Thursday, May 16, 2019

An Extraordinary Man



In City Journal, Heather Mac Donald remembers George Kelling, co-author of the "broken windows" theory. An excerpt:

Kelling and Wilson hypothesized that communities where public disorder goes unchecked were likely to enter a spiral of decline. Most people avoid public spaces perceived as being out of control, fearing that such hubs of disorder give cover to criminals. That perception becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as the law-abiding stay indoors, ceding terrain to miscreants who flout the bourgeois social order. As aggressive begging, public inebriation, graffiti, and vandalism increase, thieves and robbers spot an environment where they can target victims with impunity.

2 comments:

Eclecticity said...

I recommend "Seattle is Dying" found on YouTube. A local news documentary about the homeless in the Emerald City. Broken Windows in spades. I'm going to share it on a blog post soon. E.

Michael Wade said...

E,

What has been happening in Seattle and San Francisco is very sad.

How to Destroy a Beautiful City 101.

Michael