Wild west

[largecaliber]

I have heard many people (anti's) claiming we're headed back to the wild west days. Let me give you some numbers from one study. This may seem hard to believe but from the years of 1870 to 1885 in Abilene, Ellsworth, Wichita, Dodge City and Caldwell which were supposedly the worst of the cow towns in Kansas there were actually only 45 murders recorded which equates to 1 murder per 100,000 people per year. Now let's move forward to 2007. In just this one year in D.C. there was 183 murders equaling 31 murders per 100,000. In New York there were 494 murders equaling 6 murders per 100,000. In Baltimore there were 281 murders equaling 45 murders per 100,000 and in Newark there were 104 murders equailing 37 murders per 100,000 people. In my opinion heading back to the wild west days would be a huge improvement in our society. Could it be possible that an armed society truly makes for a safer society? It seemed to work back then.

 

[wyocarp]

Yeah, it's too bad ABC couldn't do a program on this.

 

[gbran]

While I can't cite stats, the greater Boise ID area has a comparable size population to D.C., but has very few gun laws by comparison, yet has a fraction of the D.C. gun violence.

 

[Just Jim]

Yep there were interesting times in the old west. People could have guns and travel with them freely. You had to watch what you said and did cause armed people would take offense.

Plus the lousey poloticions were tar and feathered and road out on a rail for the stuff they are pulling today. We could use a little old west justice here in the USA again.

jj

 

[Hungry Seagull]

The West as it were was very... self regulating. Leaving hollywood aside, I think it would have been a great time.

The large cities in the east coast are densely packed. I recall a time I would be leaving hunts in the morning up in NYC and hearing a roll call of those killed during the night and a second roll of those taken to hospitals in the morning rush hour radio.

Baltimore was particularly... dangerous because the people fight. It was a city that impeded Federal Units over the last few hundred years from time to time. Not necessarily shootings, but more likely belgian blocks and wood bats etc. Prior to my leaving that city, it was common for people to get into bad areas of the city and get shot because they looked at someone wrong every night.

I have been to the cow towns out west and nothing but peace and quiet. Perhaps a bit of punch thrown and a bit of ... assertive gut shoving with much volume throwing cowards out into the gutter.

Like all cities there is going to be a certain amount of killing.

 

[theotherwaldo]

You have to remember, many of the murders in the "Old West" were turned into major social events with heavy newspaper coverage and "penny-dreadful" novels spreading the story.

The trials were public spectacles as well.

Many of the hangings that resulted might as well have been carnivals, too.

This process would keep one "Wild West" shooting (and its titillating aftermath) on the cover of eastern newspapers for years!

 

[ServiceSoon]

Don't you think comparing different towns at different points in history is producing a bad statistic.

 

[eye5600]

Prices in real dollars are a lot different. A lowly cowpoke might not be able to afford a gun, and could not afford the ammo to practice.

 

[ArmedBear]

While I can't cite stats, the greater Boise ID area has a comparable size population to D.C., but has very few gun laws by comparison, yet has a fraction of the D.C. gun violence.

Unfortunately, we also have horrific hailstorms 10 months of the year, no real opportunities for recreation of any kind, terrible traffic on the roads, an obscenely high cost of living, the hunting and fishing really suck, and the people are jerks.

 

[Onmilothesameone]

We don't hear too much about the fact that a whole bunch of the troublesome kind were unceremoniously hauled to the nearest convenient tree and strung up by the good citizens in those wild west communities.
Real lawmen were few and far between and vigilantism was the rule if you didn't want bad people walking roughshod all over your community.

The moral of the history lesson is that an armed society tends to be a polite society believe it or not.

 

[qwert65]

In most of those towns carrying weapons was not allowed

 

[shootistpd27]

In the days of the wild west the responsibility of ones protection of himself and his family were placed in his hands. The realization and appreciation of the fact that Americans were for the first time in fact free, caused Americans to remain indignant and determined to keep their freedom. The population of todays generation have never felt the crushing grip of tyranny so it is easy for them to forget that the cost of freedom is paid in blood. Most of todays American masses feel that freedom is absolute and guaranteed therefore releasing themselves from protecting thier freedom themselves for they have had their freedom protected by others for so long. This new philosophy has left most of the American people unprotected from threats both foreign and domestic. All those 2nd amendment advocates out there that fight for that right, are left to protect those who dont want that protection until they need it. We are a long way away from the wild west days, for to reach that time again, many folks will have to starve, be enslaved, or be reeducated that guns are our only hope to remain free. The worst foe that we as gun toters face is the philosophy of liberalism that is washed into the brains of our youth that an unclenched fist will bring about peace agianst an enemy of those fist that are tightly clenched.

 

[largecaliber]

Yes quert65 you are correct but the cities I mentioned are also cities in which you cannot carry a gun. Besides, back during that time many carried concealed.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

HungrySeagull: "Baltimore was particularly... dangerous because the people fight."

Back when I worked in DC I travelled to Baltimore on occasion. The first time I took my family over there for some good seafood, we (okay, I) got lost and ended up in the waterfront area. Back then (a little over a decade ago) the Baltimore waterfront was a grouping of run-down housing projects, unadulterated by any stores, offices, businesses or private homes. I used to drive right through the old Cabrini Green on Chicago Avenue on a highly regular basis, and I didn't feel anyware near as nervous then as I did later in Baltimore. It was as if the Soviets had built a housing complex in west Africa and abandoned it for a few decades.

 

[largecaliber]

service soon. I understand your thinking but the anti gunners are the one's who equate us to going back to the old west, not me. If they want to use this terminology then they must deal with the facts.

 

[Suicide*Ride]

I'm ready!! Let's go!!

Should we ever wind up in "The wild West" again... I'll have what it takes to defend myself!

 

[Fred West]

While I can't cite stats, the greater Boise ID area has a comparable size population to D.C., but has very few gun laws by comparison, yet has a fraction of the D.C. gun violence.

And I wonder why that is?

Fred.

 

[Tinman357]

WIld West.

I wish. A woman could walk down the street and not get raped. Criminals were dealt with. The whole country had a brighter out look. Low crime rates and a good person was respected.

Romanticized? Yep. But I'd like to see that come to pass.. In some ways. Not in others.

 

[junedog]

Tinman your exactly right . Criminals were dealt with not put in prisons where they get free meals and get to lay around on their a.. and watch TV all the time . Personally I would The Wild West, I am ready .

 

[Rockwell1]

I'd like to compare the stats between Abielene then and now

 

[largecaliber]

Abilene was part of this stat. Also remember that this stat. was all of those towns over a fifteen year period. Don't take my word for it, research it.

 

[Onmilothesameone]

Oh the wild west had a fair amount of prisons.
Yuma Arizona Territorial Prison and The Oklahoma Territorial Prison are two that come to mind
Prisoners didn't sit around watching TV or work in auto repair shops, they broke up big rocks into little rocks six days a week, twelve hours a day.
Sunday was for church services and washing your single issued uniform.

Sentences were long and parole was rare.
One did their time back then.

 

[Rockwell1]

In most of those towns carrying weapons was not allowed

And in most of those towns the ordinance was ignored by everyone except the law abiding citizens.

Some things never change

 

[xstuntman]

Yes, in the Old West most of the towns business owners carried concealed. An example would be a .36 revolver or a derringer of any caliber. Unarmed was plain stupid and decidedly deadly. Funny how things haven't changed.
Even walking to the OK Corral the Earps carried sidearms in their pockets or waistbands. X

 

[Tommygunn]

At one point I made the calculation that if you took all the homicides that took place in New York City in one year, and killed those people off at the rate in Dodge City during the height of its violent activity, it would have taken about five hundred years to kill them all.
Different times, way different populations, yes. But it sort of puts an intriging perspective on the difference between the "Wild Wild West" and "The Naked City."