Above: Casey Anthony mug shot. Anthony was accused of murdering her daughter.

Why I Think Crime is Out of Control in America Member Series

Member Post by Jeremiah Suarez

The United States of America has become one of the most violent countries in the world.  Many citizens of other countries look up to America and wish to come live here but they may not realize the monstrous problems we have with murders and other violent crime that makes this such a dangerous place to live, if you look at the actual statistics.  If you compare the U.S. to many European countries, we fall far behind in the orderliness and peacefulness of our citizens.  There are far too many people in jail and yet even some of the worst criminals can sometimes escape jail, capture or get out of jail far sooner than they should.

Perhaps one of the most glaringly evident examples of our crime problem in America is the Casey Anthony case.  There may not have been enough forensic evidence to convict, but it's clear that a crime was committed and yet nobody is being punished for it.  There are far too many stories of parents killing their children these days, and it's a sad day when a child becomes a victim.  There's so much injustice in our society, today.

Another example of our violent society is the way many choose to solve their problems.  In a country where people are taught better ways to deal with conflict, perhaps crimes of passion would not happen as much.  In my city, there's a recent story involving to women fighting over one man.  The former girlfriend, with no history of violence before, killed the then current girlfriend of her ex boyfriend by stabbing her with a knife.  She's awaiting trial, currently.  She has become a criminal and leaves four kids without their mother, while cutting another life brutally short.  It boggles the mind why I see these stories happening over and over, when violence does not have to be as high as it is, currently.

The proof of our violent crime problem also shows in statistic when comparing to other countries of a similar economic level.  Countries like England, Germany and Japan have far less violent murders per capita compared to the U.S.  There are over 9,000 murders by firearm per year in the U.S., and over 15,000 total murders.  We definitely have a problem and anyone with a reasonable brain can see that crime is out of control in America.

Then there are the murders which took place because violent criminals who should have already been behind bars were out roaming the streets.  Richard Beasley is accused of killings connected with Craiglist ads he posted in order to lure his victims.  However, he was in jail months before and could have stayed there had a judge not let him out.  This happens far too often and leads to needless heartbreak and murders which could have been prevented.

I think we need to get a handle on our criminal justice system and how we deal with violent offenders.  Their need to be much harsher penalties and we need to make sure that those who would harm their fellow citizens in such horrifying ways are put behind bars and stay there.

Member POV: Why Crime is out of Control in America Xray3