When Did Flash Mobs and Looting Become The New American Normal?
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Once upon a time, most Americans had never even heard of “flash mob robberies” or “organized looting”. Now they are considered to be a part of normal life in America. On Saturday, more than 20 teens stormed into a trendy clothing store in Chicago and stole more than $3,000 worth of jeans, but it barely made a blip on the national news because this kind of thing has become so common. After all, we just saw the exact same kind of thing happen in Jacksonville, Detroit, Baltimore and a whole bunch of other places. Flash mob crimes have become so common in Chicago that they take public opinion polls about them. But when I first started writing about this phenomenon a couple of years ago, hardly anyone knew what “mob robberies” were. In fact, I had to explain what these “flash mobs” were doing to a couple of radio hosts because they had never heard of such a thing. But now everybody knows about the flash mobs. Another disturbing trend that we are seeing all over America is “organized looting”. Groups of desperate criminals are going into empty or abandoned buildings and stripping out copper wire, copper pipes and anything else that they can sell for money. At one time these kinds of thefts made the news, but now they have also become so common that they don’t get much notice anymore.
The sad truth is that the streets of America are changing. They are becoming a lot more hostile and a lot more dangerous.
Young people in America today do not have respect for authority, they do not have respect for those that are older than them and they do not even have respect for themselves.
Posted below is surveillance camera footage of the mob robbery mentioned above during which thousands of dollars worth of jeans were stolen. These kids obviously plotted to commit this crime well in advance. These kids have so little respect for themselves that they are willing to potentially jeopardize their futures over a few pairs of lousy jeans….
Will any of those kids go to jail eventually?
That is a very good question.
In other areas of the country, law enforcement is so overwhelmed that they just let cases such as this one go.
For example, the CBS affiliate in Baltimore recently reported on a mob robbery in the Baltimore area where officials decided not to pursue criminal charges….
After reviewing the surveillance video, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s office opted not to pursue criminal charges in the case saying not every conflict warrants them.
What happened here is not an isolated incident. It’s happening more and more across Maryland and it’s a real source of frustration for law enforcement.A similar incident happened last month at the 7-Eleven on Liberty Road in Baltimore County. And mobs of teens have looted several stores like the one in Montgomery County, stealing hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise.
And word on the street spreads fast. Once kids realize that they can get away with this kind of behavior it will just encourage more of it.
Sadly, it is not just our young men that are acting this way. Our young women are also banding together in mobs and are doing crazy things.
The following example comes from a recent New York Post article….
A wolf pack of drunken young women “acting stupid” on a downtown No. 6 train in Manhattan stabbed a 63-year-old man early today — for having had the nerve to ask them to pipe down, police said.
The man was on his way to work at about 6:15 a.m. when he was attacked as the train entered the East 23rd Street station, a law-enforcement source told The Post.
“The eight females were acting stupid. He just told them, ‘Relax. Calm down,’ ” another source said.
Instead, one stabbed him in the left shoulder. He was treated at Bellevue Hospital.
What in the world is happening to us?
Part of it can perhaps be explained by the rampant growth of gangs in America.
Today, there are approximately 1.4 million gang members living inside the United States. That number has risen by 40 percent just since 2009.
Often these gangs take the place of the family unit. With so many broken families in America today, there are literally millions of young people that are looking for someone to accept them and take care of them.
Another factor is economic desperation. There are far more workers than there are jobs in America today, and an increasing number of Americans are turning to crime in an attempt to survive.
Right now we are seeing an unprecedented epidemic of “organized looting” all over the country. A recent article by Victor Davis Hanson talked about the epidemic of copper wire theft that is happening down where he lives in California….
Protection is found only in self-help. To stop the Road Warriors from stripping the copper cable from your pump or the community’s street lights, civilization is encouraged to put in a video camera, more lighting, more encasement, a wire protective mesh — all based on the premise that the authorities cannot stop the thieves and your livelihood is predicated on the ingenuity of your own counter-terrorism protocols. But the thief is always the wiser: he calculates the cost of anti-theft measures, as well as the state’s bill in arresting, trying, and rehabilitating him, and so wagers that it is cheaper for all of us to let him be and just clean up his mess.
If you have not read his article yet, you really should. It is excellent. You can find the entire article right here.
I found it particularly interesting what Victor Davis Hanson is doing in response to the decay of society that he is witnessing all around him….
I find myself insidiously adopting the Road Warrior survival code. Without any systematic design, I notice that in the last two years I have put a hand pump on my grandfather’s abandoned well in the yard and can pump fresh water without electricity. I put in an outdoor kitchen, tied into a 300-gallon propane tank, that can fuel a year of cooking. I am getting more dogs (all vaccinated and caged); for the first time in my life I inventoried all my ancestors’ guns in all the closets and found shotguns, deer rifles, .22s etc.
I have an extra used pickup I chose not to sell always gassed in the garage. For all sorts of scrapes and minor injuries, sprains, simple finger fractures, etc., I self-treat — anything to avoid going into the local emergency room (reader, you will too, when Obamacare kicks in). And the more I talk to neighbors, the more I notice that those who stayed around are sort of ready for our Road Warrior world. At night if I happen to hear Barack Obama on the news or read the latest communiqué from Jerry Brown, the world they pontificate about in no way resembles the world I see: not the freeways, not the medical system, not the educational establishment, not law enforcement, not the “diversity,” not anything.
I would say that it sounds like Victor Davis Hanson is rapidly turning into a prepper.
Not that I blame him of course.
We all want our homes to feel safe and secure. As society crumbles, it is only natural to pay more attention to preparation and security.
The sad truth is that these criminals are becoming bolder and bolder. Over the past couple of years we have seen some very shocking home invasion crimes happen all over the country, and this trend is only going to get worse.
But these days the news is not going to really feature a crime unless it is truly horrific.
That is where a sicko like James Holmes comes in.
Criminals understand that if they want to become really famous that they are going to have to do something really violent or really bizarre to stand out from the crowd.
And America is absolutely crawling with psychos these days, so it can be difficult to truly make a name for yourself if you are a criminal.
Sadly, we are already starting to see some potential “James Holmes copycats” come out of the woodwork.
For example, just check out what happened in Oklahoma recently….
An Oklahoma high school student is behind bars after a cab driver reported hearing him plotting a Columbine-shooting at his school, police said.
Timmy Eike, 18, was arrested on Tuesday after police found a shotgun, rifle and 250 rounds of ammunition in his bedroom.
The teenager’s arrest came a day after gunman James Holmes appeared in a Colorado court accused of killing 12 people and injuring 58 during a midnight screening of the Batman movie.
That is very disturbing.
I don’t know about you, but I am a lot more hesitant to visit the movie theater now, and I sure am glad that I do not have any kids in public schools.
In a world that is going totally crazy, public gatherings are never going to feel quite as safe ever again.
So what do all of you think about these flash mob crimes and all of this organized looting that is going on?
Do you believe that America is less safe or more safe than it used to be?
Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts below….
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12:01 pm
It might be helpful to look at the upper reaches of society as well where an extreme lack of respect for authority and organized looting is rampant and now entrenched as well as made legal by the buying out of legislators. Those of us who are caught in the middle are getting squeezed more and more from both ends. Is it any wonder that a lot of people are attempting to build their own little fortresses.
12:34 pm
at one time the commonly accepted rule was "looters will be shot on sight" I guess that doesn't apply anymore as no doubt the reverands jackson and sharpton would use any incidents as a opportunity to spout their self serving bullshit. High pressure water hoses, attack dogs, tear gas anything and everything should be used to put a stop to it before the savages take over.
12:37 pm
The author writes: "Young people in America today do not have respect for authority, they do not have respect for those that are older than them and they do not even have respect for themselves."
I think that this view is part of the problem. Why would you expect any of these "kids" to respect "authority" or elders or anything else for that matter when every one of those groups has only ever attempted and succeeded in exploiting them in one fashion or another.
While I appreciate the disdain presented here by these indefensible acts, I think that by looking at the acts themselves the solution is being broomed out the door as this is only a symptom of the core problem. If you deal with the core problem, the symptoms subside. Better in my opinion to look at WHY this occurring, not that it is occurring and judging the action(s).
As I said, I agree that this is indefensible, but we're better off looking at the conditions CREATED by "authority" and elders and government and all the other idiots in positions of power that created this reality as a symptom of 1) growing abuses of power 2) persistant and perpetual extraction of wealth via ludicrous rates of tax and asset seizures 3) saddling youngsters and a half dozen (not yet born) generations with trillions in debt 4) etc 5) etc 6) etc.
Addressing symptoms does nothing… even when that symptom subsides it will manifest in another way if the core issue is not resolved.
12:50 pm
This is yet another example of the news(?) being overly, and cowardly, politically correct. Referring to these thugs as "young people" gives them a legitimacy as human members of society that they do not deserve. Based on all the security camera footage, call them what they actually are…. black punks that discredit and shame their communities. Small business owners should be allowed to legally use any means they choose to defend themselves , their livelihoods, and their property.
12:56 pm
I will tell you what the problem is: they took God out of our country and evil and satan are running rampant.
1:05 pm
Tha;nks to ole Barry and his Regime of Criminals, Traitors and Gangsters, this is the Obama Repblic!! How do you IDiots who voted for this CHANGE , like it???!!!
1:43 am
G W Bush never contributed to any of this? Bullshit on that!
1:05 pm
How much longer can I warn you! These are the expected signs of the times. I keep posting on my blog but no one listens. It is not about gangs, Victor Hanson's fear is not the solution, The world is not going totally crazy, it's been crazy, you are seeing the cumulative effects! Unfortunately people sees it as a norm. This is only the tip of the iceberg when a nation, society, country, world is spiritually bankrupt!
2:28 pm
4:53 pm
Sen Schumer should read this article to find out why we need hi-capacity clips and automatic weapons or is he the gang-leader
1:06 pm
This behavior is the result of years of a revolving-door justice system. Until real punishment is administered instead of a slap on the hand, or a pathetic excuse submitted as justification for this kind of thuggish behavior, it's only going to get worse. Where are their parents?
1:24 pm
How is ole barry the Illegal pres' CHANGE, entitlement lawlessness that spews from his mouth Daily, workin for ya so far?? Social injustice he calls it!
1:40 pm
This isn't much differant than home invasion robbery.
2:00 pm
Just the word "Flash Mob" that the media or whoever has termed this a kind of theft legitimacy and a coolness. It should be reported and the suspects brought to justice! No one can say this is legitimate or accepted behavior. This should be put on the nightly news with pleas for help from the media and the police to help in identifying those individuals who were involved in this robbery.
2:08 pm
the next thing we'll see is an armed off-duty police officer at every entrance to stores that sell clothing;a turnstyle metal gate to restrict entrance of large groups and the naacp filing charges against store owners for racial profiling.i've read numerous articles about these mobrobbers;seen vids and unfortunately,agree that part of our so-called society has absolutely no regard for any,and i mean any, rules,be they legal,religous or moral.of interest,though not politically correct;it would be interesting to see the racial/ethnic makeup of the store owners and also of the mobrobbers who targeted their stores.bets anyone on each?
2:09 pm
"The streets of America are changing". That's exactly what people voted for recently and now they have received their "Hope and Change" Hopefully we will not move "Forward".
2:15 pm
Why do they call them flash mobs,why not black mobs? They can get away with murder by wearing hoodies and eating skittles.Ever see asian mobs?or white mobs?or even Latino mobs?
2:29 am
Actually, the mobs you talk about come in all colors. I have seen various groups and they are not one particular color as you suggest. Additionally, wearing a hoodie or eating skittles is not a crime; it is wearing a hoodie and eating skittles.
2:18 pm
The end is nearer than people want to admit…..
2:23 pm
Ah Yes, This is the Chicago that Rahm Emauel is so Proud of, as he Spouts his anti-Christian Rhetoric against Chick-fil-a… Yes, Mob- Looting is STEALING by any other language, and it Fits into the Obama/Holder/Emanuel Chicago type Promo of Taking from the Rich and Redistributing to the Poor…. IF By STEALING , so what…. Maybe these Stores should Offer More Freebes… How Dare These Retailers try to make a Profit… What does obama Know about Economics? Nothing. They Had No Economy in Endonesia. I'm Suer it was all based on STEALING and RACE-based Ethos… Same as Holder and Emanuel Pander to.
2:30 pm
Where are Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson's comments on THIS???? You won't see them! These thieves committing these robberies are ALLOWED TO LOOT because THEIR ANCESTORS WERE SOLD INTO SLAVERY OVER 400 YEARS AGO!!! I think its about time that Sharpton and Jackson tell their people the truth, i.e., BLACKS WERE SOLD INTO SLAVERY BY THEIR OWN PEOPLE OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA, SO STOP BLAMING WHITE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2:36 pm
Prepping is fine, but I won't live my life in fear and paranoia. I'll go anywhere I please, even to the movie theater.
2:39 pm
Spiritually bankrupt! Yes when the Republican/Tea Party abdicates their sworn duty to uphold the laws of the country, not just the one’s they agree with. When the Supreme Court hands down a decision that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional it is the law for better or worse. You don’t get to pick and choose the laws that you want to obey. Obama in 2012, all the way!
2:40 pm
Thats what obama means by distributing the wealth.
2:57 pm
Is it my imagination or have young blacks become more emboldened since Obama became president or am I just out of my old mind? Just wondering if I am the only one?
1:51 am
They're not "emboldened" around me. Where I am located, they fully realize that I'll happily kill as many of them as possible, what with our legal "carry concealed" laws and my .357.
3:11 pm
The Goverbment grad giveaway schemes are to blame. They have instillled in a segment of society that t hey are entitled to anything they feel they should have and not the understanding that they need to work and contribute to any portion of society but their own.
Thank you Mr. and Mrs politician. for creating a priveleged segment in our society
NO MOREDSF !!!
3:14 pm
If Oblamo had a son he would look like them
3:20 pm
I think Flash mobs and looting became the American norm around the time Lynch Mobs and Picnics did.
Oh seems like you forgot all about those lovely chapters in American history.
Try thinking first instead of being so reactive.
1:54 am
"Those lovely chapters in American history" are no longer causing critical problems unlike the Flash mobs are!
3:40 pm
Sounds like a new type of security system is going to be in the works..Entry/Exit doors that close and lock electronicly/instantaniously..If you can't keep em out then trap em and don't let them escape..Grand theft is a felony and those who chose to enter the contest should be awarded a prize.
3:46 pm
I wonder if a community organizer might have been involved somehow…
4:02 pm
Sen Schumer wonders why we need automatic weapons ,hi-capacity clips ,lots of ammo, RPGs and other means to defend our families. Send him this article
4:29 pm
Straining like a constipated ape not to mention the obvious……how utterly PC of you.
4:40 pm
Since residents evil cheated his way into the white Mosque house. He is the King of thuggery, verbal threats, strong arming, etc. He has been holding this country hostage and in black mail status, because of the color of his skin. That's why!
You notice that all the flash mobs are made up of brained washed blacks and the OWS of rich spoiled white trash leftist. You do the math or connect the dots. For everyone who voted this dictator in, shame on you. Do it the second time, than you deserve the hell he will dish out to you.
5:19 pm
"The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s office opted not to pursue criminal charges in the case saying not every conflict warrants them." If there was ever a reason for clerks to be armed, then it would be as good as against armed robbers. I wonder how many of these punks would do this if the knew that there might be armed employees prepared to use their weapons.
5:50 pm
There is a racial element involved here. What is the pre-dominant race of people acting this way. No economic situation is a excuse to act this way. They are well provided for, they are not starving. Political correctness and a black President with a bust of MLK in the WHITE HOUSE aka: BLACK HOUSE is fostering this animal behavior. Whatever happened to shooting looters??
8:03 pm
just following the example of the corporate ceo's who are looting the companies and stockholders with their big bonuses and perks and the bank guys who almsost brought us down and are now back paying themselves big all this while holding their employees pay the same are reducing benefits so they can live large–some jobs for these kids would go a long way to changing this behavior.
HD
10:50 pm
Folks, we haven't seen anything yet. This is the price a Nation pays for a Social, Economic, and Political System that is nearing Collapse. The Values that made this a Great Country are gone! Most people have come to believe that Representative Government and Democracy are a Myth; as is the American Dream.
It all starts at the Top: Government Officials, Money'ed Interests, Multi-national Corporations; Big Financial Institutions on Wall Street; coupled with a complete lack of compassion or concern for the Poor – - and, now, the Middle Class.
Without Regulations, Capitalism becomes Predatory; because, greed and self-interest, is a big part of the NATURE OF MAN! For 30 years – - it seems – - the Credo of Leadership has been, "getting mine! And, in several instances, that meant manipulating and conning others.
The Masses are wising up. When they finally figure out how badly the game is rigged against them; they will take on the behaviors of their Mentors, and, do what ever is necessary, to, "get theirs!" The Chaos is coming, Friends, and it is best to be prepared. The Carcass of the, "downed," American Eagle is going to be picked clean.
I suspect that the fear of Massive Civil Unrest is one of the reasons that the President and the Military, are going to retrain most of our returning National Guard Members – - although, it is not being couched in those terms.
The thought is horrible; but after 225 years, the, "Big Dog is Going Down!"
10:59 pm
It would be good to have concentration camps .
11:00 pm
Isn't anyone wondering if these young people are being paid by an organization that wants to create fear and chaos? Why have young black kids been doing these things since 2009? Why not before? What is the connection? Van Jones and other community organizers have been advocating violence among their followers ? Last year Glenn Beck showed film footage of them encouraging followers to get in peoples faces. Why is it black youth? Look what happened with "Occupy Wall Street". People were sick of their behavior. Where are they? Not threatening enough? I can't believe the police haven't wondered if there is a connection, but they didn't connect OWS with SEIU and ACORN. There was a connection.
10:18 am
Ever wonder how Adolph Hitler came to power? Look at German history during the 1920's, smash and grab, mob violence, society crumbling, no respect for authority. Ever see pictures of the streets of Berlin prior to the Nazi regime? Then along came darling Adolph who said "there will be order" and the people loved him. So, how did a nut case like Hitler rise to power? History will show you and as this lawlessness escalates, are we too headed down the same path? But history – what's that? We don't want to study that stuff it's too boorrring!
3:40 pm
Jobs have nothing to do with these crimes. They are just lazy bastards and believe in taking away other's possessions. And OBAMA is feeding the fire by wanting to take from the "haves" to give to the "have nots"
(who want everything the easy way and live off the government). Before long, they will be running through
restrauants with buffets and stealing food and soon innocent people will get killed because they are getting
away with their criminal activity.. Sorry to say this, but the only way now to stop this is to past a law to shoot on site anyone who does these crimes. Sounds terrible, but that will stop it! As you say the media will cover it a few times and then stop covering it. Finally, they will cover that there is peace and quiet in Chicagoland and Everyland. Besides, if we have to start building our own little fortress, that means the criminals have won.
The good have suffered enough, It's time to stop this crap! Wake up America.!!!