<p>Anybody paying attention to this game which is spreading around the country where young people are randomly knocking out strangers on public streets by sucker punching them in the face? These kids are even posting these assaults on social media. Do you think these random acts of violence which has become some kind of bizarre game for some of our youth is somehow representative of some broader pathology infecting our society and youth?</p>
<p>Is this anything new or significant compared to the usual (unfortunately high, but lower than 20 years ago) background level of violent crime in the US?</p>
<p>It’s all a bunch of crap manufactured by the media to continue to scare us. If it DOES take hold, it will be because the media has spread it. 99% of people had never even heard of this stupid thing until a few random acts of violence and now teenagers everywhere are getting ideas and a few stupid ones will act on it.</p>
<p>In the NYC area at least, one issue is that all the victims targeted in these attacks were Jewish and may have been targeted, in part, because of that factor. </p>
<p>This has become such a concern that even Al Sharpton has called a public news conference I saw on NY1 to call on all New Yorkers to denounce these attacks. NY1 also reports he’s trying to work with local NYC politicians and celebrities to create a series of PSAs denouncing racism, bigotry, and violence due to those attacks.</p>
<p>“This has become such a concern that even Al Sharpton has called a public news conference I saw on NY1 to call on all New Yorkers to denounce these attacks. NY1 also reports he’s trying to work with local NYC politicians and celebrities to create a series of PSAs denouncing racism, bigotry, and violence due to those attacks.”</p>
<p>Apparently in NYC, all the victims were Jewish, and the suspects are black. And Al Sharpton is denouncing racism and bigotry. That’s rich. Good old Al, always bringing racism into the mix. Glad to know he’s not a bigot anymore.</p>
<p>I read the article UCB posted claiming this is nothing new. I actually wasn’t aware of the racial dimension to this story. Maybe these are isolated incidents but it is still hard for me to fathom how anybody could viciously assault a random stranger as some kind of game. It is beyond my comprehension what is motivating these kids. At least it would be somewhat understandable if they were looking for money, iphones or other items of value.</p>
<p>I know in Ca. we are increasingly plagued with gang problems in various neighborhoods in many of our urban areas. The preferred weapon of choice are knives which has resulted in a plethora of stabbings. Anyway, I still think this may be symptomatic of something gone askew in our culture. Maybe the breakdown of the family or having so many kids raised in fatherless families. I don’t know, otoh, maybe it signifies nothing.</p>
<p>Yes, I think media and social media can help by not hyping or glorifying violence and not calling this a game or competition. Media sadly plays a larger role in making trends than they care to own.</p>
<p>The footage of the women getting coldcocked from behind is particularly infuriating. It would be gratifying to find that guy someplace with his back turned.</p>
<p>[California</a> Crime Rates 1960 - 2012](<a href=“http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/cacrime.htm]California”>http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/cacrime.htm) indicates that crime rates in California have been in a declining trend since the peak in 1980, although there is a one year increase from 2011 to 2012 (too early to tell if it is just noise or a reversing of the trend). Note that the 2012 overall and property crime rates are lower than they were in 1960 and 1961, but violent crime rates are higher than they were then (but lower than in 1969).</p>
<p>UCB, California had huge problems with crack cocaine and other hardcore drugs in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Because of public outrage, the penalties for selling and possession of these drugs were greatly increased. We also passed a third strike law which got a lot of the recidivists off the streets. I know the public mood has changed with respect to the third strike law and the severe punishments meted out for drug crimes, but the level of frustration with the crime problem back then was very acute.</p>
<p>This would occur no matter what media outlet chose to report it or not. The real value is through youtube and the instant fame it gives to the idiots who perpetrate this type of violent behavior.
It seems like every other day the MSM is reporting an alleged shooter on a campus of one college or another.
No real substantiated facts before they jump on it , yet just enough to fan the flames of a wanna be, maladjusted person who craves the attention this brings.</p>
<p>That being said , I wonder if posters who blow this off as being a non issue felt the same way about Trayvon Martin ?</p>
<p>I haven’t watched the news in a really long time, I only knew about this because I heard people talking about it. </p>
<p>Believe it or not, yes, urban youth know what’s going on in the world… if not from them listening to the news, then from hearing about it from others (facebook, anyone?)</p>
<p>lje, I don’t think anyone is saying that this is a non-issue. What many of us are saying is that it’s WAY over-hyped and that the media is perpetuating it… and could possibly be making it worse.</p>
<p>I recently saw a “shared” facebook story about a 60 yr old victim of a knockout game who shot and killed 2 of the attackers. Something about the story didn’t look right to me… perhaps the lack of location. 30 seconds with Mr Google and Mr Snopes and it was pretty clearly a fake story, yet people are more than willing to “share” it and spread it around without the slightest bit of skepticism. Well, I guess it COULD be true… sheesh!</p>