This nation has witnessed a surge in violent crime in most major cities which includes Atlanta, my home city. Emma Tucker and Peter Nickens wrote an article for CNN on April 3, 2021, and reported that violent crime in New York rose 39% while Chicago’s numbers increased 59%. Additionally, Cameron McWhirter of the Wall Street Journal reported on March 11, 2021, that violent crime in Atlanta was up 80%. Those of us that live in metro Atlanta know that violent crime has increased simply by watching our local news.
Emma Tucker and Peter Nickens discussed what they call a “Perfect Storm” of factors related to the increased violence occurring across our nation.
The factors they noted were economic collapse, social anxiety (due to the pandemic), de-policing in major cities after protests that called for the abolition of police departments, shifts in police resources from neighborhoods to downtown areas (due to the protests), and the release of criminal defendants pretrial or before sentences were completed to reduce risk of Covid- 19 spread in jails. Ms. Tucker and Mr. Nickens suggest that the aforementioned could be some of the reasons for the crime wave that’s now enveloping our nation. It’s my opinion that though some of the factors given by the CNN report may be valid I have a different opinion.
I have observed a shift in the behavior of some in the younger generation that involves music and drugs which I feel contribute to the increased level of crimes. One glaring factor I’ve noticed is the focus of some members of the younger generation on music careers which is considered to be almost synonymous with a career as a professional athlete. They feel it’s their get rich quick ticket to fame and fortune. Consequently, some end up selling drugs to pay for studio time hoping to bring their dreams to fruition. It’s not worth the risk. Engaging in drug-related activities is not good and can have very serious consequences.
Ms. Tucker and Mr. Nickens further stated that inner-city residents are constantly dealing with trauma. Oftentimes violence is prevalent. The impact is especially severe on children who are continually exposed to violent crime from an early age. We must have discussions with our children about doing what is right and hope that our discussions resonate with them. We must take a stance to help ameliorate this growing problem. Please give us a thumbs-up, a like, a share, and subscribe.
Marvin Dixon/Founder/ VMGREVIEW.COM
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