We don’t keep tabs, but I reckon most of our readers live in relatively safe neighborhoods. If true, some of the best armed Americans live in places where their odds of a violent attack are relatively low. By the same token . . .
People who live in high crime ‘hoods, people who need a gun for self-protection, often don’t have them, whether due to culture, economic circumstances, gun control (e.g., New Jersey) or some combination thereof.
Here’s a report on a typical Friday night in New Orleans [via theadvocate.com] that highlights this problem:
• Two men said they were walking in Mid-City just after noon on Friday when they were forced to the ground and robbed at gunpoint. The men, 51 and 48, said they were in the 3300 block of Palmyra Street when the incident occurred. The armed man fled in an unknown direction, NOPD said.
• A 35-year-old woman said an argument with an ex-boyfriend in New Orleans East ended with him beating and robbing her. The incident occurred in the 7500 block of Sandy Cove Drive about 3:15 p.m.. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Travis Smith, 39, who allegedly entered the home after the argument and striking the woman before stealing her cell phone, NOPD said.
• A 36-year-old man said he was inside a renovated property in xxxx about 4:30 p.m. when an unknown man approached and robbed him. The incident occurred in the 2500 block of N. Rampart Street. The victim said the armed man ordered him to the ground, went through his pockets and fled with cash.
• A 36-year-old man said he had arrived at his residence in Marigny about 4:44 p.m. when he was approached from behind and robbed. The incident occurred in the 1600 block of St. Roch Avenue, according to the NOPD. The victim said the armed man ordered him to the ground, then fled in an unknown direction with the victim’s wallet.
• One man entered an O’Reilly Auto Parts in New Orleans East armed with a shotgun and made off with cash, NOPD said. The store is located in the 9600 block of Chef Menteur Highway. Two employees said they complied with the man’s request, who then fled. The incident occurred about 7:49 p.m. on Friday.
• A 33-year-old woman said she was walking her dog in the 7th Ward when a man arrived on a bike and threw her to the ground before stealing her purse. The incident occurred about 7:44 p.m. in the 2100 block of Frenchmen Street. The woman said the man had asked her for a lighter, but when she reached into her purse for one he threw her to the ground. The woman said the man fled down Frenchmen Street in the direction of N. Miro Street.
• A 45-year-old man said he was walking in the Central Business District when he was robbed at gunpoint. The incident occurred about 1:41 a.m. in the 100 block of Burgundy Street. The man said a black Nissan Altima pulled out, and two women exited. He said as he started to back up, two men approached — one armed — and demanded his possessions. He complied, and the people then fled in an unknown direction, according to NOPD.
Another issue worth raising: people in high-crime neighborhoods are more likely to have a run-in with the law than people in low-crime neighborhoods. Those convicted of non-violent felonies lose their gun rights forever. That ain’t right, right?