| G. Adams - I've lived in Washington Heights/Inwood most of my life, where I'm sure most of northern New Jersey's drug trade begins, thanks to the George Washington Bridge. When I was growing up (violins play in the background), we know what was going on in the park a block away at 3 am because of what was left in the park that morning, and it wasn't too surprising to hear a shot fired from that direction during the night. My friend from Crown Heights can remember getting mugged at gunpoint three blocks from her home, and I've found myself at the wrong end of a knife twice. Thing is, it got better in Washington Heights in the 90's - so did a lot of other places, thanks in no small part to Clinton's pledge (and success) in putting in 50,000 more uniformed policemen countrywide and instating new rules of conduct. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the "broken window" theory but it was utilized to great effect.
I'm not saying it's perfect - that Flushing incident happened when I was living in Flushing, and it shook up the entire place for a while, but I'll take my stock in the police, thankyouverymuch.
. . . whenever any government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such forms as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. |