Detroit vs. Afganistan

**Detroitgayhistoryguy** · August-10-12, 10:34 AM

Total number of troops killed since 2001 in the war in Afghanistan [[This includes from all coalition troops from all countries involved in the war NOT just US casualties) [[Through 2012)

3131

Total number of murders in the city of Detroit from 2001 to 2010 [[Does not include 2011 or 2012):

3695

Where do we need troops?

**daddeeo** · August-10-12, 11:25 AM

Troops can't stop dumbasses from kiling each other.

**MidTownMs** · August-10-12, 11:26 AM

What we need is for the killing to stop!!!

**EASTSIDE CAT 67-83** · August-10-12, 11:28 AM

Troops can't help people who have no value for the sanctity of life...It seems more and more the killing ends up being about someone who got "disrespected". Those individuals who subscribe to that mentality are a lost cause and it ends up being a war of attrition.

**jpbollma** · August-10-12, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by EASTSIDE CAT 67-83

Troops can't help people who have no value for the sanctity of life...It seems more and more the killing ends up being about someone who got "disrespected". Those individuals who subscribe to that mentality are a lost cause and it ends up being a war of attrition.

Short of martial law I don't think anything would help. I would actually support that in some of America's cities until this shit is brought under control. Not only does this cost us precious lives, but also BILLIONS of dollars in criminal justice and lost revenue.

**Detroit Stylin** · August-10-12, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by jpbollma

Short of martial law I don't think anything would help. I would actually support that in some of America's cities until this shit is brought under control. Not only does this cost us precious lives, but also BILLIONS of dollars in criminal justice and lost revenue.

The violence and crime will end when politicians stop picking and choosing where the money for public safety goes and funnel it to where it need it the most. As long as the criminals in the regions largest city has a skeleton of a police force then the crime will continue to go as if the police force doesnt even exist...

**Scottathew** · August-10-12, 11:59 AM

I'd like to say education is the answer, but when over half of the kids drop out of free public education, I don't know what we can do.

**Detroitgayhistoryguy** · August-10-12, 12:00 PM

I'm not advocating actual troops, but Detroit should be declared a federal crime disaster area and the federal government should take over the Detroit police dept and install an emergency federal police chief and provide emergency funds to hire and train additional police necessary to bring about reasonable safety.

I would be safer joining the military and be sent to Afghanistan than I am mowing my front yard. Something is wrong here.

**Wesley Mouch** · August-10-12, 12:07 PM

Assuming your moniker identifies you as gay, you might want to consider the gay rights status of Detroit vs. Afghanistan in making that decision. I'm guessing that there are more beheadings of gays in Afghanistan at the moment. Do you think we have an moral obligation to make an effort to address... [[without regard to what you think about Obama's prosecution of the war).

**Scottathew** · August-10-12, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitgayhistoryguy

I would be safer joining the military and be sent to Afghanistan than I am mowing my front yard. Something is wrong here.

That's a very real, but very crazy thought.

**iheartthed** · August-10-12, 12:14 PM

I get that you're trying to make a statement... But this is a false comparison. I'm certain that there were hundreds of times more total civilian war casualties in Afghanistan than in Detroit over that period of time.

Also, since the military would be the equivalent of law enforcement, I'll point out that there were very few police casualties in Detroit during that period of time. I believe less than 5?

**313WX** · August-10-12, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by daddeeo

Troops can't stop dumbasses from kiling each other.

True.

Besides, they'll have an army a money-hungry dumbasses waiting in the dugout to sue the city/state/country for money it doesn't have because they violated their 4th amendment rights.

**313WX** · August-10-12, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by jpbollma

Short of martial law I don't think anything would help. I would actually support that in some of America's cities until this shit is brought under control. Not only does this cost us precious lives, but also BILLIONS of dollars in criminal justice and lost revenue.

Everyone supports martial law until they're the ones who are having their rights violated.

**detroitsgwenivere** · August-10-12, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I get that you're trying to make a statement... But this is a false comparison. I'm certain that there were hundreds of times more total civilian war casualties in Afghanistan than in Detroit over that period of time.

Also, since the military would be the equivalent of law enforcement, I'll point out that there were very few police casualties in Detroit during that period of time. I believe less than 5?

I was thinking the same thing. Thousands of their people [[including Taliban) have died. I dont know how anyone can take this comparison seriously when the population we are supposed to be fighting for is taken out of the equation.

I know some Iraq/Afgan war vets who are downright offended when people make light of their service by comparing it in anyway to whats going on in Detroit. Maybe because they see this type of conversation as RHETORICAL.

Dead soldiers killed defending another nation's people are REAL.

So is the battle they are fighting. It's definitely not the dramafest these selfish no good ghettofied assholes are killing each other over.

**kenp** · August-10-12, 02:01 PM

What if a fracton of the money spent the last 10 years on the war was spent on the problems in Detroit

**drjeff** · August-10-12, 02:04 PM

I'm guessing the number of Afghanis killed over that same time frame is at least 100 times higher than that.

**cman710** · August-10-12, 03:38 PM

To look at it another way, the troop levels in Afghanistan have been way lower than the number of people living in Detroit during this period. [[According to the NATO website, there were about 129,000 troops in Afghanistan as of May. Therefore, the number of deaths per solider in Afghanistan is many, many times higher than the number of deaths per civilian in Detroit.

Regardless, the homicide rate in Detroit is way too high and should be viewed as a crisis.

**iheartthed** · August-10-12, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

I was thinking the same thing. Thousands of their people [[including Taliban) have died. I dont know how anyone can take this comparison seriously when the population we are supposed to be fighting for is taken out of the equation.

I know some Iraq/Afgan war vets who are downright offended when people make light of their service by comparing it in anyway to whats going on in Detroit. Maybe because they see this type of conversation as RHETORICAL.

Dead soldiers killed defending another nation's people are REAL.

So is the battle they are fighting. It's definitely not the dramafest these selfish no good ghettofied assholes are killing each other over.

Yeah, that's the other half of it. It's flimsy comparison that actually makes light of people who have gone and put themselves in far more serious danger than the average person mowing his/her lawn in Detroit.

Detroit does have a big violent crime problem, but I don't see how these sensational comparisons do anything to solve it.

**Wheels** · August-10-12, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

.

Dead soldiers killed defending another nation's people are REAL.

This statement is by far more offensive to our nations hero's!!!!

You do realize that their only mission is to protect THEIR NATIONS FREEDOM!!

**detroitsgwenivere** · August-10-12, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

This statement is by far more offensive to our nations hero's!!!!

You do realize that their only mission is to protect THEIR NATIONS FREEDOM!!

You are entitled to your opinion, and I'm sorry you feel that way. But I've spent too many hours listening to vets from desert storm, the former Yugoslav war, and operation Iraqi freedom tell me that most civilians in the states don't have an effin clue. I've had my head chewed off just for making a joke about how if the soldier was from Detroit, there probably wasn't much of a change of scenery. I've learned to keep my mouth shut about things I don't know about when hanging around vets.

And the statement you made about the soldiers being there to protect their nation's freedom, that's just a matter of your opinion as well.

We all see things from different perspectives.

**Wheels** · August-10-12, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

You are entitled to your opinion, and I'm sorry you feel that way. But I've spent too many hours listening to vets from desert storm, the former Yugoslav war, and operation Iraqi freedom tell me that most civilians in the states don't have an effin clue. I've had my head chewed off just for making a joke about how if the soldier was from Detroit, there probably wasn't much of a change of scenery. I've learned to keep my mouth shut about things I don't know about when hanging around vets.

And the statement you made about the soldiers being there to protect their nation's freedom, that's just a matter of your opinion as well.

We all see things from different perspectives.

When did you ever speak to a vet that said he was In County in any war and he was there to protect the locals? Your opinion is a crock of dung!!!!!!!

**Crumbled_pavement** · August-10-12, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I get that you're trying to make a statement... But this is a false comparison. I'm certain that there were hundreds of times more total civilian war casualties in Afghanistan than in Detroit over that period of time.

Also, since the military would be the equivalent of law enforcement, I'll point out that there were very few police casualties in Detroit during that period of time. I believe less than 5?

Originally Posted by kenp

What if a fracton of the money spent the last 10 years on the war was spent on the problems in Detroit

You guys are wasting an intelligent posts.

**Locke09** · August-11-12, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by Wheels

When did you ever speak to a vet that said he was In County in any war and he was there to protect the locals? Your opinion is a crock of dung!!!!!!!

The Korean War [[I know veterans from that war who are still living) was not about our freedom. We went to assist South Korea.

When we went to Lebanon in 1958, at their invitation, it was not about our freedom.

Grenada was not about our freedom.

Iraq in 1991, to protect the Kurdish people.

And many other instances where we have come to the assistance of others with our troops. I thought that was part of what makes this country great - our history of going to the aid of others. So, I'm surprised to see anger expressed at someone saying we are defending another nation's people.

**Hermod** · August-11-12, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by Wheels

This statement is by far more offensive to our nations hero's!!!!

You do realize that their only mission is to protect THEIR NATIONS FREEDOM!!

I thought our mission was to make the world "safe for democracy" by preventing the spread of "godless communism" over the people of this world.

Since I raised my right hand in 1961 as the Berlin Wall was going up and was told I was "too old, too fat, and too slow" and needed to depart as the Berlin Wall was coming down, I always felt I had done my part.