New England's lack of violence reaps economic benefits

Reuters ^ | 24April2012 | Scott Malone

[qaz123]

BOSTON (Reuters) - The rural New England states of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are the most peaceful U.S. states, a distinction that gives them an economic advantage over the most violent, including Louisiana, Tennessee and Nevada. Violence and its aftermath cost the entire U.S. economy some $460 billion last year, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace's second annual United States Peace Index, which was released on Tuesday.

[goodnesswins]

Same with Oregon....

[MS.BEHAVIN]

I love living in Maine!
I’m out in the the country, all the neighbors are great!
Folks in rural towns here are armed, and the trouble makers know it.

Crime is very low.
Winters are tough up here, but the below zero weather
get rid of the riff raff.
You see somebody out in that weather, they’re most likely a friend!
LOL

Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor can be trouble spots.
Lewiston had a huge influx of Somalians awhile back.
It’s a PITA to shop in Portland, lots of pan handlers abound.
Bangor has a huge mosque now.
Lots of libs and airy-fairies living there, too.
Nuts and berries types.
At least where I live, all the nuts are in the trees!

Land around here is bring snapped up by folks who want to get away from dangerous cities.
Some are snotty and keep to themselves, most are pretty nice.

It IS peaceful here!

Northern Maine has remained sparsely populated, winters can be REALLY brutal up there.
It is beautiful country though.
Good place to raise kids.

[dr_lew]

It reminds me of a line about Indians (feather not dot): "The farther away you're from them, the more noble they are."

From what I understand, many of the tribes did have a highly developed sense of honor and personal worth. I would think that this wouldn't seem any less true as you got closer to them, just less significant.

[ebshumidors]

Bingo!

[freeandfreezing]

Have to be honest, white folks living peacefully in the mountains/woods of New England, who would have thought.

And clinging to their guns and religion too!

I wonder if it ever occurred to the writer that Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire have high gun ownership and fewer regulations on gun ownership than most other states. So much for the liberal lie that gun ownership leads to violence.