re: #345 Fairly Sure I’m Still Obdicut

No. Why would it?

I said locking them up won’t solve the problem long-term. You didn’t ‘turn the coin’, you made up something I didn’t say. This is something you often do, it is shitty of you, and you should really stop doing it. This marks the umpteenth time I’ve typed this out to you.

And actually, yes, gangs do have ‘hiring freezes’ when there aren’t enough jobs. I don’t know why you think otherwise; gangs operate under the same economic conditions that govern any economic activity.

This is an assertion, without even an attempt at any sort of proof or evidence to it. It is not an argument. It is just saying ‘nuh-uh’. The amount of effect law enforcement can have on gang activity is very small, because gang members are not joining gangs and engaging in those activities because they’re forgoing abundant other opportunities, but in general because those are the opportunities open to them. All law enforcement can do is imprison them, but they’re already choosing a lifestyle that can wind up with them murdered on a daily basis. The economic and sociological conditions that produce gang culture aren’t going to be affected because you arrest a percentage of the gang population, and i have no idea why you think it will. Law enforcement can have, at best, a very temporary effect on gang violence.

What causes gangs to exist, what causes criminal activity, is a systemic problem that is not ‘helped’ by locking up individual criminals. This would only be true if those criminals were the only ones that could fill those roles, but the truth is that when you lock them up, they are replaced by others stepping into those roles. This is observably true. Are you arguing that this is not the case?

I deny making anything up at all. And I continue to maintain jailing violent gang members has a net public safety benefit. Law enforcement makes this argument well, and i agree with the professionals doing the job in this instance.

Anyway now that I’m falsely accused of making things up I will be on with my day. Plenty to do and an afternoon to take in. ‘Till next time then.