Tragic and Scary St. Thomas Shooting

[Iamcruzin]

My point exactly! There are loads of people that jump through the same hoop as soon as a plane crashed... OMG we can't fly because people die, or OMG we can't fly THAT airline.....

 

Statistics are what statistics are. The chances of you getting shot and killed are so remote you might as well cash in your RRSP/401K/TFSA/whatever it's called in your country and buy lotto tickets!

 

Although I hate these anti-port posts they do serve the purpose to remind travelers to be on guard when traveling. It is very easy to become complacent when you’re on vacation in paradise.

[rdsqrl]

I live in NY so I can’t explain it. Between the terrorist attacks, exploding manhole covers, canes falling, muggers, murders, drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors in the schools it’s a miracle I am still alive. I think I will take my chances in St Thomas for the few hours that I am there.

Hey, now there's a great t-shirt slogan for STT: "I visited St. Thomas and cheated death and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"

[jnc411]

We were just in St Thomas earlier this year , did a snorkle excursion the sky tram,then shopping , I never felt at risk, Perhaps I should have. I had no idea that the island had these problems. Like all the islands one visits , one should use good sense and caution.

I do feel so bad for that poor family , it must be awful for them.

Cori

[Iamcruzin]

Hey, now there's a great t-shirt slogan for STT: "I visited St. Thomas and cheated death and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"

I think I will print one with the slogan "I live in NY and cheat death and all I get is a tax increase".

[SherriffJoe]

The National Guard is under the command of each state's governor in the situation you described. The army is never under the command of a governor.

 

The original post referred to "the military" which the last time I checked the National Guard is a part of......and yes it is under the control of the states governor UNTIL the President nationalizes them and then they are not!

[SherriffJoe]

OK, here are other sources

 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1251/MR1251.AppD.pdf

 

http://www.northcom.mil/about/history_education/posse.html

 

You can post all the reference material you like but the FACT remains that the military has and IS being using as a police force in this country, be it for anti-terrorism or to keep crazy left wing college students in check it is a reality no matter how many posts you make.

[billie5]

It is unfortunate that nitpicking linguistics is not beneath CC posters.

 

Although military (like all words) has many meanings, it is rather obvious from caribill's initial posting that he was using it to mean federally controlled troops. To point out that it has other meanings is, IMO, de-meaning :) of the responding poster.

 

Bill

[d34567]

You can post all the reference material you like but the FACT remains that the military has and IS being using as a police force in this country, be it for anti-terrorism or to keep crazy left wing college students in check it is a reality no matter how many posts you make.

 

SherriffJoe, I'm having trouble proving this to people too. Could you point me to some really good, clear cut examples of the military acting as a police force in this country? If you can find something where the military units involved are talking about it being police action that would be really helpful. Every time I think I find a good one there are people claiming that it isn't really the military acting as a police force but rather some sort of "training exercise."

[SherriffJoe]

I can think of several instances...lets start with troops being deployed in airports, the Golden Gate Bridge, all over NYC just after 9/11.You can call these deployments "training" if you like to keep the nutjobs from the ACLU happy but one of those loaded M-16's with "training" bullets will still kill you.....don't get me wrong though, I FULLY support these actions...

[kooljamming]

Murders in USVI in 2009: 56 (35 on St. Thomas)

Murders in the city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in 2009: 1,986

 

Ciudad Juarez has 15 times the resident population of USVI.

 

I mention this only because I have read bloggers elsewhere write that USVI has the highest crime rate in the world. Not remotely true, but unfortunately, USVI is rapidly approaching the crime rate of Jamaica, which most Americans appreciate is very high.

 

 

Bill

 

Not only American but Jamaicans who are more likely to be a target. However the crime rate is still concentrated in a certain region not marketed or visited much by American tourists. As an American tourist, you will be fine less the weed or pushy vendors. That might make one 'feel' unsafe but 'feelings' won't show up in crime statistic.

 

Do you have any real numbers to support your statement that St Thomas is RAPIDLY aprroaching the crime rate of Jamaica. In either places how many toursit are involved on a anual basic. Bad this happen but you have to factor in where, when, and who it's happening to in order to get a clear picture. I won't stop crusing out of LA because of gang violence. Chances are my few hours as a toursit won't make me a target. The ride back to Hemet is something else:-)

[DGSFlorida]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1234848

 

This is very scary.... Will there come a time that the only safe area will be right around the ships docks?

 

We have been cruising since the early 80's. You may not know it but there was a man shot dead one year right in the area where the ships dock. As I recall it was a Navy man just talking on a pay telephone. Granted it was many years ago before a lot of that area was re-constructed. We used to walk along the beach into the downtown area before that happened. You can never be sure of safety regardless of where you might be.

[We're The Groupnors]

We live in Toronto. A number of years ago a family was shopping on one of the main downtown shopping streets on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), when all the great sales start. Sadly, a teenager was caught in the crossfire of some stupid youths who embroiled in a gang war. It was a terrible tragedy, and Toronto will always remember the young victim and her family. That being said, the downtown streets are still full of shoppers and tourists every day of the year, especially Boxing Day. So the moral? Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is just that, and while being cautious is always prudent, we should not live our lives in fear.

 

God Bless the victim's family.

[Rhitson88]

I'm very happy we aren't on the same cruise, I might be inclined to discuss politics with you. It sounds as if you at one point took an oath to support and defend the Constitution. I suggest you re-read it.

 

In order to remain polite, I will refrain from any additional discussion of the topic.

 

 

 

Good. All Americans are "required" to "support and defend" our constitution. Which I have no problem doing. Just because I slightly have a certain opinion about an act made over 100 years before I was even born says I do not support my constitution? Get real man.

 

With that said, I do not fear going to St Thomas and neither should anyone else. Regardless of the security or lack of that is there.

[woodofpine]

Before leaving office in 1961 the late great (last great) President Dwight D. Eisenhower coined the term 'the military industrial complex' and warned presciently of its birth out of the Cold War, and its inocuous power and growing influence in domestic and foreign policy making; specifically warning of media and policy manipulation to support an endless succession of unfunded military ventures abroad...

 

If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

We heard you Dwight, we just didn't listen (today, you're just one of those 'liberals').

[RickEk]

Before leaving office in 1961 the late great (last great) President Dwight D. Eisenhower coined the term 'the military industrial complex' and warned presciently of its birth out of the Cold War, and its inocuous power and growing influence in domestic and foreign policy making; specifically warning of media and policy manipulation to support an endless succession of unfunded military ventures abroad...

 

If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

We heard you Dwight, we just didn't listen (today, you're just one of those 'liberals').

 

Exactly!