The ridiculous violence in N.O.

To you it is sensationalized news stories and hyperbole. I knew the Dr. that was murdered on Dauphine. I have connections to other crimes that are just stories to you. Changes your perspective if a rolling firefight breaks out in an intersection on Carrollton 5 to 10 minutes after you drove through with your four year old. Or if a man is shot to death outside Mondo when you were just there with your elderly parents and other family members. You are in denial. The problem isn't sensationalized news stories. If anything the media miss most of the crime happening around town.
You don't have to believe me. That's fine. But I can tell things have changed for the worst.

I'm sorry the violence has touched you. Really, I am.

I understand what that is like, to know someone who is taken in a senseless manner.

It's awful. Terrible. Horrible.

I do not think I'm "in denial."

And as to your last statement, I hope it never affects your friend or father. But it very well could.

Of course it could. It's always a possibility, and has always been a possibility. My plane could crash next month, or a bus could come crashing through my wall right now.

But possibility does not equal likely.

I'm still waiting for your proof -- if you are right you should be able to find data within the murder record that proves you right, that the violence is "changing and spreading."

Interesting that you go so far as to claim the 13 year old just made a mistake in killing the man on his front porch. You don't know that. Being an apologist for murderers will not help our situation here.

I'm at a loss.

How could anyone read my two posts and come away with a reaction like yours? Either I'm not expressing myself clearly or you just aren't reading and understanding what I'm saying.

I mean, let's revisit what I wrote:
drob8785 said
The 13 year old is obviously a big shame, but I imagine he didn't approach the man intent on murdering him -- he was 13 and I think he probably did what 13 years olds tend to do, make mistakes. Don't get me wrong -- I don't want to minimize this mistake though -- his "mistake" cost a man his life. A tragedy, not just because Rafael Quintanilla is dead, but also because two young men's lives are most likely over before they ever really began.

Am I really being an apologist for murderers?

Essentially every news report states that the kids pulled guns on Rafael Quintanilla and demanded "everything." Before Quintanilla could do anything, he was shot. Now, either the goal wasn't to mug him, but to kill him OR the goal was to rob him and the murder was an accident.

Which do you think is more likely?

I'll admit that I don't know for certain -- and neither do you. This is why I qualified my statement with "I think" and "probably."

I suggest you take a moment and reread my two earlier posts. I'm not trying to minimize the violence that is going on. I'm not trying to downplay its threat to our city and our future.

I am trying to correct what I think are incorrect and unnecessary statements about the violence in city.