Put Them on the Bus

The first part of your post is interesting and flawed, --as the recent home invasion/robbery posted about in another thread here would indicate.

The second part is offensive.

Yup, agreed.

You seem to be dismissing victims of crime because they are either Black, gang members or in domestic abuse situations that is a very arrogant attitude. I don't believe the tourist from PR was either Black, a gang member or in a domestic abuse situation. When one person on these islands is a victim of crime we all are victims.

While I do feel safe here, I did not intend to discount the very real problems these islands face. I'm sorry if that was how I sounded. In my opinion, all any of us who post here want is for possible transplants to have an honest view of life here.

I did work with personnel from the Justice Dept. Almost all of the murders committed on these islands are "Black on Black," " Gang on Gang," and Domestic Violence. Does anyone feel like they will lose their life walking in Sunny Isles or Downtown Charlotte Amalie like the citizens of Somalia. Does anyone fear being kidnapped like the citizens of Tijuana. Does anyone fear being maimed while doing daily chores like the citizens of Somalia. You all need to stop painting this false picture that the Virgin Islands is not safe. These islands are under the American Flag and it is extremely safe to live here. Keep it real.

So the islands are safe if you're a white continental? Except that just last month a tourist WAS murdered in broad daylight while on a tour on the beach. Anybody can get caught in the cross fire, even at Sunny Isles.

Feeling safe and being safe are 2 different things.
I feel safe here on STX but I take measures to ensure our safety that I might not feel necessary in other places I've lived.

You say you're relatively new here. Have you had a friend murdered or robbed here? If not,..give it time.

Will you be driving the bus?8-)

just because most victims of crime are gang related does not mean that all are, and even one murder regardless of who it is is one too many. i ask you to do research and see if our murder rate per capita is not the highest or at least at the top of that list on u. s. soil.robberies on the north shore had been a daily occurrence, there was just a home robbery on saturday, luckily no one was hurt or killed.
i personally feel very safe i also take precautions too. sometimes i think my bf is over cautious but maybe not. we have had while living here on this beautiful island more crime committed against us than the two of us combine in all of our years on the mainland. i will be 48 and he is 58, i have been here for 5 1/2 years and he has been here for about 7-8. so statistically yeah i would say crime here is much higher than anywhere else i have lived.
we make adjustments on where and when we go out to eat. i have had an issue with my vehicle bought from auto world and might need to testify, my bf is adamant that i dont, he says your car will get burned up maybe with you in it. overly dramatic for my taste but when i conveyed these words to other people they all agreed with him.
go ahead and make light of the crime on these islands if you want. i pray that you will never be a victim of one of the restaurant robberies where they are brandishing ak47's , or at one where a random person gets shot and killed. good luck to you.

What on earth does "Keep it real" mean? Something like "It's all good'?

Language has become meaningless.

Not that I am agreeing in any way with the OP, but I don't believe you can call someone murdered who was caught in the crossfire of someone committing murder. It was not the intention of the shooter to shoot the tourist. That would be murder. You may flame me if you like, but keep the terms correct please.The tourist was shot and killed in the crossfire.

Yep, they would call that "manslaughter".
But it's still real and awful ...and affects everyone with a soul.

Sky - your spot on mate. In time each of us lose our innocence, and sometimes, unfortunately, a friend.

Surfer - no one who lives here any length of time, and continues to live here, is being detrimental - we're just not satisfied with the status quo when it comes to violent, and non-violent. crime We are trying to find ways to help the community improve. Some of that comes from awareness. If a comment made here on this board helps a newcomer be more alert when they arrive on island, and prevents them from becoming a victim then the right outcome has been achieved.

Ok Ronnie, how about you quit being so pedantic and simply substitute the word homicide.

Ronnie, i understand what you are saying. But I thought an "accidential" death that occurs while you are committing another felonyups that death to murder? Probaly too much Law & Order! lol.

But it's a small point. And we basically agree - people who are minding their own business, who are not involved in drugs, who are not wandering around at night drunk, and who take sensible safety precautions, are USUALLY safe, here and everywhere else.

murder, homicide, manslaughter, their still dead!:X

Dude...I mean seriously dude...your post is just so f_c_ed up on so many levels. You should win a prize.

Your little Who Would You Kill game...are you kidding me?

You attempt to refute absurd examples that you, yourself, put forth. Somalia? Beirut?

Nothing is more offensive and disgusting than your "Black on Black" statement that you made not once, but twice. Those deaths should be "factored out'? Why?

WOW! Not what I expected to wake up to this morning! Surfer, I'm a "middle-class, white" person from the mainland, and even I find your post extremely offensive! While I understand that gang members have made personal choices that may put them in harm's way and domestic violence happens everywhere (most unfortunately), your "Black on Black" comment is way uncool. It shouldn't matter if a person is black, white, or purple with green polka-dots. Dead is dead and tragedy is tragedy. Then you top it off by suggesting that "trouble makers" should be driven off a cliff?! It seems to me that people like you are part of the problems there, not the solution.

I, for one, very much appreciate all of the information I've found in this forum, both good and bad! IMO, any responsible citizen hoping to make such a huge move is well-served to get as much info as they can about their chosen home. Much better to enter a situation informed than with unrealistic ideals. Shame on you, Surfer! :-X

Islanders, our hearfelt prayers and well-wishes go out to Mr. Duggan and his family! I'm just very thankful that their most unfortunate experience did not escalate into a very tragic situation. Best wishes to you all!

Surfer, want a job? it involves driving.

sounds to me like surfer should drive his/her own self off the cliff...in reality he/she should move his ass off the island...

pedantic, I like that. Thanks!

Ronnie pedantic? Hmm...a pedantic curmudgeon. *-)

Wow, looky at all the righteous indignation *yawn* . Let he or she among you who has not indulged in some degree of thoughtful demographic analysis cast the first stone.

Wow, looky at all the righteous indignation *yawn* . Let he or she among you who has not indulged in some degree of thoughtful demographic analysis cast the first stone.

I have, but the race of those I demographically analyze has never been part of the equation. The actions of those I analyze has. Otherwise I know that it is not a valid analysis. Being black is not a causative factor (even if it is corollary) in being murdered so to use this in your analysis is silly and ignorant. To say "gang on gang" is very different than saying "black on black." The first takes into account the actions of people which is a reasonable basis for grouping individuals in regards to their likelihood in being a crime victim. The second takes only into consideration ones skin color which tells you very little about this. And it comes off ignorant/racist.

To the OP, stay longer and lose some friends or people you know due to either homicide or because they are victimized to the point where they leave and then tell us how you feel. At some point you too will get frustrated. Is this Somalia? I don't know, I would never have considered living in Somalia. But for a place that flies the US flag the level of crime here is unacceptable.

Sean

Let me get this straight, I'm safe because I'm white, but my wife needs to worry because she's black?

Sean,
Well put as usual(tu)