    I see them as unconstitutional because it took an amendment to make alcohol illegal. It should take the same with any recreational drug. That is what freedom means. Being locked in a cage for smoking joint is against the principles of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

  50. #50
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:01 am, jrlingreenbay said:

    “I’m going to the bank with a gun to make an “unauthorized withdraw”. ”

    I prefer the term: Undocumented Loan

  51. #51
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:01 am, bloghooligan said:

    please don’t use drugs and marijuana interchangeably. it muddies the argument.

    the reason pot is so prolific is because there are no negative health affects outside of the most popular way of consuming it: smoking. eating pot has no negative health affects. this is why there’s a very large segment of the population that uses it. this is also why states have started to not clog their criminal justice system with people caught with small amounts. no other drug do you just get a citation for having.

    i don’t know any sane person lobbying for the legalization of meth, coke, crack, ecstacy, etc.

  52. #52
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:01 am, cpodug said:

    This thread seems to be veering way off topic. It’s about gangs, folks. Gangs kill, steal, extort, pimp, deal, etc. Drugs is just one facet of their activities. Doesn’t matter what you call them, they are STILL gangs. And as such, need to be dealt with, and dealt with harshly. Period. End of discussion.

  53. #53
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:02 am, Weary Citizen said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:44 am, tre said:
    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am, caligulajones said:
    These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway. Decriminalize drugs and the problem disappears. Only when we take away their money will we take away their power and allure.

    I have to agree with caligulajones. We should decriminalize MOST illegal drugs. This insane drug war has gotten us nowhere except our prisons are full. We represent like 6% of the worlds population but have 25% of the worlds prisoners. All due to harsh drug sentences. I am not saying give them away to kiddies but the current sytem will never work. Too much money involved. The lure is just too great.

  54. #54
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:03 am, wescam said:

    I don’t think my neighbors will like this. “Crew bangin’” won’t flow well.

    I think these angry youths should be called inmates.

  55. #55
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:06 am, jrlingreenbay said:

    Caligulajones-

    If someone does get ‘locked in a cage’ as you state, for smoking a joint - then that IS against the law, most likely, and unconstitutional, based on fair punishment standards.

    But ’smoking a joint’ is usually dealt with through municipal fines - unless it is in conjunction with a greater offense, such as ‘possession with intent to sell’.

    Your narrowing the illegal drug argument down to someone smoking a joint hardly covers the greater problems that illegal drugs create.

    Do you want to legalize crack cocaine, heroin, meth-amphetamine?

    If so - you’ve got a very skewed view of the dangers of these drugs - and their effects.

  56. #56
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:09 am, jrlingreenbay said:

    “This insane drug war has gotten us nowhere except our prisons are full. ”

    So - because we’ve got so many people breaking the law - let’s decriminalize?

    What about assaults? Drunk drivers? Robberies? Thefts? Murders?

    When do we have enough prisoners in each of those categories that we decide to decriminalize the activity?

  57. #57
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:09 am, WisCon said:

    Youths.

  58. #58
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:10 am, Roman Con said:

    abstract: I will cut my lawn if it means that I can “roll” on the PTA, and “bust a Houghton” (pelt them with lefty textbooks) on them sorry, bake-sale lovin’ freaks.

    Word to you mower.

  59. #59
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:12 am, JHSII said:

    caligulajones - so, let’s say you’re in the hospital for some heart surgery. Lying there on the table you watch as the doctor prepares to start the operation by snorting a line of coke off the table where the medical instruments are positioned. Now don’t you feel better?

    Illegal drugs do have victims - whether or not you choose to recognize them is your problem.

  60. #60
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:13 am, On-my-soap-box said:

    Legalizing drugs will curb the tide of drug sales by gangs how? By making “recreational” drugs available at Wallyworld?

    Where you headed honey?

    To Walmart for a fix.

    Grab a dozen dimes for me – the girls are coming over for American Idol.

    Sure, be right back.

    Gotta love this one:

    Being locked in a cage for smoking joint is against the principles of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

    Violating the law is against the principles of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

    BWAAAAHHHHAAAAAAHHHHAAAAAA

  61. #61
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:15 am, radio relay said:

    I no longer have “guns”…. I now have “periwinkles”

    Now, I carry periwinkles wherever I go in D.C. and I’m perfectly legal…

    I just love lib-think!

  62. #62
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:16 am, madchef said:

    Street Gangs are domestic terrorists. Let’s call them what they really are.
    The DHS should be going after these parisites with the full force of the law.

  63. #63
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:16 am, On-my-soap-box said:

    radio relay,

    ROFLMBO

    Good one!

  64. #64
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:17 am, Rusty said:

    Seeing some people talking about DC and crime and, yeah, it’s still a problem. Not half as bad as it was in the early 90s (literally), but still an issue.

    A big part of the problem is that the city is horribly segregated. Most residents living in Upper Northwest see Southeast and instead of seeing the same city, they see a different world. There has to be a wave (like the murders in Police District 5) for anyone in the nicer areas to pay attention. Black-on-black violence is relegated to Page B3 of the Post. When a white guy is murdered, that guy gets Page A1.

    The long term fix is to greatly improve DC’s crumbling schools. But that takes a whole lot of time.

  65. #65
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:18 am, abstractmind said:

    Roman: Hahaha, pure gold!

  66. #66
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:19 am, txvet2 said:

    I think we could solve the DC gang problem rather quickly, by simply banning members of the city and Federal government from either carrying weapons or having bodyguards. After all, it’s supposed to work for the rest of us.

  67. #67
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:20 am, On-my-soap-box said:

    Rusty,

    You live in DC. Is legalizing drugs the fix?

    P.S. love your rants on DC. They’d be better without the F-bombs IMHO!

  68. #68
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am, cpodug said:

    The long term fix is to greatly improve DC’s crumbling schools. But that takes a whole lot of time.

    AND a commitment to REALLY educate the students with information on the real world, not just the “feel-good” pap they’re getting now. Rusty, you raise a very good point. We may disagree on a lot of issues, but I have to agree on this one. The reason it’s going to take a long time is because we took such a long time getting to this point - over 40 years. You can’t undo overnight the work of a generation.

    BUT - we’ve got to start somewhere. It’s time for our elected and appointed leaders to wake up and smell the coffee.

  69. #69
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:23 am, txvet2 said:

    The long term fix is to greatly improve DC’s crumbling schools. But that takes a whole lot of time.

    What ye liberals have wrought, eh? No different than any other public school district, just more so. We already spend something like 20 thou per student per year there. It isn’t the “crumbling schools” that are the problem, it’s the “crumbling discipline” and black liberation theology and the whole concept of not “acting white” by succeeding.

  70. #70
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:25 am, Weary Citizen said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:09 am, jrlingreenbay said:
    “This insane drug war has gotten us nowhere except our prisons are full. ”

    So - because we’ve got so many people breaking the law - let’s decriminalize?

    What about assaults? Drunk drivers? Robberies? Thefts? Murders?

    Strawman. No equating someone doing drugs with violence on others. One does not necessarily lead to the other. And reducing penalites, not decriminalizing, makes sense sometimes. What about prohibition? YOu argue that was a bad decision to reverse? Following your reasoning, must be yes. Drugs are against the law because we said it is against the law. If a law is bad and unenforceable, we should at a minimum reduce penalites. But I am not for crack, coke, herrion being legal. but Pot, hash, etc laws should be modeled after Hollands. This is a small issue to me so I prefer to let it drop. Caligulajones makes some valid points though.

  71. #71
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:26 am, nyc123me said:

    Dear DC Officials who came up with this ridiculous ’solution’:

    please bang head here   –>     <–   ..hard.

  72. #72
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:26 am, bloghooligan said:

    Rusty,

    DC is not as segregated as other places. i lived in SW and not only was it integrated, same-race couples were the minority. the DC area sans PG Co is more integrated than any other metro area on the East Coast, imho

  73. #73
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:27 am, Yashmak said:

    Sorry to continue the OT comments. . .but I have to chime in on this legalization stuff.

    There are some very good arguments in favor of legalization (and some very good ones opposed as well). . .including expenses spent by the fed fighting drug trafficking, vs revenue that would be generated via taxes on regulated sale of the same substances. . . but this whole “it’s unconstitutional to jail someone for drug use” argument is utter nonsense, caligulajones, as is the bizaare statement that the use of said substances is a victimless crime.

    Do you think that legalizing the drugs would:
    A) Stop theft of goods to pay for the next hit?
    B) Stop domestic violence fueled (in part) by use of said substances?
    C) Stop deaths from overdose of said substances?

    In each, A-C, there is clearly a victim of drug use, no matter if it’s the user him/herself, or another party.

  74. #74
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:28 am, granite said:

    #69 On May 1st, 2008 at 11:23 am, txvet2 said:

    The long term fix is to greatly improve DC’s crumbling schools. But that takes a whole lot of time.

    What ye liberals have wrought, eh? No different than any other public school district, just more so. We already spend something like 20 thou per student per year there. It isn’t the “crumbling schools” that are the problem, it’s the “crumbling discipline” and black liberation theology and the whole concept of not “acting white” by succeeding.

    Correct.

    As I’ve said before, our nation/society/culture sowed the wind starting in the 60s, and is now reaping the whirlwind.

    (And no, I am nowhere near a biblical scholar.)

  75. #75
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:30 am, RaisedRight said:

    Maybe Jimmy Carter can stop at DC next and convince the “crews” to hug it out.

  76. #76
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:31 am, bloghooligan said:

    my mother in law worked in DC public schools. education is not the answer. and quite frankly, it’s a catchall that rallies those with the best intentions, to disastrous results.

    DC spends more per student than any other school district in this country.

    this is party due to the fact that parents living in the DC school district want their children classified as learning disabled because of the monthly monetary benefits.

    what is needed is law enforcement and a reduction in social services. then a healthy dose of school choice. until then, those children are doomed.

  77. #77
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:32 am, Surveyor said:

    Do you think that legalizing the drugs would:
    A) Stop theft of goods to pay for the next hit?
    B) Stop domestic violence fueled (in part) by use of said substances?
    C) Stop deaths from overdose of said substances?

    Yashmak….you forgot to add

    D) put the CIA out of business.

    ooops…there I go channeling Gary Webb again. :)

  78. #78
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:35 am, spo-con said:

    Yeah, thats the ticket! Typical Lib response to every problem. If you can’t fix it, just plant flowers around it or RENAME IT! That makes it go away alright. This is what happens when you see the world through a prizm of POT SMOKE!!!

  79. #79
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:42 am, cpodug said:

    Bloghooligan, one thing you need to remember - the first step in any educational reform is to end the stranglehold that the NEA has on public education. If it wasn’t for the corrupt union doing all to protect its members at the expense of the students(including, but not limited to: bi-lingual education, reclassification of some students as learning disabled, pushing “special education”, etc. etc.) AND the corrupt and often intimidated school boards at the local, state and federal level, we wouldn’t have nearly as many disciplinary problems as we do now.

    It’s easy to say that this is a Liberal problem, but how about all the Conservatives, parents and educators alike, who stood by and watched it happen?

    (Personal note - many years ago, when I was an instructor while in the Navy, we were told to write our lesson plans at an eighth-grade level, because that was the level of recruit we were getting.

    I’m not saying by any means that recruits in the Armed Forces aren’t dedicated and intelligent, it’s just that that was the level of education they had received in public schools.

    Witness all the “remedial” courses at the college and university level.)

    But - we’ve got to start somewhere. If we can’t start with the individual families, we can at least start with the institution that takes up the second most time in a child’s life.

  80. #80
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:48 am, WarTip said:

    While I think that schools are certainly an issue, it is only a part of the whole. Schools should return to teaching basic principles of reading, writing and arithmetic and an actual history class based on real history. However, we have to quit rewarding irresponsibility and punishing those who are responsible.

    It is certainly tragic that some people are in a position that they earn more with welfare than they would working for someone else. The fact that many people make a career out of welfare shouts in volumes that the system is busted and must be fixed. If we are to have “socialist” answers, how about some that work?

    Publicly funded education and not governmental indoctrination if our tax dollars are to be spent. As I recall, an even larger portion of the money in DC schools goes to Administration than it does to the programs which benefit the students. Term limits for welfare reform apparently worked no better than the term limits for our politicians.

    Make vocational courses available again and quit allowing people to sue the school because little Johnny gets a splinter in woodshop or gets hit by a dodgeball. If the student can maintain academic proficiency, allow them to go to college on the taxpayer’s dime and let them work it off for a set length of time in a public institution that helps those poor unfortunate souls still sucking on the government teat.

    Get government out of our personal lives and let parents raise their children with more traditional values. You can say what you want about my Pa’s cinch strap, my Grampa’s backhand or all the innocent young hickory trees I killed getting switches to take back to my Ma but you know what?

    We learned that when we messed up, there were very real and tangible consequences and it did not take killing too many of those hickory trees before we understood that and took responsibility for our own actions at home and at school.

    We need to reward good behavior and quit rewarding bad behavior in our children and “adults”. It may seem rather Pavlovian but it really is that simple.

  81. #81
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:50 am, Rusty said:

    Rusty,

    You live in DC. Is legalizing drugs the fix?

    P.S. love your rants on DC. They’d be better without the F-bombs IMHO!

    Re the F-bombs, my parents tell me the same thing everyday. Swearing is a really lazy device. Maybe that’s why I write here. Works the parts of the brain that don’t allow swearing.

    The drug thing is kind of a non-starter. Nationally, I would love to see lighter punishments for possession of non-physically addictive and non-deadly drugs while avoiding decriminalization or legalization. It would one thing if one could socially smoke pot like one could socially have a glass of wine. But that isn’t the way it works. One drink and you’re fine to drive. One joint, not so much.

    But in DC we’re not dealing with marijuana or hallucinegenic mushrooms. We’re dealing with crack cocaine. Lethal and highly addictive. Selling crack, powder cocaine, and/or heroin can never and should never be decriminalized.

  82. #82
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:53 am, spo-con said:

    Back in the late 80s, our then police chief of Spokane warned us about young black men moving up from California gangs to distribute drugs in the area. The Lib dame who was mayor immediately got on the local news and called him a ‘racist’. Well, guess what we got up here now. GANGS! (crews for those of you in D.C.)

  83. #83
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:55 am, RobM1981 said:

    I’m sure glad the gun-control laws are working as well as they are.

    Now perhaps they can implement tatoo and piercing controls, and everything will be solved.

  84. #84
    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:57 am, Surveyor said:

    WarTip said:

    or all the innocent young hickory trees I killed getting switches to take back to my Ma but you know what?

    Thats funny! I thought I was the only one that had to cut their own switch for a spankin’….man….good times, good times!

  85. #85
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:01 pm, 30 pcs of silver said:

    All of them. More damage is done because of draconian drug policies than fom the drugs themselves.

    Did you consult your magic eight ball for this lil’ nugget? Pun intended. :-)

  86. #86
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:03 pm, bloghooligan said:

    cpodug,

    i’m not saying the NEA is not a problem, i’m saying the parents are a problem.

    the number of times my mother in law was threatened for criticizing a child’s behavior was amazing. you could get rid of the NEA and the schools would still be terrible.

    what needs to happen is law enforcement. these kids are hardened criminals by the time they’re 16, and many of them are also parents by then. this is because the criminal justice system does nothing to punish these kids, and the parents are never held accountable for their actions.

    if the judicial system changed in DC and you started seeing parents held accountable for their children’s criminal behavior, then you’d see a marked difference in the education system. couple that with a reduction of social services, then you’d have a different city entirely. this is how NYC’s public system transformed.

  87. #87
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:18 pm, alaskangrizzly said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:03 pm, bloghooligan said:
    cpodug,

    i’m not saying the NEA is not a problem, i’m saying the parents are a problem.

    I agree partially with your premise. I think there is a larger problem of worldviews being the root cause of much of what we are seeing from the ground up. Until we start winning hearts and souls people are going to continue to act like this way no matter how many of them you throw in prison for violent crimes or how much money you throw at education as D.C. is evident that the large amount of money we are throwing per student isn’t working.

  88. #88
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:27 pm, cpodug said:

    A rose by any other name - it all starts with accountability - hold the parents accountable, hold the teachers accountable, and hold the students accountable. But most of all, hold our elected and appointed leaders accountable.

  89. #89
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm, bloghooligan said:

    i agree. but i don’t think the world view is being hoisted onto these parents by the NEA, it’s the world view of Rev. Wright.

    and let me just say thank God for Rev. Wright because this phenomenon was inexplicable and always labeled racist until he obnoxiously put it into context. remember, he’s considered a ’scholar’.

    these children don’t come in contact with the NEA until 4 years old. they’re raised in the arms of people who embrace ’scholars’ like Rev. Wright. and Rev Wright’s world view shirks responsibility for ones own life by blaming faceless sources. the only tool society has against this is punishment. we’ve attempted understanding. it doesn’t work.

    so for example, instead a child being put on probation for stealing a car and totaling it (this IS the punishment for this crime in DC, meanwhile the insurance companies lose money, which leads to rate hikes), they go to jail and the parent be held financially responsible for their child’s actions. we have direct control over most (if not all) of this population’s financial life. much like the rest of us work, when we feel it in our pocketbooks, we alter our bahavior.

  90. #90
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pm, Regulus said:

    When I consider the usual hallmarks of liberal thinking:

    - Born of ignorance;
    - Steeped in wishful thinking; and
    - Focused on irrelevancy

    – Then “renaming” the problem out of existence fits at least the second and third criteria.

    It’s similar to how when “negroes” became “blacks” it was supposed to cure all their social ills, and when that didn’t work how switching from “blacks” to “African-Americans” was supposed to do the same thing.

    One of my cats, when startled, will hide under the bedspread - thereby forming a nice, visible lump on top of the bed. “If I can’t see the monster, then the monster can’t see me” works for him because he’s a cat.

    Do DC officials, in their desire to relabel the gang problem away, really believe that the same kind of feline “logic” applies to humans?

  91. #91
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:42 pm, undrseige247 said:

    What do you call six gang members driving down the street? A half dozen brown eggs.

  92. #92
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pm, Rusty said:

    undersiege, I don’t get it.

  93. #93
    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm, RaisedRight said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pm, Rusty said:
    undersiege, I don’t get it.

    Yeah, I don’t either…

  94. #94
    On May 1st, 2008 at 1:20 pm, thefoundingfathers said:

    As a native Washingtonian (yes there are a few of us), I have watch my hometown decline. While there are some areas that have improved, the prior problems are being just pushed east into Prince Georges County, MD and north to Montgomery County, MD.

    Several posters have made the point we are reaping what we sow, and that is very true. While the decades leading up to the 1960’s were not perfect, there has been an increase in the decline of law & order in this country. No area has been exempt from the city out to the rural areas.

    Freedom is a very fragile proposition. With freedom and rights comes responsibility, you cannot separate them. When you abuse the freedom at the expense of the responsibility then you will lose what you abuse.

    Freedom is more than the Bill of Rights. It is the ability to walk down the street and feel safe, not having to lock your car or home, because there is no reason to worry, just to name a few. Oh, how the times have changed.

    Before the delinquents and criminals were held in contempt and vilified, now they are idolized and made rich.

  95. #95
    On May 1st, 2008 at 1:22 pm, jrlingreenbay said:

    make that 3 of us - brown eggs?

  96. #96
    On May 1st, 2008 at 1:24 pm, Barry F. said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am, caligulajones said:

    These gangs only have power because of drug prohibition which is unconstitutional, anyway. Decriminalize drugs and the problem disappears. Only when we take away their money will we take away their power and allure.

    Which part of the Constitution would enacting laws against drugs violate, CJ?

  97. #97
    On May 1st, 2008 at 1:41 pm, gunslingerpatriot said:

    brown eggs-racial slur for hispanic.

    Simluliar to calling a black person a garden tool that rhymes with wade or gatorade.

    GSP
    I hope this guy gets banned. It bad enough dealing with wright, al, jessie, louis, and malik.

  98. #98
    On May 1st, 2008 at 2:02 pm, caligulajones said:

    Barry F.

    More important Barry, which part allows prohibition? They needed an amendment to abolish alcohol.

  99. #99
    On May 1st, 2008 at 2:05 pm, WarEagle82 said:

    This approach could work in a lot of other instances.

    Old Term / New Term
    Drugs / Pharmacological Life Ehancements
    Corruption / Personal Revenue Augmentation Operations
    Murder / Post-Natal Birth Control
    DUI / Alcohol Assisted Locomotion
    Prostitution / Politics
    Kennedys / Boys Behaving Badly

    DC could literally end crime overnight! I wonder why nobody thought of this before?

  100. #100
    On May 1st, 2008 at 2:05 pm, KaosKlerik said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 11:03 am, wescam said:
    I don’t think my neighbors will like this. “Crew bangin’” won’t flow well.

    How about “Crew Doin’” or just “Crew-Do”?

  101. #101
    On May 1st, 2008 at 2:08 pm, RaisedRight said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 1:41 pm, gunslingerpatriot said:
    brown eggs-racial slur for hispanic.

    Huh… I have never heard that term before. And now that I know the slang, I have to say that that was not a funny or clever joke. It’s not even a creative use of the slur.

  102. #102
    On May 1st, 2008 at 2:15 pm, mattm said:

    I see no problem, since we can’t call people who fix roads “crews” anymore. They are Motor Vehicle Travel Lane and Area Engineers. Builders are now “Human Habitat Assembly Engineers”

    /sarc

  103. #103
    On May 1st, 2008 at 2:21 pm, old trooper said:

    DC is fulls of Crooks and Punks.
    The Crooks are Elected. The Punks are the real residents and both can be harmful.

    DC after dark is dangerous to your Health. DC in daylight is dangerous to your wealth.

    If you don’t believe it, go there and watch your SIX!

  104. #104
    On May 1st, 2008 at 2:36 pm, TMoney said:

    Just because I named my Mohammed Mohammed does not keep it from being what it is.

  105. #105
    On May 1st, 2008 at 3:00 pm, Boomer said:

    The affirmative action blond air head they have for a Chief of Police has reached a new low today. Between the new designation so they don’t sound as scary and the failure of DC authorities to allow their citizens to defend their life and liberty by using their US Constitutional 2nd Amendment rights I am surprised the neighborhoods are not ghost towns. Why would anyone one to live in this disfunctional city.

  106. #106
    On May 1st, 2008 at 3:49 pm, beenthere said:

    Well, since there are no more Jihadists and now no more gangs, I guess we can all get up and dance. Moreover, there are no racists any more either, except white ones (poor Jeremiah W. does his best, but I doubt he is ever going to make the grade). Get rid of all white men and it sounds like we will have achieved Utopia at last.

    Gee, I wonder how we could get rid of all white men . . .

    Note: When the Emperor asked Confucius what he would do if he were the ruler, his answer was: call everything by its true name. Confucius was not hired.

  107. #107
    On May 1st, 2008 at 3:55 pm, AlturaCt said:

    While the decades leading up to the 1960’s were not perfect, there has been an increase in the decline of law & order in this country. No area has been exempt from the city out to the rural areas.

    Along with the socialist uprising the 1965 flood gates were also opened.

    Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, assured jittery senators that “our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually.” Senator Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, further calmed that august body, insisting “the total number of potential immigrants would not be changed very much.”

  108. #108
    On May 1st, 2008 at 4:37 pm, Rusty said:

    The affirmative action blond air head they have for a Chief of Police has reached a new low today.

    I have many problems with Chief Lanier as well. But saying her promotion was because of affirmative action is reckless. She was a District Commander and was known for working well with the newly elected Mayor.

    And blaming her for the handgun ban that’s been in the books since 1976 is pretty silly, too.

  109. #109
    On May 1st, 2008 at 4:39 pm, conservativeindian said:

    “Decriminalize drugs”. But then if someone murders or rapes when high you would use that as an excuse. Oh! the liberal mind.

  110. #110
    On May 1st, 2008 at 4:45 pm, Weary Citizen said:

    On May 1st, 2008 at 3:55 pm, AlturaCt said:
    “Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, assured jittery senators that “our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually.” Senator Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, further calmed that august body, insisting “the total number of potential immigrants would not be changed very much.” ”

    Yep. And that fat useless nation killing elitist pr*ck expected us to belive him this time. “But this time I really really mean it” he whined. I kept begging someone to throw that up to him on senate floor during the amnesty debates when he made predictions. And say “you have not been right yet on this subject, why now”? He also said 1M illegals would get amensty in 1986. 3M was the final tally. But alas, nobody had the b*lls. A bunch of lawyers with no b*lls running this country.

  111. #111
    On May 1st, 2008 at 5:03 pm, wighttrasch said:

    Now, I carry periwinkles

    are they hand-painted and Royal Doulton?? HAHAHa!

  112. #112
    On May 1st, 2008 at 6:39 pm, hadsil said:

    But it does work. There’s no more “islamic fascism” anymore. There are no “jihadists”. Heck, “terrorists” don’t even exist anymore.

    - May 1st, 1984, I mean 2008

  113. #113
    On May 1st, 2008 at 8:43 pm, graysonret said:

    Good luck, D.C.! After 40 years, I just moved away from that area on April 30th. Maybe next year, if “crews’ don’t work, you can call them “troops” or “fraternity brothers”. I’ve seen a fine city go downhill where it is more dangerous on the streets there, than in Baghdad. Glad I’m gone.

  114. #114
    On May 2nd, 2008 at 4:44 am, scottthong said:

    Wait, isn’t this how they solved the ‘jihadi’ problem too?

    As for renaming everything to be more politically correct… When are they going to stop slandering Bible-believing, Christian, bitter gun nuts, eh?

    DiversityFanatics.jpg

  115. #115
    On May 2nd, 2008 at 6:40 am, bilgerat said:

    OT, here’s an interesting statistic taken from an article published by Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

    “80% of cocaine and 50% of heroin in the U.S. is smuggled across the border by Mexican nationals.”

    So, if we decriminalize drugs the illegals can become independent product distributors and the “crews” can work in the sales division.

    Illegal immigration and “crew” problem solved….

    /sarc off/

    I do agree with some of the posters regarding the decriminalization of marijuana, to an extent.

    We have had “crews” actively recruiting in the elementary schools in my area for the past several years now, and we don’t live in a major urban area.

    If it walks like a Crip….

  116. #116
    On May 2nd, 2008 at 6:44 am, bilgerat said:

    Does this mean I can’t shop at J.Crew anymore?

  117. #117
    On May 2nd, 2008 at 12:58 pm, 31Bravo said:

    Got a chuckle out of this, reminded me of something that happened in a class when I was in the police academy.

    I wrote a entry on my blog but for the life of me I can’t get a trackback to work, anyone know what I might be doing wrong? I’m using blogger and haloscan for the trackbacks. When I click on the trackback URL here I don’t get any special URL or anything.

    Anyhow, here’s a link to my story if you are interested
    Hopefully I can get trackbacks working and not have to post a link like this anymore. Any help on that score would be appreciated.

  118. #118
    On May 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm, 31Bravo said:

    Let’s try that again:

    http://americanarmed.blogspot.com/

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Conservative coping mechanism: the secret resume

July 24, 2008 01:37 AM by see-dubya

85 Comments | 5 Trackbacks

All around the world, the same song.

“Black hole” brouhaha, continued: Official says “devil’s food cake” is racist, too!

July 10, 2008 11:44 AM by Michelle Malkin

214 Comments | 11 Trackbacks

Don’t call him a “black sheep.”

Dallas county official: “Black hole” is racist!

July 9, 2008 08:51 AM by Michelle Malkin

106 Comments | 15 Trackbacks

Beyond parody.

Patriotism in Denver: Black national anthem

July 1, 2008 09:27 PM by Michelle Malkin

128 Comments | 8 Trackbacks

Lift every voice…

Pet peeve of the day

July 1, 2008 12:14 PM by Michelle Malkin

90 Comments | 2 Trackbacks

What’s in a name?

Raaaaaaaaaacist!!!!!

June 24, 2008 01:36 PM by Michelle Malkin

123 Comments | 6 Trackbacks

It’s “slavery” all over again.

More stirrings of life in the Church of England?

June 7, 2008 02:11 PM by see-dubya

52 Comments | 1 Trackback

“…accuses the Government of discriminating against the Christian Churches in favour of other faiths, including Islam.”

Onward, Christian Soldiers? Signs of life in the Church of England

May 26, 2008 08:00 PM by see-dubya

104 Comments | 3 Trackbacks

“You cannot have an honest conversation on the basis of fudge.”


Categories: Political Correctness


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