particular car theft.
I think our society has placed a very high value on owning an automobile too. Why? Poor alternate transportation options, sprawl, unavailability of a decent wage job in your neighborhood, economic status, convenience, and the freedom to move about the city, region, state, country, and because they've worked and earned enough to get one and pay for insurance and obey the law. While I admire those with alternative transport methods on their agenda, I don't believe the bike/bus/pool or rail argument will ever stop particular sects of society from owning and desiring an automobile, no matter where they live, and no matter how wrong it is to drive around a gas-guzzling, air polluting, earth destroying automobile. I see people driving vehicles in this city that cost more than my home did. And even though it makes my stomach turn, they bought it and they deserve to have it remain in tact while parked on their own property. And I can personally attest that it's a tremendous pain in the hind-end when your car is stolen/vandalized or burglarized, or even bashed in and set on fire by an insanely celebratory college student.
While I certainly don't equate auto theft with any crime that brutalizes a human being (and cats and dogs for that matter), I can't imagine the number of rapes and murders comes close to outnumbering nuisance crimes such as property and auto theft/vandalization. Having a video camera in order to protect your property, or in this case the city's i.e. its citizens, can't be THAT bad if it helps identify someone doing something wrong, can it? It's all got to do with a city or neighborhood's livability. Is it strictly income that allows my friends in Edina and on parts of the southside to be able to STILL leave the back door open, or their garage or car unlocked? If not, what is it? Race? A better lawnmower? Political leanings? Anyone?
Jill Harmon
CLeveland
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