Given that I am and will remain a denizen of a small rural community in Alaska, I'm still an odd one indeed to be writing about the state of America's urban areas and Democrat/leftist jurisdictions. If you've been reading my work, you know I grew up in a rural setting in Iowa, I am and will remain a happy rural dweller myself. I have little time for cities, despite having lived in them for four decades. I find them unpleasant; crowded, noisy, and, to be honest, they smell bad. I like the clean country air of the Susitna Valley, and if that means I have to put up with the occasional moose eating our landscaping, that's fine.
So, why am I still worried about America's cities? Because our cities are the beating hearts of our nation. Much of the country's economic activity happens there. Urban areas host much of the country's industry and academia. What's more, our cities used to be the pride of the nation, but that's less the case now. Furthermore, the blight is spreading; small and mid-sized cities are increasingly prey to the rot. Case in point: Of all places, Asheville, North Carolina, a popular vacation destination, now beset with crime and violence.
The problem? Gangs. Yes, really.
Street gangs, hate groups, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and other groups categorized as gangs by their actions have grown in and around the city to approximately 65 identifiable organizations, police have said.
In response to questions from the Citizen Times about gang activity and violence, an Asheville Police Department spokeswoman said July 3 the "the number and types of gangs in the Asheville area have increased."
Spokeswoman Jerri Jameson didn't say from what number the groups had increased or over what time period, but said there were "1,100 documented gang members" in the Asheville area.
1,100 gang members, in a city with a population of less than 100,000. That's a very real problem, and the city seems to be falling back on the same old complaints that have failed in the past:
The Citizen Times has made requests for more information following a June 25 presentation by APD Deputy Chief Jim Baumstark in which he told the City Council a 55% increase in gun violence since 2016 was caused in part by gangs.
Baumstark's statement was one of the more explicit acknowledgements of gang activity in a city and area known for a laid-back atmosphere and quality of life that draws millions of tourists annually to walk through downtown and visit nearby sites.
Two of the more prominent gangs are, or were, in areas near the city's South Slope brewery district. Others are in West Asheville, in and around the desirable Montford neighborhood, in the historic black neighborhood of Shiloh and in South Asheville, according to the new information from police.
Here's the thing: There's no such thing as "gun violence," any more than there is "car violence" or "knife violence." It's all just violence, regardless of the tool, but city officials here are already blaming the weapons for the hands that wield them. Asheville's Mayor Esther Manheimer is on record blaming North Carolina's gun laws and pre-emption regulations for the problem, without noting that the rest of the state isn't melting down into gang violence and shootings, despite being under these same laws. At this point it's hard to see this kind of claim by a city official as anything other than obfuscating the real problem.
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So, what's happening in Asheville?
Local police estimate there are no fewer than 65 gangs in the Asheville area. Not all of the gangs are named, not all of them have specific patches or colors. Some are apparently affiliated with certain areas, some are associated with trade in illegal drugs, some are just dangerous punks. It's a safe bet, though, that they all have one thing in common: They are known career criminals.
Reports vary, but there are a few perps who stand out, according to Buncombe County arrest records from 2010-2022:
Kenneth White, the most-arrested person in Buncombe County, with "hundreds" of arrests, for crimes ranging from public intoxication to trespassing. Perhaps not a gang member, but a symptom of the bigger problem.
Shay Fox, the second-most-arrested, for trespassing, intoxication, assault, and so forth.
James Rashanda Nesbitt, 114 arrests since 1992, with multiple larceny arrests and convictions, including while on parole from previous convictions.
Brannan Nichtman, 28 arrests on 64 warrants, for shoplifting, larceny, felony robbery and drug charges.
See the problem? A few people causing many, many problems, because the city/county keeps putting them back on the street. This isn't just a problem in our major cities with their notorious revolving-door justice systems. This is a growing problem in our smaller metropolitan areas, like Asheville because the systems there will not keep these people locked up. It's not belaboring the obvious to note that someone with 114 arrests is, when released, just going to be arrested for the 115th time. At that point it's baked into them. So for these people, no more plea bargains, no more suspended sentences, no more parole. Separate them from society.
And yes, the honest citizens must be able to arm themselves for their own protection and the protection of their community. If these criminal goblins don't fear the civil authorities, let them fear the people they would prey upon.
Again, we see an American city, this time a small, once-pleasant city, descending into chaos. Again, we see a municipal government and justice system that has failed at the one primary task of government: Protecting the liberty and property of the people. Again, things in our urban areas are getting worse.
