Criminal Pursuits

Rural America should tend to its own business rather than D.C.'s and the Washington Post (and all media) should stop stoking fears of a crime wave that doesn't exist

While everyone is talking about crime in the big cities these days — particularly my adopted hometown of D.C.¹ — I thought I’d add to the conversation by talking about all the crime I grew up with in rural Kentucky.

I was still in elementary school in my little town of 300-odd people when my friend’s father was murdered, shot to death in the cab of his truck.

Juvenile delinquents broke into my father’s body shop and stole a set of expensive wheels. Another bunch got into his “junkyard” — where he kept cars for spare parts and glass to use for repairs — and smashed every windshield and mirror.

I won’t even get into all the fights, I don’t want to be here all day. But I can tell you I know two people who had parts of their noses bitten off in what might euphemistically be called “physical altercations.”

Drinking and driving was rampant, with a cold beer in a coozie nestled in the crotch being among the most popular automotive accessories. My dad fixed a lot of the wrecks that happened due to…