The Elephant Mystery in Memphis

Janikowski merged his computer map of crime patterns with Betts’s map of Section8 rentals.... the match was near-perfect. On the merged map, dense violent-crime areas are shaded dark blue, and Section8 addresses are represented by little red dots. All of the dark-blue areas are covered in little red dots, like bursts of gunfire. The rest of the city has almost no dots.

Earlier this year, Betts presented her findings to city leaders, including Robert Lipscomb, the head of the Memphis Housing Authority. From what Lipscomb said to me, he’s still not moved. “You’ve already marginalized people and told them they have to move out,” he told me irritably, just as he’s told Betts. “Now you’re saying they moved somewhere else and created all these problems? That’s a really, really unfair assessment. You’re putting a big burden on people who have been too burdened already, and to me that’s, quote-unquote, criminal.”

Huh. Who could have imagined this was so, or that the truth would have too many unsettling implications for most people to even listen to, let alone accept?

I guess it's better for our "leaders" to just keep the gravy train rolling. They can always blame a lack of "common sense gun laws" for the problem--it's not like the "Authorized Journalists" won't give 'em all the cover they need.

[Via ryanmguard]