[speaker001:] Okay.
[speaker002:] Well, I do not know. How big a city is Rome? I mean, you have heard about Dallas, and th-, the crime here is pretty bad [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Well, Rome is pretty small [LAUGHTER]. But, uh,
[speaker002:] Yeah. I was going to say.
[speaker001:] we hear a lot about, uh, New York City.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] There is a lot of crime [LAUGHTER] down there. And I am, I am afraid to go down there because, you know, I mean, you hear about people getting mugged. You leave your car for ten minutes and it is stripped when you come back.
[speaker002:] Yeah. Have you ever been there?
[speaker001:] No, I have not. Only to the airport.
[speaker002:] That is, uh, probably enough to see [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Um, are you in college right now?
[speaker001:] No. I am, I work at, for the Air Force.
[speaker002:] Oh, okay.
[speaker001:] So, there is a base up here. And,
[speaker002:] Are base, that's inter-, interesting concept. Are bases safe, you know?
[speaker001:] Bases are pretty safe because they check your I D on your way in. And,
[speaker002:] Yeah. The, they, uh, minimize the access.
[speaker001:] Right. But even so we had a, uh, uh, at New Years,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] we had some people come in and, uh, like attack one of the planes. Because they were protesting, uh,
[speaker002:] Oh, no.
[speaker001:] the presence over in the Persian Gulf.
[speaker002:] Sure. Oh, great. That
[speaker001:] So,
[speaker002:] is wonderful. Yeah. Well, Dallas, uh, we lived in Minneapolis. Uh, we moved here about ten months ago. And Dallas is pretty, uh, well, we live in north Tex-, north Dallas which is like a suburb, near a suburb called Plano. So we are out of the city, but it is, uh, it is bad everywhere in terms of, uh, you know, the handgun situation, um, the number of rapes, the number of muggings. Just, it is, it is, I would not say it is not as bad as New York, but it is pretty scary.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] You know, people put bars on their windows in certain neighborhoods and,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] you know. They call them ornamental grates. But they are still bars [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] That makes it bad for getting out during a fire.
[speaker002:] Yeah. It really does. And if you are a little bit claustrophobic but, uh. I do not know, I mean the jails are crowded. I, I, I am not a criminal justice specialist, so I do not know what, you know, what can be done. I am,
[speaker001:] I do not,
[speaker002:] you know,
[speaker001:] I do not know, it seems to, I think it is getting worse. Because I keep hearing things like I, when I was h-, I went home, my parents live in Boston.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] But I went home, and
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] we were watching T V, and this thing came on where these, a group of like five or six guys went and filmed themselves beating up people in the street and, and robbing
[speaker002:] Oh.
[speaker001:] them. And it was really disgusting. And my mom was like, "They should just be all shot right now." And I mean, you he-,
[speaker002:] Were they teenagers or?
[speaker001:] Uh,
[speaker002:] Like that girl in New York that got beat up by, you know, when she was jogging
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] in Central Park,
[speaker001:] Yeah. Um,
[speaker002:] a couple of years ago?
[speaker001:] They were not, I think they were early twenties.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] They were young men.
[speaker002:] Yeah. But they, so they weren't, you know. And were they, uh, were they, were they obviously poor or depri-, you know? That is really stra-. Like I say, s-,
[speaker001:] I know it. How s-, deprived could they be if they had a camcorder? Those are a thousand bucks.
[speaker002:] Yeah. Unless they stole it. And I mean, that is one big thing down here. I mean, they have like, uh, and they are not all young. I mean, they are eighteen to twenty-four, some of the young men and women. But, I mean, you can, you can see the Crime Stoppers ads on television. And they are, sometimes it is the same people that have been, that have been observed and they still can't catch them [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And you are wondering how, you know. Um, we lived in Minneapolis and Wisconsin. I mean, there was all kind of, I, I, know, I, I, I know it is getting worse. I do not know what the world is or is not. Uh, the dimi-, in a small town in Wisconsin, near Madison, um, a young boy somehow got a hold of a shotgun.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And killed his parents and his three brothers and sisters.
[speaker001:] [Gasp].
[speaker002:] And the child had, and he, they said that he was twelve years old, and he had, uh, he had not, uh, displayed any tendencies deviant or disturbed or whatever, you [LAUGHTER] know.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And you are thinking to yourself, um.
[speaker001:] I wonder where,
[speaker002:] I know.
[speaker001:] I do not know. I wonder where he gets it? You know, you must, I think T V is bad. Because they, uh, show all sorts of violence on,
[speaker002:] That and I do not think a lot of parents, I mean, I do not, I do not know how it is in the Air Force base. But, uh, I just do not think a lot of people, because of the economy, both need to work, you know. I just do not think a lot of parents are that involved any more.
[speaker001:] Yeah. They do not, they do not talk to their kids and take them out. And, and
[speaker002:] Uh,
[speaker001:] are not there all the time so the kids are off to their own devices a lot.
[speaker002:] Right. And discipline. I do not know how your folks were, but I mean I sure knew as heck when I was growing up that, uh, my parents were [LAUGHTER] the superior and I was the subordinate. And, you know.
[speaker001:] Oh, definitely.
[speaker002:] It was sort of like there were boundaries. And I do not think, I do not know, I think today a lot of parents, um, are ruled by their kids. I, I,
[speaker001:] I think so definitely. When you go to a restaurant, and like kids are running all over the place. They,
[speaker002:] Yeah. Right. I mean, they are not learning how to, uh, well, like boundaries. I mean, I do not, I see it in work place too, sometimes. I do not know how old you are, but you sound a little bit [LAUGHTER] younger than me. But, I am in my thirties, and I, uh, I see, uh, even people that work with me that are ten years younger. That, you know, they kind of have an attitude that [LAUGHTER], I ha-, I hate to to say it, but it's, that's just what it is. It is an attitude
[speaker001:] Yep. But,
[speaker002:] like
[speaker001:] they,
[speaker002:] the world owes them something.
[speaker001:] Right, I, I see that too in the Air Force. Espec-,
[speaker002:] Do you?
[speaker001:] Oh, yeah. A lot of, uh, especially since a lot of us are engineers where I work.
[speaker002:] Are you in the Air Force?
[speaker001:] I am in the Air Force. Yes.
[speaker002:] Okay.
[speaker001:] And so, uh, people outside the Air Force doing engineering get paid a lot more than we do.
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] And so all the young engineers are like, well, I am just, going, you know,
[speaker002:] Huh.
[speaker001:] get it for all it is worth. And that,
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] you know, and I am like, you are the one who signed up. If you did not want to do it. And,
[speaker002:] Right, right. And the Air Force is one of the bitter, better military, supposedly m-, m-, military experiences.
[speaker001:] Yep, it is.
[speaker002:] I mean,
[speaker001:] I like it a lot [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Pardon me?
[speaker001:] I like it so far.
[speaker002:] I mean, that is, are you going to be a career person? I'm digressing, but,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] I do not talk to many people in the
[speaker001:] Oh.
[speaker002:] military. So I am,
[speaker001:] Probably not. But, uh, they pay for my college. So,
[speaker002:] That is the way to do it. I mean, and that's, you know, at least the Air Force is, I do not know, I just, uh, I am nervous in Dallas. I mean, I, you know, I mean, I go to like an aerobics class or something. And, I, you know, uh, seventy women in a Jazzercise class in a public, uh, parks and rec building. And you are supposed to feel safe, but then there are all these, it does not matter race, but, you know, it is an inter racial mix. And you see these guys standing there watching you jump around in your [LAUGHTER] leotards.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And I do not even think that way, but I mean, you just think to yourself, [sigh] you, you just, I mean, nobody can think that, that it can't happen to them.
[speaker001:] It,
[speaker002:] No matter who they are or where they are at, you know.
[speaker001:] Yeah. And you never know who is watching, either.
[speaker002:] I mean, did you, I do not know, I was in the grocery store this morning. We, uh, went to New Orleans for four days and came back late last night, driving. And it is about seven hours.
[speaker001:] Huh-uh.
[speaker002:] Um, and that is a very, we had never been there. That is a very, very neat town to visit.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh, in terms of the French Quarter and all of the things
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] you hear about. But the crime is so bad there. [LAUGHTER] I mean, in all the tourist brochures you read about what you should or should not do. How to carry
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] your wallet, uh.
[speaker001:] This is New Orleans?
[speaker002:] New Orleans, yeah.
[speaker001:] Oh, I would hate to be there during Mardi Gras. Let me tell,
[speaker002:] I would never, yeah. You just do not. Do not even bother. It is not worth it. Uh, the, when we came back, I do not know if you have seen. I was in the super market this morning and on the cover of TIME magazine, there is a girl, she is in Boston? She is on the east coast somewhere. Real attractive young girl. College freshman, I, college coed. I think she is a freshman. She had been dating a fellow for several
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] weeks. They went back to her dorm room
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and date rape. I mean, and it just, sh-, she looked anguished. I mean, it was really just sad. I mean, did not pick it up and read it, but I should have. But I just looked at the picture and thought, what a world.
[speaker001:] I know [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] I mean, I do not, yeah,
[speaker001:] You can't trust anybody.
[speaker002:] I do not have any, uh, cure,
[speaker001:] It is, it is really scary.
[speaker002:] No, you really can't. I mean, I, they, we lease out a really nice two story town home in north Dallas. And they have a real big thing here. People, I mean, even dry cleaners knock on the door and are soliciting, you know. They, everybody wants your business kind of thing.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] And my husband is the kind of guy, he's, he's sometime, he was raised on a farm in southern Ohio, near Dayton. And I think sometimes it is just, he and I are very different in terms of that. I, I mean, I basically have started not to trust
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] anybody in general street smarts.
[speaker001:] We,
[speaker002:] And, uh, he opened the door. I came downstairs and I was real upset and I probably got more nasty [LAUGHTER] than I should have. But I just said, Howard,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] you know,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] oh, my God. I would not, I mean,
[speaker001:] Well, you, you,
[speaker002:] [Sigh].
[speaker001:] hear about people opening the door and getting blown away. Or people, you know,
[speaker002:] Oh, yeah. And it does, I mean, it is, it is not a reason. I mean, I have been to New York. You should not deny yourself going to visit
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and all that.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh, but it is not any worse. I used to work for a mortgage company that was owned by, uh, are you from Boston?
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Home Owners Savings and Loan in Boston.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And I know I never felt, I mean, I have been to downtown New York City and I have been to downtown Boston. And I never felt any safer on Milk Street in Boston, staying at the Meridian,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] I did not [LAUGHTER] pay for. But, I mean, I never felt any safer there than I did in any other city
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] I have been in, you know.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] So I would say one thing. Do not deny yourself the New York exper-, bu-, experience, but go with people that you know.
[speaker001:] Yeah. I would not want to go by myself.
[speaker002:] No, uh. But I mean, it, yeah, I do not know. I mean, I, I guess I could go on and on about what to do about criminals. {F Uh, } I think the handgun, I am not real big on guns
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] myself. So,
[speaker001:] I think our
[speaker002:] I mean,
[speaker001:] justice system needs to be stricter. I mean, because everyone, they do it and then they get out in a couple of years it seems like.
[speaker002:] Are the New York, uh, are the New York, I do not know how the New York state prison system
[speaker001:] They are
[speaker002:] is but,
[speaker001:] booked up [LAUGHTER]. Yeah.
[speaker002:] Are they booked up? [LAUGHTER] That is a way to put it, they are booked up. Are they paroling, uh, like murderers and, I mean, here it is just a real big deal. They parole people that have killed police officers and then they are out doing it again.
[speaker001:] Right, um, I do not, I do not know. Because I am not real up on
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] a lot of news things. But, you know, you just
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] hear about that, that, you know, it is a lot of repeat crime. And you are like, why are they repeating? They should have been in there longer. Or,
[speaker002:] I know. And then you think, I mean, I ha-, I mean, I can remember, I have not been out of school that long, but it has been at least ten years. And you think to yourself, was it that bad back then? Or is it just, I think that, like you said, television? Is it just that more people think there is like excitement in it, you know? I mean, people that may have been close to the edge just go over because they see something or read something.
[speaker001:] It seems like a lot of, i-, that it is more, like in Boston, there was a case of, uh, a couple of kids, fifteen year olds. They wanted to see what it was like to kill someone.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] So they, they picked on this
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] kid who was like new in town. And they were like, well, no one was going to miss him anyway, you know, and it like,
[speaker002:] Oh, god.
[speaker001:] ugh, that is horrible. How can you even think like that?
[speaker002:] I-, i-, it is, yeah, isn't it something? I mean, I, I have a, I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I have a niece and nephew. And I just, uh, I mean my ten year old nephew says things that he is aware of that I am just going, Michael,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] how did you hear about [LAUGHTER] that? You know, it is just, I think kids get too
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] much too fast.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And all those sort of things. In Atlanta, where my inlaws live, uh, they had that thing, you know, the high top sneakers,
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] the Air Jordans, et cetera.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] Kids killing each other and beating their brains out.
[speaker001:] Oh, for the sneakers.
[speaker002:] Right. Or the, or the jackets, the team like the Raiders
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and the caps.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] You know, stealing the hundred dollar jackets. Uh, I mean, it is I guess, it goes from the most petty like that to like what you were saying that they, in Boston. That is crime where they videoed. That is probably one of the most
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] bizarre I have heard of. Where they videotape themselves.
[speaker001:] Yeah. It seems like crime is turning into a pastime instead of like, you know, be...