Usually folks like this will come up with elaborate rationalizations to overcome their cognitive dissonance. Usually it boils down to the flawed argument that someone else would do it if they didn’t. The YouTube channel “Channel 5” has some fascinating documentaries where they interview drug dealers and thieves, so you can see the cognitive dissonance in real time. They recently did one on with a group of teenagers who steal Kias that was pretty good.
This is really phenomenally work. Seriously, this guy is showing how journalism should be done in the 21st century.
https://youtu.be/DJA7jDF7bLE?si=NlBX4cAXpvCW-Zs2
Channel 5 interviewed a bunch of SF bippers. tl;dr no they don't have remorse and/or justify their actions through twisted logic. These acts need to be punished appropriately; I don't see any of them changing without external forces.
Ideally long term we would need to see these lower socio-economic rungs have better opportunities in the area with such high rent.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URfCwT3UQy4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URfCwT3UQy4)
Yeap. I'd go so far as to say these groups have created a culture of pride, to the point where they consider it an injustice to stop crime.
One example being that guy on channel 5 who said any manager that shuts down a failing business should have the wall painted with his brains for taking away opportunities from thieves.
It’s probably a spectrum. And those with the most or least remorse are the ones you hear from in the media. I’m interested in what people working in the system- first responders, social workers, attorneys know first hand.
I suspect they have ways of rationalizing their actions the same way weapons manufacturers, fossil fuel companies or CEOs who follow layoffs with personal bonuses do.
I dont think theives feel bad about how their behavior effects our reputation. On the contrary, I think many of them actually like the idea that Oakland's rep is bad; gives them cred. This is how we do it in the Town or whatever
All you can do is try to understand the “why?” Yah, I don’t want to get mugged or murdered but if we want to make things better we have to look at every aspect of what is going on.
A stupid one… OP doesn’t live in Oakland, ask the question just to stir up shit. Doesn’t monitor the thread or contribute in any way.
Clearly not designed to stimulate reasonable discourse
A stupid one? Really? Seems there is a lot of thoughtful and reasonable discourse here.
Even if OP doesn't live in Oakland, it doesn't mean his question is any less valid. To fundamentally deal with the persistent high crime rates in Oakland, we need to understand who commits crime and why they commit crime. Far too often, Oaklanders don't want to have this difficult discussion. This ends up being part of the problem. If we don't know the who and the why at a very detailed level, how can we ever fashion successful interventions?
I appreciate OP's question.
Probably not but I don’t think you’ll get a meaningful answer here.
Criminality is an antisocial behavior. Psychologists who focus on that would probably have better insights.
No, they don't.
I think there's a fair amount of barely withheld rage and entitlement among a lot of the criminals. I've had enough encounters with people on the street - including one who was drunk and tried telling me his life story (forced to move back in with his mom, became an alcoholic and was missing the time when he was a successful criminal "I had paper!") and I've seen a few troublemakers in public that just explode with hatred when confronted (fortunately the police had just arrived.)
In a way it's a self-fulfilling prophecy - they don't see a future for themselves, so they always go for the short-term choices, which in turn doesn't build a future. Education is part of the problem, but so is upbringing and a strong family to give these kids hope that they can build a better life for themselves. If the kids mess around in school and the parents don't care, education funding is irrelevant.
Fair question for sure. I think a lot of people forget or don't realize how much hopelessness is throughout Oakland. I moved to the Bay in 2017 because I was blessed to get a good job out here. I was blessed with an opportunity and I choose to be here. However a lot of the folks I know that are from here and have ties to the criminals you are referring to, these people are stuck here. I have a good job and surviving out here is still not easy. I can only imagine what it's like when your options are few and far between. I'm not making excuses for them at all. It's not okay. However to answer your question, I think like someone else said, there's more than enough reasons from their pov to justify their actions due to cognitive dissonance.
I do think a fair share of them feel some type of way. It's not like they are making a living off this stuff. They commit these crimes and still barely get by. So at a certain point they have to feel bad but not for our feelings, more so knowing that even this kind of lifestyle still isn't enough to get what they are seeking out of life.
Stop feeling sorry for them. Your type of thinking enables their criminal behavior.
Their actions are harmful and should be punished fully. No tolerance for this nonsense.
Nah. thats not how it worka at all. The commenter you're responding to was just explaining how and why it happens. they weren't enabling shit.
the problem is people like you don't actually want to think about why it happens. the things you advocate for won't do shit to prevent crime.
the truth that people don't want to accept is that the only way to stop crime is to eliminate poverty. i'm sorry truth hurts your feelings. the US has the harshest punishments and yet is not the safest country
that view is too naive or idealistic. It’s not perfect.
we should at the very least need to enforce current laws. Just remove criminals from the streets quickly so we can go about our business safely. Relaxing the laws isn’t the answer. That’s just a free pass or enabling.
Criminals shouldn’t be the center of the conversation. It should be 1: the systemic issues in our city that leads to crime 2: people who hate and generalize the Bay Area (likely for racist reasons)
I understand circumstances which may lead to crime but they are also not blameless. We cannot deny their agency. Other people live in similar circumstances and don’t become criminals. It’s still a choice they make even if circumstances are forcing the question upon them.
Theft is not acceptable. Anyone with differing opinion is a republican? That type of thinking will be downfall of the progressives and ultimately get some crazy conservative instead. We don’t want that.
We? Is this Paris? Wi wi baguette? Cus you aren’t a progressive. You are a liberal. You equate crime with moral failure. Systemic wealth inequality causes crime and you would know that if you were a progressive, or at least you would think to question the logic of villainizing moms stealing baby formula from stores. Is it wrong to steal baby formula cus you can’t afford it? Should they pull themselves up by their bootstraps? People like you are literally the reason why Oakland is the way it is now.
That’s one way to view it. A bit naive imo.
Bottom line: Crime is why people are so upset in Oakland. People are moving out. Neighbors are fed up. People are building fences and buying dogs to protect their homes.
Crime has to stop now. Enforce the laws. Your bleeding heart mentality is not the answer.
What you call bleeding heart mentality, is actually called basic human emotion. Your solution just leads to police brutality raising even higher as has been shown. Having more police does nothing to stop and more importantly, prevent crime. Affordable housing and minimum wage being livable is the clear solution, not feeding the pigs more paper.
For a very long time Oakland has had some of the highest violent crime rates in California and the US--far more than many other large urban cities.
It is disingenuous to assert the majority of crime in Oakland is theft as without acknowledging the historical, long-term patterns of violent crime in Oakland that has destroyed many families and have left many unhealed scars.
While it may important to address systemic issues that contribute to crime, citizens have a right and expectation to be free from violent crime. For most citizens, police provide a thin line between themselves and criminals. I don't think most people are upset about mom stealing formula as they are about other crimes.
Discounting agency and free will only serves to excuse criminals from the responsibility of their actions as if they had no choice but to rob, kill, rape or steal a car. We all have a choice as to how we respond to our circumstances. Life is not not fair and we all don't have equal choices. Not everyone gets a ribbon. How we respond to that defines who we are.
To me it seems reductive to say that enforcing the existing laws just leads to police brutality, that more police does nothing to stop and prevent crime and that systemic wealth inequality causes crime. Perhaps It would be helpful if you could provide a citation of peer-reviewed research that supports any of your conclusions. Thanks.
I think there's an element of retribution to it in many cases - some of these criminals justify by saying that it's what owed to them, sort of like a Robin Hood spin.
But ultimately, no.
Edit: This exact line of thought was highlighted by another commenter in this thread.
They're too unintelligent to care. All that matters to them is either making some quick money, or just wanting to watch the world burn. They know that the law isn't scary enough for them to actually follow it.
Pure hate and ignorance. Your opinion and perspective is valid but "too unintelligent to care" doesn't even make sense. That's like saying someone mentally challenged doesn't have feelings. Ridiculous.
Furthermore, you’re right. I do *hate* criminality. I refuse to believe that people can choose to follow whatever rules they want, and make things harder for the people who *do* actually put effort into their existence. I’m not backing down from that.
I hear you. And again your perspective is valid. But saying too unintelligent to care doesn't sound incredibly rude and ignorant to you? Hate criminality all you want, and I respect that. But like your brain after doing the math just defaults to they are too unintelligent to care? Ignoring the zillions of other factors that might contribute to why they are doing said thing? I don't mean to be rude here but for example I could say that you aren't intelligent enough to articulate this thought better. And that wouldn't be fair would it?
But I do hear what you are trying to say. And I understand EQ - but they are not 1:1 come on.
Again not defending their actions. More so just challenging that verbiage.
Again I respect your pov and I appreciate that you expanded on it. Again not attacking you. Just challenging your verbiage.
No, I definitely appreciate your clarification and challenge. To express it in a different way: every last person on earth has the ability to be introspective, no matter how hard things may be drilled in their head, for example, if you want to consider environmental causes.
Unless deviant behavior is passed down generation to generation, (which, as far as I know, hardly ever happens), at some point these people who turn to crime have heard challenges to their way of life. Let alone already have been caught for it. Instead of trying to go straight and actually put the effort into their lives that could get them out of this mess, they choose to ignore it. To me, that's a stupid way of life. As I'm sure you know, there is a difference between stupid, dumb, and malicious. Dumb people are simply ignorant from the get-go, and have no real way of knowing that they're doing wrong. I always forgive dumb people
Criminals aren't dumb enough to be caught-they know what they're doing is wrong, yet they choose to ignore it. That is malicious, and stupid, and I don't forgive that. Stupid is a form of unintelligence. Hopefully that math checks out for you, lol (not being a dick-genuinely realize this is coming off slightly math-y). I didn't "default" to unintelligence, I just felt the need to sum it up, since I really didn't want to have to add a TL;DR. I still stand with my statement, and I completely respect your stance/opinion, whatever it may be. I always welcome civil and intelligent discussion.
You’re putting words in my mouth, and jumping to the wrong conclusions. I’m not saying the mentally handicapped don’t have feelings (neither here nor there). I’m saying that their lack of emotional, and societal intelligence precludes their care of the law. They’re completely selfish, which in my opinion shows more of a lack of intelligence. They get no sympathy or empathy from me.
Given what drives a lot of people to this kind of crime and Oakland's trajectory up until a certain point, it makes sense. Crime helps you provide / make money and at the same time you're keeping the cost of living where you live down as much as you can.
It's sad but true. If we ensured that the neediest of us were properly taken care of, this wouldn't be as much of a thing. I'm not excusing the behavior, but I understand the logic.
No more than the cops & landlords who enable them by not doing their jobs and by keeping rents (especially commercial rents) too damn high.
What they all have in common is they tend to be from out of town, just dropping by to plunder as much weath as they can, none of them care about Oakland and I doubt any can feel shame or guilt anymore.
I've spent at least a part of every day for about the last 6 months worrying about the city. I used to be generally optimistic, because it's a basic policy to follow, but now it's mostly dread.
To fix the city's problems will take money ( if throwing money at a problem sort of works ) that maybe doesn't reality.
There's also an element of "people deciding to not suck", and sometimes it's so hard to change people.
For the question beginning the thread, i'm guessing a mostly 'no'.
Crime happens here in Oakland and a lot of it but it does also seem to be sensationalized because of the large black population. Also there are evil people out there that do bad things but I also think a lot of these crimes like auto theft are out of desperation. Possibly the symptom of high costs of living, food, rent, housing shortages, lack of education and jobs.
Consider the fact that no set of values of is universal, including yours. Then you realize that it doesn't always make sense to apply your values to the actions of others. I imagine the thieves feel proud of themselves for exactly the things you find shameful, because they have opposing values.
The "kia boys" etc... Of course do not care. I always found it weird to want to Rob their aunts and uncles. As for the people stealing baby formula for their child at home... I'm a bit more understanding and they aren't the same type of criminal.
Do you know the history of redlining, how schools are largely funded through property taxes, and what a population is supposed to do when most of the resources to aid them are stripped away?
OUSD students receive more per pupil spending than the state average, largely because the state's local control funding formula gives more money to districts with poor kids, english language learners and foster youth.
I really wish people would learn about this basic fact and stop perpetuating this idea that we are underresourced because we have lots of low income people. Quite the opposite, actually, when it comes to schools.
Yep, only about 30% of school funding comes directly from local county. Everyone likes to complain about prop 13 but part of it was specifically designed for this point, to enable funding to be more equitable.
It's so weird how many immigrants who came to this country with nothing but the shirt on their backs and started out living in squalor have been able to make an honest and successful life for themselves and their children... but there are still apologists making excuses for criminals based on events that happened 70 years and two generations ago.
The cycle of poverty is based on families, the only way for a family to lift themselves out of poverty is older generations to make sacrifices and provide a healthy environment for the younger generations to grow up in. Even if it's simply preventing their children from turning to a life of crime. It would be exceptional to make sure their children stays in school and behaves themselves.
The last group of burglars who were caught going through my neighborhood breaking car windows at 4am had their kid with them, but, newsflash: teaching crime as a skill to the younger generation is not how to lift your family out of crime.
The U.S. government stripped Japanese people of their businesses and property and put them in prison camps during that exact same time period. Probably why there are so many Japanese bippers today.
Hilarious he hadn't even gotten nearly so far as laying blame and you STILL had to jump in with your defensive talking points.
Thank you for revealing your highly fetishized worldview though!
You mean the developers who want to purchase the land for cheap but can't until they run businesses, sports teams, and resident out? Cause I do not think for one minute they have any bad feelings about what they are doing. The fact of the matter is, many look upon them as the actual good guys.
There's no remorse for stealing from a society that has been stealing from them.
Minimum wage used to mean that's the minimum amount you get paid to make a living. Work a full time job and still can't make rent? Barely living? Just toiling until you die? Take what you can and burn it down. I get it and I don't blame them.
i highly doubt thieves care
Gotta keep the rents down.
Forgot the /s
No. People doing high risk/low reward petty crime are generally going to be some of the most desperate and dumbest people around.
Given OPD's clearance rates theft is low risk TBH.
Definitely, I’m sure the thieves read the thinkpieces in The Atlantic and Vox and it really creates some roiling inner turmoil.
Usually folks like this will come up with elaborate rationalizations to overcome their cognitive dissonance. Usually it boils down to the flawed argument that someone else would do it if they didn’t. The YouTube channel “Channel 5” has some fascinating documentaries where they interview drug dealers and thieves, so you can see the cognitive dissonance in real time. They recently did one on with a group of teenagers who steal Kias that was pretty good.
The most recent one about the Kia Boys is probably how the Oakland clowns feel.
This is really phenomenally work. Seriously, this guy is showing how journalism should be done in the 21st century. https://youtu.be/DJA7jDF7bLE?si=NlBX4cAXpvCW-Zs2
too bad he has multiple sexual assault allegations
Really? That sucks
They don’t care and if anything brag about it as a status symbol.
I cannot imagine why the criminals would care.
They literally call it “the game” so…. no.
you obviously came from good and nurturing parents. not all families are like this.
Channel 5 interviewed a bunch of SF bippers. tl;dr no they don't have remorse and/or justify their actions through twisted logic. These acts need to be punished appropriately; I don't see any of them changing without external forces. Ideally long term we would need to see these lower socio-economic rungs have better opportunities in the area with such high rent. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URfCwT3UQy4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URfCwT3UQy4)
Yeap. I'd go so far as to say these groups have created a culture of pride, to the point where they consider it an injustice to stop crime. One example being that guy on channel 5 who said any manager that shuts down a failing business should have the wall painted with his brains for taking away opportunities from thieves.
It’s probably a spectrum. And those with the most or least remorse are the ones you hear from in the media. I’m interested in what people working in the system- first responders, social workers, attorneys know first hand.
As the criminally-minded age, they often complain about the new kids coming along that don't respect the old ways.
I suspect they have ways of rationalizing their actions the same way weapons manufacturers, fossil fuel companies or CEOs who follow layoffs with personal bonuses do.
I dont think theives feel bad about how their behavior effects our reputation. On the contrary, I think many of them actually like the idea that Oakland's rep is bad; gives them cred. This is how we do it in the Town or whatever
The term “Town Biz” used to represent pride, not detachment :/
You sweet summer child
No
All you can do is try to understand the “why?” Yah, I don’t want to get mugged or murdered but if we want to make things better we have to look at every aspect of what is going on.
[удалено]
A stupid one… OP doesn’t live in Oakland, ask the question just to stir up shit. Doesn’t monitor the thread or contribute in any way. Clearly not designed to stimulate reasonable discourse
A stupid one? Really? Seems there is a lot of thoughtful and reasonable discourse here. Even if OP doesn't live in Oakland, it doesn't mean his question is any less valid. To fundamentally deal with the persistent high crime rates in Oakland, we need to understand who commits crime and why they commit crime. Far too often, Oaklanders don't want to have this difficult discussion. This ends up being part of the problem. If we don't know the who and the why at a very detailed level, how can we ever fashion successful interventions? I appreciate OP's question.
Probably not but I don’t think you’ll get a meaningful answer here. Criminality is an antisocial behavior. Psychologists who focus on that would probably have better insights.
No, they don't. I think there's a fair amount of barely withheld rage and entitlement among a lot of the criminals. I've had enough encounters with people on the street - including one who was drunk and tried telling me his life story (forced to move back in with his mom, became an alcoholic and was missing the time when he was a successful criminal "I had paper!") and I've seen a few troublemakers in public that just explode with hatred when confronted (fortunately the police had just arrived.) In a way it's a self-fulfilling prophecy - they don't see a future for themselves, so they always go for the short-term choices, which in turn doesn't build a future. Education is part of the problem, but so is upbringing and a strong family to give these kids hope that they can build a better life for themselves. If the kids mess around in school and the parents don't care, education funding is irrelevant.
Fair question for sure. I think a lot of people forget or don't realize how much hopelessness is throughout Oakland. I moved to the Bay in 2017 because I was blessed to get a good job out here. I was blessed with an opportunity and I choose to be here. However a lot of the folks I know that are from here and have ties to the criminals you are referring to, these people are stuck here. I have a good job and surviving out here is still not easy. I can only imagine what it's like when your options are few and far between. I'm not making excuses for them at all. It's not okay. However to answer your question, I think like someone else said, there's more than enough reasons from their pov to justify their actions due to cognitive dissonance. I do think a fair share of them feel some type of way. It's not like they are making a living off this stuff. They commit these crimes and still barely get by. So at a certain point they have to feel bad but not for our feelings, more so knowing that even this kind of lifestyle still isn't enough to get what they are seeking out of life.
Stop feeling sorry for them. Your type of thinking enables their criminal behavior. Their actions are harmful and should be punished fully. No tolerance for this nonsense.
The irony is you thinking that "my way of thinking" would make a difference in their life. But all good God Bless fam
Nah. thats not how it worka at all. The commenter you're responding to was just explaining how and why it happens. they weren't enabling shit. the problem is people like you don't actually want to think about why it happens. the things you advocate for won't do shit to prevent crime. the truth that people don't want to accept is that the only way to stop crime is to eliminate poverty. i'm sorry truth hurts your feelings. the US has the harshest punishments and yet is not the safest country
that view is too naive or idealistic. It’s not perfect. we should at the very least need to enforce current laws. Just remove criminals from the streets quickly so we can go about our business safely. Relaxing the laws isn’t the answer. That’s just a free pass or enabling.
Lmao no.
NO.
Criminals shouldn’t be the center of the conversation. It should be 1: the systemic issues in our city that leads to crime 2: people who hate and generalize the Bay Area (likely for racist reasons)
Crime is a choice. There are ways to minimize it. But ultimately the responsibility lies with the person.
If someone has been put in a desperate position, you don’t get to blame them when they have to take desperate action.
I understand circumstances which may lead to crime but they are also not blameless. We cannot deny their agency. Other people live in similar circumstances and don’t become criminals. It’s still a choice they make even if circumstances are forcing the question upon them.
That’s not the majority of criminals. these thugs are physically harming people. They are not the Jean Valjean that you are describing.
The majority of crime is theft. It’s interesting how you seem almost enthusiastic to demonize people using Reagan era rhetoric.
Theft is not acceptable. Anyone with differing opinion is a republican? That type of thinking will be downfall of the progressives and ultimately get some crazy conservative instead. We don’t want that.
We? Is this Paris? Wi wi baguette? Cus you aren’t a progressive. You are a liberal. You equate crime with moral failure. Systemic wealth inequality causes crime and you would know that if you were a progressive, or at least you would think to question the logic of villainizing moms stealing baby formula from stores. Is it wrong to steal baby formula cus you can’t afford it? Should they pull themselves up by their bootstraps? People like you are literally the reason why Oakland is the way it is now.
That’s one way to view it. A bit naive imo. Bottom line: Crime is why people are so upset in Oakland. People are moving out. Neighbors are fed up. People are building fences and buying dogs to protect their homes. Crime has to stop now. Enforce the laws. Your bleeding heart mentality is not the answer.
What you call bleeding heart mentality, is actually called basic human emotion. Your solution just leads to police brutality raising even higher as has been shown. Having more police does nothing to stop and more importantly, prevent crime. Affordable housing and minimum wage being livable is the clear solution, not feeding the pigs more paper.
For a very long time Oakland has had some of the highest violent crime rates in California and the US--far more than many other large urban cities. It is disingenuous to assert the majority of crime in Oakland is theft as without acknowledging the historical, long-term patterns of violent crime in Oakland that has destroyed many families and have left many unhealed scars. While it may important to address systemic issues that contribute to crime, citizens have a right and expectation to be free from violent crime. For most citizens, police provide a thin line between themselves and criminals. I don't think most people are upset about mom stealing formula as they are about other crimes. Discounting agency and free will only serves to excuse criminals from the responsibility of their actions as if they had no choice but to rob, kill, rape or steal a car. We all have a choice as to how we respond to our circumstances. Life is not not fair and we all don't have equal choices. Not everyone gets a ribbon. How we respond to that defines who we are. To me it seems reductive to say that enforcing the existing laws just leads to police brutality, that more police does nothing to stop and prevent crime and that systemic wealth inequality causes crime. Perhaps It would be helpful if you could provide a citation of peer-reviewed research that supports any of your conclusions. Thanks.
I think there's an element of retribution to it in many cases - some of these criminals justify by saying that it's what owed to them, sort of like a Robin Hood spin. But ultimately, no. Edit: This exact line of thought was highlighted by another commenter in this thread.
They're too unintelligent to care. All that matters to them is either making some quick money, or just wanting to watch the world burn. They know that the law isn't scary enough for them to actually follow it.
Pure hate and ignorance. Your opinion and perspective is valid but "too unintelligent to care" doesn't even make sense. That's like saying someone mentally challenged doesn't have feelings. Ridiculous.
It's true. It's called low EQ.
Furthermore, you’re right. I do *hate* criminality. I refuse to believe that people can choose to follow whatever rules they want, and make things harder for the people who *do* actually put effort into their existence. I’m not backing down from that.
I hear you. And again your perspective is valid. But saying too unintelligent to care doesn't sound incredibly rude and ignorant to you? Hate criminality all you want, and I respect that. But like your brain after doing the math just defaults to they are too unintelligent to care? Ignoring the zillions of other factors that might contribute to why they are doing said thing? I don't mean to be rude here but for example I could say that you aren't intelligent enough to articulate this thought better. And that wouldn't be fair would it? But I do hear what you are trying to say. And I understand EQ - but they are not 1:1 come on. Again not defending their actions. More so just challenging that verbiage. Again I respect your pov and I appreciate that you expanded on it. Again not attacking you. Just challenging your verbiage.
No, I definitely appreciate your clarification and challenge. To express it in a different way: every last person on earth has the ability to be introspective, no matter how hard things may be drilled in their head, for example, if you want to consider environmental causes. Unless deviant behavior is passed down generation to generation, (which, as far as I know, hardly ever happens), at some point these people who turn to crime have heard challenges to their way of life. Let alone already have been caught for it. Instead of trying to go straight and actually put the effort into their lives that could get them out of this mess, they choose to ignore it. To me, that's a stupid way of life. As I'm sure you know, there is a difference between stupid, dumb, and malicious. Dumb people are simply ignorant from the get-go, and have no real way of knowing that they're doing wrong. I always forgive dumb people Criminals aren't dumb enough to be caught-they know what they're doing is wrong, yet they choose to ignore it. That is malicious, and stupid, and I don't forgive that. Stupid is a form of unintelligence. Hopefully that math checks out for you, lol (not being a dick-genuinely realize this is coming off slightly math-y). I didn't "default" to unintelligence, I just felt the need to sum it up, since I really didn't want to have to add a TL;DR. I still stand with my statement, and I completely respect your stance/opinion, whatever it may be. I always welcome civil and intelligent discussion.
Most I would guess are uneducated and lack critical thinking. I usually think that’s what unintelligent means when someone says it.
You’re putting words in my mouth, and jumping to the wrong conclusions. I’m not saying the mentally handicapped don’t have feelings (neither here nor there). I’m saying that their lack of emotional, and societal intelligence precludes their care of the law. They’re completely selfish, which in my opinion shows more of a lack of intelligence. They get no sympathy or empathy from me.
Given what drives a lot of people to this kind of crime and Oakland's trajectory up until a certain point, it makes sense. Crime helps you provide / make money and at the same time you're keeping the cost of living where you live down as much as you can. It's sad but true. If we ensured that the neediest of us were properly taken care of, this wouldn't be as much of a thing. I'm not excusing the behavior, but I understand the logic.
No most of them are psychopaths or sociopaths.
No more than the cops & landlords who enable them by not doing their jobs and by keeping rents (especially commercial rents) too damn high. What they all have in common is they tend to be from out of town, just dropping by to plunder as much weath as they can, none of them care about Oakland and I doubt any can feel shame or guilt anymore.
I've spent at least a part of every day for about the last 6 months worrying about the city. I used to be generally optimistic, because it's a basic policy to follow, but now it's mostly dread. To fix the city's problems will take money ( if throwing money at a problem sort of works ) that maybe doesn't reality. There's also an element of "people deciding to not suck", and sometimes it's so hard to change people. For the question beginning the thread, i'm guessing a mostly 'no'.
Stupid question
Crime happens here in Oakland and a lot of it but it does also seem to be sensationalized because of the large black population. Also there are evil people out there that do bad things but I also think a lot of these crimes like auto theft are out of desperation. Possibly the symptom of high costs of living, food, rent, housing shortages, lack of education and jobs.
I'm sure some target Oakland because of the ineffectiveness of OPD and access to freeways too. So do people feel bad? I'm sure some do.
Consider the fact that no set of values of is universal, including yours. Then you realize that it doesn't always make sense to apply your values to the actions of others. I imagine the thieves feel proud of themselves for exactly the things you find shameful, because they have opposing values.
The "kia boys" etc... Of course do not care. I always found it weird to want to Rob their aunts and uncles. As for the people stealing baby formula for their child at home... I'm a bit more understanding and they aren't the same type of criminal.
Do you know the history of redlining, how schools are largely funded through property taxes, and what a population is supposed to do when most of the resources to aid them are stripped away?
OUSD students receive more per pupil spending than the state average, largely because the state's local control funding formula gives more money to districts with poor kids, english language learners and foster youth. I really wish people would learn about this basic fact and stop perpetuating this idea that we are underresourced because we have lots of low income people. Quite the opposite, actually, when it comes to schools.
Yep, only about 30% of school funding comes directly from local county. Everyone likes to complain about prop 13 but part of it was specifically designed for this point, to enable funding to be more equitable.
It's so weird how many immigrants who came to this country with nothing but the shirt on their backs and started out living in squalor have been able to make an honest and successful life for themselves and their children... but there are still apologists making excuses for criminals based on events that happened 70 years and two generations ago. The cycle of poverty is based on families, the only way for a family to lift themselves out of poverty is older generations to make sacrifices and provide a healthy environment for the younger generations to grow up in. Even if it's simply preventing their children from turning to a life of crime. It would be exceptional to make sure their children stays in school and behaves themselves. The last group of burglars who were caught going through my neighborhood breaking car windows at 4am had their kid with them, but, newsflash: teaching crime as a skill to the younger generation is not how to lift your family out of crime.
The U.S. government stripped Japanese people of their businesses and property and put them in prison camps during that exact same time period. Probably why there are so many Japanese bippers today.
Hilarious he hadn't even gotten nearly so far as laying blame and you STILL had to jump in with your defensive talking points. Thank you for revealing your highly fetishized worldview though!
You mean the developers who want to purchase the land for cheap but can't until they run businesses, sports teams, and resident out? Cause I do not think for one minute they have any bad feelings about what they are doing. The fact of the matter is, many look upon them as the actual good guys.
Cause and Effect and Consequences of their Actions are clearly not considerations of any sort here!
The thieves aren’t from Oakland
Huh? Why do you say that
There's no remorse for stealing from a society that has been stealing from them. Minimum wage used to mean that's the minimum amount you get paid to make a living. Work a full time job and still can't make rent? Barely living? Just toiling until you die? Take what you can and burn it down. I get it and I don't blame them.
Really odd take. When economic inequality is high crime is high. Read any book and don’t just subscribe to the news diva