Crime

I got up this morning to watch the latest episode of Harper’s Island. John Wakefield is killing everyone on the island. It turned my attention to crime. In almost every large city in the United States there is violent crime. I recently read in Portland Monthly that in downtown Portland, the violent crimes are around 246 per year. I love downtown Portland and it should be protected. It has the Zoo, OMSI, the Portland Art Museum, and Broadway plays. Law abiding citizens are at the mercy of criminals at the time that law enforcement budgets are cut. I’ve learned from television that you can’t walk in Central Park in NYC at night because of criminals.
In September, 1993, Leslie and I visited China on a 17 day tour with Ocean Pacific. We walked on the Great Wall. In June, 1993, I had a bout with breast cancer and Leslie made the decision to start traveling. Life is short and he figured that it is far better to travel while you can, instead of waiting until you are stuck in a wheel chair. Money from a law suit made it possible.
In one of the large cities, our tour bus stopped at a large intersection. All traffic stopped. Several large flatbed trucks went by. On the back were prisoners dressed in white who were blindfolded and their hands tied behind their back. Three gunmen were surrounding each criminal. We asked on the tour bus what was happening. We were told that the criminals were taken to the edge of the city to be shot and their family would be charged for the bullet. No trial with a jury.
In the center of a different city, we were able to stop at a street market at night in safety. We were told that you walk without fear in China because law abiding citizens are safe. Now China is a major power. The intelligent, hard-working Chinese are protected and flourish.
I believe that it is important to protect the legal rights of the individual but it isn’t okay to allow those who commit violent crime to harass law abiding citizens and repeat these crimes.