Yet another 'top 10' list. I love how depending on what list you read, this is either the best or worst state to live in.

The FBI collection of statistics for rape, robbery, murder, and aggravated assault surprises us with a list of the top ten most dangerous states in the United States of America....

(link (http://guardianlv.com/2013/10/dangerous-states-in-america-the-winner-is/))

Interesting that most of those are Red states.

I dunno. I'd find it more interesting if they were not red states. I would expect the more conservative states to have a higher percentage of folk who are more supportive and trusting of law enforcement generally and would be more prone to report crimes against their kin and neighbors.

In Oklahoma, at least, it's the "progressive" areas of the state (OKC and Tulsa) which is driving up our crime rates. Guess OKC really is a big league city.

I'm more shocked about Alaska.

No. 1 in Wine and Porn! The Idiocy of State Rankings - Sommer Mathis - The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/no-1-in-wine-and-porn/309445/)

In Oklahoma, at least, it's the "progressive" areas of the state (OKC and Tulsa) which is driving up our crime rates. Guess OKC really is a big league city.

I'm more shocked about Alaska.

I know, me too. Guess there's not a lot to do up there except get into trouble.

In Oklahoma, at least, it's the "progressive" areas of the state (OKC and Tulsa) which is driving up our crime rates. Guess OKC really is a big league city.

I'm more shocked about Alaska.

Curious as to how you define "progressive" in this context?

Curious as to how you define "progressive" in this context?

Rural vs Urban.

I know, me too. Guess there's not a lot to do up there except get into trouble.

You guys don't watch Alaska State Troopers apparently. ;) LOL

Interesting that most of those are Red states.

Isn't that where gun sales are highest? If so, people are also afraid of criminals getting worse there, not just that government is going to take their guns away.

In Oklahoma, at least, it's the "progressive" areas of the state (OKC and Tulsa) which is driving up our crime rates. Guess OKC really is a big league city.

I'm more shocked about Alaska.

But the crime rate in Tulsa and Oklahoma City suburbs is lower than in many Oklahoma small towns. It would seem that would offset the higher crime rate in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

From the article..


Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the two largest cities, have struggled with poverty and gang issues.

Rural vs Urban.

If anything, living in Oklahoma has shown me just how bad crime can be in rural areas. A good number of smaller towns in this state have off the chart crime rates. Lawton and Ardmore are pretty bad, but McAlester, Okmulgee, Muskogee, and Ada all have pretty significant rates. The lack of opportunity and the scourge of rampant drug, and especially meth addition has been horrible for many small towns, and not just Oklahoma. And outdated attitudes that crime is somehow a big city-only issue is not helping matters. Interestingly enough, only 3 states on that list (Nevada, Maryland, Delaware) are largely urban.


You guys don't watch Alaska State Troopers apparently. ;) LOL

Doesn't surprise me one bit. I lived in Alaska for four years as my father was stationed there and let me tell you, that is one bleak place. Maybe its just the constant cold and gloom, but you will find few smiling faces in AK. Lots of drug and alcoholism, especially among the native population. And I don't want to start a gun argument, but there are way too many "don't tread on me" types that move up there from the lower 48 with their mini arsenal and start trouble.

Oklahoma is also one of the 10 most depressing states. The Enid people can just deal with their "flat, barren landscape". Anyway, Republicans at the State Capitol need to get on the ball and figure out how to make Oklahoma a better state. There's surely more to it than slowly getting rid of the state income tax:

FROM: 10 Most Depressing States in the U.S. - weather.com (http://www.weather.com/health/fitness-exercise/10-most-depressing-states-20120404?pageno=9)

Maybe it's the flat, barren landscape and threat of severe weather; maybe it’s the high poverty rate (16%) and low rates of health-insurance coverage. For whatever reason, the Sooner State ranks in the bottom five of every category we considered.

Even the official state rock song is depressing. In 2009, the Oklahoma legislature bestowed that honor on "Do You Realize?" by the Flaming Lips; it's a dirge-like tune featuring lyrics such as "Do you realize that happiness makes you cry? Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?"

Gotta love the Bible Belt.

If anything, living in Oklahoma has shown me just how bad crime can be in rural areas. A good number of smaller towns in this state have off the chart crime rates. Lawton and Ardmore are pretty bad, but McAlester, Okmulgee, Muskogee, and Ada all have pretty significant rates. The lack of opportunity and the scourge of rampant drug, and especially meth addition has been horrible for many small towns, and not just Oklahoma. And outdated attitudes that crime is somehow a big city-only issue is not helping matters. Interestingly enough, only 3 states on that list (Nevada, Maryland, Delaware) are largely urban.



Doesn't surprise me one bit. I lived in Alaska for four years as my father was stationed there and let me tell you, that is one bleak place. Maybe its just the constant cold and gloom, but you will find few smiling faces in AK. Lots of drug and alcoholism, especially among the native population. And I don't want to start a gun argument, but there are way too many "don't tread on me" types that move up there from the lower 48 with their mini arsenal and start trouble.

I have a hard time considering Nevada to be "urban". 90 % of the state looks like lunar landscape.

Vermont needs to get their act together. The state is falling apart.

Here's Why Vermont Has the Highest Rate of Illicit Drug Use in America - Yahoo Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-why-vermont-highest-rate-131200523.html)

^ Sarcasm, by the way.

But not all is less than mediocre or depressing about Oklahoma. It just so happens to have the no. 1 most amazing campus student union, located at Oklahoma State University. Pictured is the recently renovated north side, which cost $68 million. Sorry OU:

The 25 Most Amazing Campus Student Unions (http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/features/most-amazing-campus-student-unions/)

Considered the largest student union in the world, the Oklahoma State University Student Union covers an impressive 543,411 square feet. Although it was first constructed in 1951, the Student Union has undergone extensive renovations in both 2000 and 2011 to improve its attraction to students. The Union is home to a 550-seat movie theatre, art exhibitions, student lounges, the OSU Student Store, post office, athletic ticket office, and a food court filled with diverse dining options, including the luxurious Ranchers Club restaurant. As if that was not enough, the Student Union also contains the Atherton Hotel, which provides 81 extravagant rooms for guests and serves as a living classroom experience for the Oklahoma State School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration. Therefore, it is no surprise that the grand Oklahoma State Union in Stillwater takes the crown for the most amazing and comprehensive student union.

http://www.orangepower.com/attachments/exterior-angle-night-jpg.22780/

Wow! That's impressive!! The last time I was even close to the Student Union was for the pregame walk for homecoming against Kansas State when the west end endzone was still being built and that definitely did not look like that. Is that the north face?

Violent crime can happen anywhere people are present it does not matter where you are you can be raped, robbed, kidnapped or murdered. There is no such thing as being safer in one place versus another. People and communities can reduce the risk by being fully aware of there surroundings and keeping an eye out for suspicious people. When you see suspicious activity report it to police or security personnel. MWCPD just had a few incidents were citizens saw crimes go down but, didn't call or report it until they observed police on scene investigating.

You would be surprised the number of burglaries that happen from people forgetting to lock doors, leaving doors open and unattended. Every year Norman, Edmond and Nichols Hills get hit by a rash of Auto Burglaries and Home Burglaries because people leave cars unsecured with keys or a garage door opener in the car and valuables in plain view. It only takes about 10 seconds to bust a window, grab an item and runway or run to a getaway car down the street or around the corner.

I know, me too. Guess there's not a lot to do up there except get into trouble.

You can play chase with the polar bears but they usually win. Don't fetch worth a darn either.

There is no such thing as being safer in one place versus another.

I understand the gist of what you're saying in the rest of your post, but what I bolded above is not true in any way. Please see the call for volunteers in this thread. (http://www.okctalk.com/ask-anything-about-okc/33138-what-happened-nw-okc-9.html#post695729) Any takers?

Compared to south Dallas, the whole of Detroit and many other cities, aren't you safer in, say, Bethany? There IS such a thing as one place being safer than another.
Just a few miles apart, too.

I understand the gist of what you're saying in the rest of your post, but what I bolded above is not true in any way. Please see the call for volunteers in this thread. (http://www.okctalk.com/ask-anything-about-okc/33138-what-happened-nw-okc-9.html#post695729) Any takers?

Compared to south Dallas, the whole of Detroit and many other cities, aren't you safer in, say, Bethany? There IS such a thing as one place being safer than another.
Just a few miles apart, too.

My point is danger is everywhere. Any police officer worth their weight in gold will tell you the only crime free area is one where people are not present. You can be mugged in the parking lot of Uptown Grocery in North OKC/North Edmond just as easy as you can at the Buy For Less NE 23rd and MLK. It's all a matter of being in right place at the wrong time.

Criminals are not like suburbanites they don't stay locked in an invisible bubble. They go anywhere opportunity exists. That's usually in places that are not being watched by police that have lots of distracted people. It would be great if it worked that way because the police force could be concentrated on those areas and keep them contained like cattle on a ranch. If you know anything about crime you know criminals relocate the minute police start saturating an area.

You can believe that your safer in one place over another if you want. It's not going to hurt my feelings. It's just going to put you in more danger because you let yourself believe that everyone around you has the best of intentions. In reality you don't know where the person in the car next to you came from and what there going to do. Let's say you stop by Walgreens or CVS for a aspirin and cold medicine. You never know the if guy ahead of you buying the Blue Bell and the Dr. Pepper is going to rob the cashier, you and everyone else in line behind you. That right there is why I watch people and I don't slide right up on top of someone at the checkout. That's also why I won't use ATM's at night. If I have to, I go to 7-11 or OnCue.

It took a close call for me to become street aware. I was in line at a McDonald's drive thru in Mississippi late one night when this guy walked up to my door and was literally right on top of me at my door. He could have done something bad if he wanted. I was in close quarters and there was no way I had any room to fight him off If I had to. Luckily for me he was just a panhandler. His line was "I just got out of prison and I have no Money." I said I couldn't help him I rolled my window up, locked the doors and realized I could have been seriously hurt or killed.

So you just basically live in fear?

It took a close call for me to become street aware. I was in line at a McDonald's drive thru in Mississippi late one night when this guy walked up to my door and was literally right on top of me at my door. He could have done something bad if he wanted. I was in close quarters and there was no way I had any room to fight him off If I had to. Luckily for me he was just a panhandler. His line was "I just got out of prison and I have no Money." I said I couldn't help him I rolled my window up, locked the doors and realized I could have been seriously hurt or killed.
I'd just tell the panhandler, "Go get help at the welfare office. That's where some of my tax money is waiting there for ya."

You would be surprised the number of burglaries that happen from people forgetting to lock doors, leaving doors open and unattended. Every year Norman, Edmond and Nichols Hills get hit by a rash of Auto Burglaries and Home Burglaries because people leave cars unsecured with keys or a garage door opener in the car and valuables in plain view. It only takes about 10 seconds to bust a window, grab an item and runway or run to a getaway car down the street or around the corner.
At a restaurant parking lot one time I left my convertible parked with the top down. Like an idiot, I absently mindedly left my Sony compact camera in view. And so it was missing when I came back. For fun to see who takes the bait, I may leave my old, unused and empty billfold in plain view on the seat and watch nearby for what type of person would swipe the billfold as well as see the reaction to it being empty. And, of course, get it on camera.

Oklahoma is also one of the 10 most depressing states. The Enid people can just deal with their "flat, barren landscape". Anyway, Republicans at the State Capitol need to get on the ball and figure out how to make Oklahoma a better state. There's surely more to it than slowly getting rid of the state income tax:

FROM: 10 Most Depressing States in the U.S. - weather.com (http://www.weather.com/health/fitness-exercise/10-most-depressing-states-20120404?pageno=9)

Maybe it's the flat, barren landscape and threat of severe weather; maybe it’s the high poverty rate (16%) and low rates of health-insurance coverage. For whatever reason, the Sooner State ranks in the bottom five of every category we considered.

Even the official state rock song is depressing. In 2009, the Oklahoma legislature bestowed that honor on "Do You Realize?" by the Flaming Lips; it's a dirge-like tune featuring lyrics such as "Do you realize that happiness makes you cry? Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?"

Know whut would put our state on the map? more mountains and valleys! We oughtta start building man-made mountains and carving out man-made valleys up near Enid!

Obviously somebody has never been down around Idabel and Broken Bow plus points north like Heavener and Poteau.

Know whut would put our state on the map? more mountains and valleys! We oughtta start building man-made mountains and carving out man-made valleys up near Enid!
Ah, surely some people like the 360 degree view of distant horizons up that way without any trees to speak of to block any of it.

Ah, surely some people like the 360 degree view of distant horizons up that way without any trees to speak of to block any of it.
Yep, my father-in-law was born and raised, lived and died in West Texas. He would come to Austin every year and go fishing, my wife took him and her nephew camping at Bastrop State Park one time before I moved down there, the thick and tall pine forest in the area made him feel a bit claustrophobic. He preferred Blanco State Park (and the cabins later in his life) because it felt more open than Bastrop.

Ah, surely some people like the 360 degree view of distant horizons up that way without any trees to speak of to block any of it.

Then those guys wouldn't consider Oklahoma to be one of the 10 most depressing states, eh?