Kansas City, St. Louis and Missouri not on a good list

The FBI's latest murder rate list came out and St. Louis and Kansas City, specifically and so, Missouri, in general, don't come out looking very good. The list?

These Are The Major U.S. Cities With The Highest Murder Rates, According To The FBI

Check out number 10: Kansas City, Missouri
Allan Baxter via Getty Images

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 people: 21

Total murders and non-negligent manslaughters: 99

Violent crime rate per 100,000 people: 1,260

Total violent crimes: 5,864

Population: 465,514

All data from FBI's 2013 Uniform Crime Report.

To lick our collective wounds on the West side of the state, here's St. Lou---

No. 4

Byron Jorjorian via Getty Images

And their rather lamentable stats:

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 people: 38

Total murders and non-negligent manslaughters: 120

Violent crime rate per 100,000 people: 1,594

Total violent crimes: 5,077

Population: 318,563

All data from FBI's 2013 Uniform Crime Report.

Note, only one other state had two cities on the ignominious list (and that was Louisiana).

Missouri, it's starting to suck to be you, kiddo.

Any ideas, citizens of Missouri? Solutions, anyone?

Quote of the day--on guns

New Facebook page for the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime

Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Brooks posted on his Facebook page today they have a new page there for their  Ad Hoc Group Against Crime.

You can find that here: 

Ad Hoc Group Against Crime

The State of the Union

And it will stay this way--if not get worse--until we tamp down the NRA, folks.

Once again, Kansas City, thank our stars we aren't Detroit

From the news online:

Enter At Your Own Risk: Police Union Says ‘War-Like’ Detroit Is Unsafe For Visitors

From the story:

DETROIT (WWJ) – The men and women of the Detroit Police Department believe the city is too dangerous to enter, and they want citizens to know it.

Detroit Police Officer Association (DPOA) Attorney Donato Iorio said officers are holding the “Enter At Your Own Risk” rally at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in front of Comerica Park to remind the public that the officers are overworked, understaffed, and at times, fearful for their lives.

That bad. It's that bad.

Chicago's murder rate is through the roof, St. Louis has far worse crime than us and now this--the Detroit Police Department's Union doesn't recommend you go into the city.

I gotta' say, I'm feeling much better now.

Link: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/06/enter-at-your-own-risk-police-union-says-war-like-detroit-is-unsafe-for-visitors/

America, don't tell me you give a damn about senseless shootings

Every Columbine and every Tuscon, Arizona and every Aurora, Colorado makes it that much easier to point out the ignorance of America's gun laws and the deaths from our far-too-many guns.

Does it change anything or will it?

Heck no, unfortunately. Americans will continue to do nothing or--worse--they will fight to keep our semi-automatic and automatic weapons.

We're just not that bright.

So please, don't pretend America gives a damn about the 12 people killed yesterday and the 59 shot and wounded or the crippling and near-killing of Representative Gabby Gifford and the six killed and 13 wounded then and there in Tuscon last year or the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 that killed 32 people and wounded 17 others or, finally--at least here, now, today--the Columbine shooting, in which 13 people were killed and 21 were injured.

America, Americans, don't pretend you give a damn--not one bit--about the people who were killed this week in Aurora, Colorado. You feign concern and/or sympathy like someone who posts "I'm so sorry" on Facebook.

It's a an empty gesture.

A very empty gesture.

If you gave a damn, you'd make sure this madness would at least decrease greatly, if not end as completely as possible.

Instead, you do nothing.

As it is, there will be another Columbine, another Tuscon, yet another Virginia Tech, one more Aurora, Colorado.

And the reactions and results will be just the same.

The National Rifle Association thanks you.

Great articles in The Star today

The Star hit some balls out of the ballpark today, I think, in their reporting.

Good for them. Good for us.

The first I'll mention is their series on all the people across town who have gotten shot, for whatever reason, in the past and then didn't press charges against their assailants so the police had to abandon their investigations. As I posted yesterday and as the Star so rightly points out in these articles, unless and until people make others responsible for these actions, not only will the shootings and killings not stop but they will likely get worse, as we've seen over the years in town. It has a 2nd part in tomorrow's paper, too.

The other great article--also on the front page of the paper--tells about GSA bonuses given to staff who also happen to be under investigation.

Does that make any sense?

They're under investigation for some kind of possible transgression but they get a bonus anyway?

Anyway, as a side note, it should be pointed out that it was reporter Russ Ptacek, before he left town, who got these investigations started. (I did point it out on Facebook, on Russ Ptacek's page, in an effort to thank him).

So kudos to you today, Star, and thank you.

Now, if maybe more and yet more local reporting across our cities, towns, counties and states of Missouri and Kansas can come from our paper, people will want and even need to subscribe, for fear of missing out on important, local stories. Maybe, maybe that will help save this rag. ("Rag" not meant disparagingly).

Here's hoping.

Have a great week, y'all.

Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/02/3639299/special-report-many-bullets-little.html;
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/02/3639310/who-stands-up-for-the-people-getting.html;
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/02/3639313/gang-shootings-create-cycles.html;
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/02/3639290/gsa-is-under-fire-for-bonuses.html

Cooperation? With the police? On the East side?

Yes sir. It surely seems that way.

And thank goodness. At long last.

This from the Star today:

Teen accused in April slaying outside east KC home

Here's the story and tragedy of it:

"Jackson County prosecutors accused a teenager today in the April 12 killing of another young man on an east Kansas City street.

Davon J. Boston, 19, of Kansas City faces charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of Ryan K. Taylor, 20, of Kansas City in the 3000 block of Kensington Avenue."

Here's the important, new, good part:

"A witness told police that Taylor was outside a house with several other people when a car pulled up carrying a driver, adult passenger and a baby."

Wha?

A witness? On the East side?

Yes, you read correctly.

Wait, too. There's more.

"After a brief conversation, Taylor turned to go into the home’s yard. The car’s passenger got out and struck Taylor in the head with a handgun, according to the witness. He then fired several shots into Taylor as he lay on the ground, according to the witness account in court documents.

The gunman took a book bag of marijuana from Taylor, pointed the gun at the car’s driver and said 'let’s go,' according to the documents."

Here's the money part:

"Other witnesses corroborated the version of events."

Not just "a witness" but "other witnesses."

And we never thought we'd see the day.

This, this is what this city has been waiting for for far too many years. And deaths.

Shootings and killings--committed anywhere--aren't likely to stop, no matter how pointless and meaningless if the ones doing them know no one is going to speak up and turn them in.

This is what we've all been waiting for, as a city.

Now if it just catches on.

Here's hoping.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/01/3637647/teen-accused-in-april-slaying.html

Suddenly Seattle sounds like Kansas City

Breaking news today:

3 killed, 2 wounded in Seattle shooting; gunman still at large

Except there, in Seattle, this is big and unusual news.

Sad.

Sad for us and now them, too.

Kansas City, Detroit, St. Louis, we all take it in stride and think it's just another day.

Let's hope this kind of ignorance and insanity doesn't catch on there, too.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/2-killed-3-wounded-seattle-shooting-gunman-still-212556859.html

An example of why we don't need "guns, guns and more guns"

Kansas City got yet another example the other day on why we--our society, in general but Kansas City and the nation, both--absolutely don't need "more guns, everywhere, all the time" as the NRA and their supporters seem to support.

From The Kansas City Star:

Metro Squad investigates killing of Raytown man

"Harry M. Stone looked forward to his next physical challenge.

For the 60-year-old longtime Raytown resident, that meant jogging daily to prepare to join relatives this summer to climb Aspen Mountain in Colorado.

He was doing that Sunday morning when a gunman leaned out of a passing sedan and fatally shot Stone in what police believe was a random, unprovoked drive-by shooting."

A random, pointless, needless shooting that creates a tragedy. A life lost. A family deeply hurt. Friends who lose someone close and dear to them.

For nothing.

And sure, this is where the NRA and those supporters say "Sure, but if you take away guns, only the bad guys will have guns."

Right. I get so tired of that logic.

How, exactly, was this Mr. Stone supposed to know he was going to be shot for no reason, out of the blue, for starters? And so how, after that, was he supposed to know he should be "packing heat"--carrying a gun--for self-protection on his morning walk.

The logic doesn't fit. It doesn't fit at all.

As a society, as a culture, we Americans are just far too reliant and dependent on guns in our lives and in our world.

No nation on the planet has more shootings and so, more killings by handguns and other weapons than we do. And it's been this way for decades, at least. We're gun-wacko.

No, it just makes no sense.

The trouble is, I don't know how you reduce the number of guns that are in a society, once they're already out there. It's a deadly Pandora's box that can't be re-shut, it seems.

And just try suggesting that we register them.

Good luck and God help you with that.

So in the meantime, these people will suggest we have guns on our buses and in our passenger trains and in our National Parks, everywhere.

It's "All guns, all the time."

Yeehaw.

Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/13/3608567/man-wounded-in-raytown-shooting.html; http://www.kctv5.com/story/18375518/metro-squad-raytown-man-out-for-jog-gunned-down;
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/14/3609598_metro-squad-investigating-killing.html; http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2012/05/rage-and-reaction-regarding-innocent.html; http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/crime/daughter-of-raytown-man-shot-while-jogging-speaks-out; http://www.kctv5.com/story/18407272/raytown-church-leader-fatally-shot-during-jog-mourned-as-police-release-surveillance-video; http://fox4kc.com/2012/05/14/church-family-disturbed-by-members-murder/;;

No one can stop the KC killing without help from the people

Why nothing will ever change in Kansas City regarding the shootings and killings unless the people change: Man shot twice outside an apartment, but refuses to tell police about the shooter KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man is recovering from gunshot wounds suffered late Wednesday night outside a Kansas City apartment building. Police said the bullets hit the man in a shoulder and arm, but are not life-threatening. The victim refused to cooperate with police and does not want to prosecute his attacker. No one can say anything about what the mayor, City Hall, police or anyone else is doing if the people who are being shot or shot at don't assist the police, after the fact. After this, I refuse to write anything further on this subject, the shootings and murders in Kansas City. Like so many people here in town, if the people involved can't or won't help themselves with these problems, there is no way anyone outside the situations can. Sure, everyone knows it, as I had up to now but I had held out until now. Now, like so many others, I'm done with it. Link: http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/crime/man-shot-twice-outside-an-apartment-but-refuses-to-tell-police-about-the-shooter

Take heart, Kansas City!

As we keep saying, we could be Detroit. Or St. Louis. Or, in this case, Chicago: Chicago bloodbath: 6-year-old among those killed. It seems, over the weekend, 41 people in Chicago were shot, ten of them died. One was a 6 year old girl who was killed in a drive-by shooting. Of course, we don't have Chicago's population size but still, they have, clearly, a big, big problem. I'm still hoping this mayor, this police chief and all the civic and church leaders in town can and will finally, finally, get a hold of and solutions to this problem. It's so sick. And so unnecessary. Links: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/19/10758488-chicago-bloodbath-6-year-old-among-those-killed; http://ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/chicagos-bloody-weekend-41-people-shot-where-is-the-outrage/

Pizza delivery East of Troost? Fuggedaboudit

According to a Facebook post, the Pizza Hut at 3907 Main won't make deliveries East of Troost. They'll deliver ON Troost but not even one block over. Additionally, they say the Papa John's won't deliver East of Oak Street. Given the murders and shootings in that zip code, are they to be blamed or no? Anyway, this person and group is calling for someone to open up a pizza place and a coffee shop (two separate businesses) so they can get this done. That is, supply these products and services to the area. Link: https://www.facebook.com/messages/66805392#!/groups/emeraldcityprojectkc/?notif_t=group_r2j_approved

Warm weather, KC, guns, shootings and killing (update)

Well, here we go? Let's hope not. Four people shot and killed last weekend within 48 hours. Now, today, two more shot and killed in town just this afternoon. We're up to 20 people dead so far this year and forget about Summer not even being here yet--Spring hasn't even begun. It doesn't look good. Here's hoping Mayor James and Police Chief Corwin can get a handle on this, with help from the applicable communities, citizens, churches and community groups. They can't do it alone. Links: http://fox4kc.com/2012/03/13/two-shot-one-dead-at-kansas-city-home/; http://videos.kansascity.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=135650151; http://www.pitch.com/plog/archives/2012/03/13/kansas-city-missouris-homicide-total-hits-18-for-2012-for-now; http://kcpdchief.blogspot.com/

Someone make a movie on the Kansas City mob

As I wrote last evening, I just finished the 3rd and final segment of the PBS' "Prohibition" series and found it fascinating. What was additionally interesting was the mention, now and again, of the scene in Kansas City and the "National Crime Syndicate" or "mob" that grew out of prohibition. It seems to me the time has come--and it would be a great, great story--if someone, somewhere would finally make a movie--maybe a series on HBO?--on the Kansas City mob. It's rich as heck. It's not Chicago or New York by a long shot but it's known KC was a "wide open" town and the people that created it also colored it very strongly and vividly. As an example, go to the Wikipedia link, below, click on it and read just a little bit about John Lazio and Charles Binaggio. And those are but two of the people involved. Check out some of the other names of people from this era: William "Willie the Rat" Cammisano, Sr., Anthony "Tiger" Cardarella, Charles V. "Charley The Wop" Carollo, Carl "Cork" Civella, Frank DeMayo, Charles "Mad Dog" Gargotta, Anthony "Tony" Gizzo, Nicolo Impostato, Gaetano Lococo and Peter Simone. And then, how did all this work with Tom Pendergast. (Hopefully they wouldn't put TOO much emphasis on Tom and his brother). Fascinating stuff. This, along with the separate story of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art--another, fascinating story that should be filmed and told--make for fantastic reading, let alone viewing, I think. Any takers? Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Binaggio; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lazia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobsters_by_city: http://www.onewal.com/w-binagg.html

It's done. We have curfews

I heard on KCUR this evening that the City Council and Mayor James got their curfews passed. As I said earlier this week, it seemed inevitable. They had to have solutions by tomorrow evening and a heavy police presence just wasn't going to cut it. The details, according to The Kansas City Star: • From Memorial Day weekend through the last Sunday in September, it will be 9 p.m. for all youth under age 18 for five entertainment districts in the city — the Country Club Plaza, Westport, the Downtown Business District, 18th and Vine, and Zona Rosa. Elsewhere in the city during the summer, the curfew will be 10 p.m. for youths 15 and under and 11 p.m. for 16 and 17-year-olds. • The rest of the year, from October through Memorial Day, the curfew for all minors will be 11 p.m. weeknights and midnight on Friday and Saturday. • The fine for parents of curfew violators, currently $1 for a first offense, will increase to a maximum of $500 for each offense. With as many layers as it has for the different ages and different parts of town and times of the year, I doubt the police appreciate this little gift. Let's see if this all works. Here's hoping it does. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/18/3084943/kc-sets-earlier-curfew-hours.html

The ACLU vs. KCMO: Are you kidding me?

After reading the fine print in the Kansas City Star yesterday, I see I overlooked that "the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said a court challenge was likely" regarding a possible curfew on the Country Club Plaza, because of the shootings. Right up front, I'll tell you, I am usually always (but not always) a supporter of the ACLU and their fight for our basic rights. On this matter, however, I have to say I come down squarely agin' 'em. I mean, come on, what's more important here, teenagers rights or their lives? If it's either letting them wander free in the city so they have their "rights" or letting them get shot at, I think I'm absolutely having them get off the streets after 9 pm rather than possibly being targets for some idiot with a gun. And it's not as though the ACLU hasn't got plenty of other, far more important and bigger issues on their collective plate, either. If they want or need something to "go after", then let them pick apart all the parts and wrongs they can of the "Patriot Act", let alone all the other goofy, probing, prodding the Right Wing of the country keeps coming up with to get into our private lives, in spite of their calls for "small" and "non-intrusive" government. If the ACLU goes ahead with this and files suit, then I say we demand they fly in everyone they can on their staff and everyone else they need, so they can guard and protect people, every weekend, ad infinitum, so everyone's safe--children, adults and otherwise. If they can't or won't do that, then I suggest they butt out and file no such lawsuit. But thanks, anyway, ACLU. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/15/3078819/curfew-option-has-kcs-attention.html

Plaza solution needed by Friday

I think we all know the city needs and wants a solution of whatever sort we can, as soon as possible for the Country Club Plaza so there are no more random shootings in or around the area. I think that's a given. That said, that assumed, I'd expect Mayor James to absolutely do whatever he has must in order to get a curfew in place by Friday, at latest. From what I understand, it is to cover kids under 18 and make it that they have to be out of there by 9. What I don't understand are the questions or concerns that it might not be constitutional when it's already being done in Philadelphia. Attorneys will be busy. Anyway, I feel sure it will sail through City Hall in these few days. Neither the Mayor nor City Council nor anyone else have any other quick solution available. I'd absolutely look for this to be a "done deal." Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/15/3078819/curfew-option-has-kcs-attention.html

Mary Sanchez column on the Plaza shootings: Wha??

I was surprised, at least, by Mary Sanchez' column Sunday on the Saturday evening shootings on the Plaza, with Mayor James right there. You have to read it. She says she is "...glad it was a black officer who shoved Kansas City’s black mayor into the bushes, drawing his gun protectively as shots were fired from a group of black teenagers. The race of the mayor and his bodyguard, and their perspectives, will help others be less hesitant to make the strong statements necessary after Saturday night’s shooting of three teens on the Country Club Plaza. Excuse me? Could we stop separating black from white in this country? The previous mayor had no excuse whatever to do what he did about the shootings on the Plaza and that was--nothing. He did nothing about this situation and his color should have played no role in it. He had his responsibilities and he didn't do them, either. This mayor being black doesn't heighten his responsibilities to this city--and I'm not saying that that's what she's saying, don't get me wrong--but we need to stop dividing ourselves in this city and nation. We're all Kansas Citians. We're all Americans. We have problems. We need to work together, regardless of differences otherwise, to solve them. Sheesh. What a column. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/14/3076633/kc-mayor-bodyguards-reject-excuses.html

KCMO School District and CC Plaza have the same problem: irresponsible, lazy parents.

The bad news? Sure, we all know now, and have since at least Sunday morning that there were kids roaming the Plaza again, Saturday night and that shots were fired (5 to 6, it's said). Additional bad news? Mayor James was there. But therein lies, also, the good news because now, suddenly, our mayor is invested in both recognizing and solving this problem. I--and, I think others--have been calling for the mayor and his office and City Hall and the City Council and churches and their leaders and businesses and civic leaders to get together to see what kind of solutions could be offered to solve both this problem and the problems of shootings and drive-by shootings, etc. Now, suddenly, since Mayor James was there when the shots rang out, he's saying the same thing, fortunately. According to today's Star: "Churches, schools and businesses, also, need to get involved, he said." Thanks for finally joining us, Mayor. He also pointed out in this morning's article in the Star that parents are responsible for this, too. So maybe, just maybe, if the city and School District, both, are trying to solve this same parental problem--and I think we all agree they are--maybe we can get closer to a combined solution for both. It won't be a quick fix but the curfew for teens seems like a great, fair and sensible place to begin. I think we should follow Philadelphia's example with fines of $300.00 per teen and $500.00 per parent for violating the curfew, too. That would make people pay attention rather quickly. If it's good enough for Philly, it seems good enough for us, as well. Here's wishing us all luck. Here's hoping.