Mafias are not all bad.

"I wish to expand the definition to include an area (streets, homes, businesses) where crime, in general, is less likely and the citizens can carry on day to day life with less fear of criminal activity than on 'unsafe streets'." I'll extend it to homes, but no further. And as to the Sowell thing, just to make a point of reference, it is from "Economic Facts and Fallacies," page 38. 2T) How would Mr. Sowell know such things? He'd probably have mentioned if he himself had to pay protection, but as for the newspaper guy, he hasn't written a book on the subject, I don't think. Additionally, laundering illegal earnings does not make the street less safe. "Also, the newsstand owner must worry if the local boss's dealings with the union will prevent him from hiring another person to help with his business at a reasonable wage with a method of redress." I'm not even sure if I understand that entirely. Furthermore, why would a newspaper stand require an assistant? "In addition, the thugs, outside the mafia, do not necessarily avoid committing crimes in the area due to a fear that the victim will be a relative of a mafia boss, they avoid the area because the boss controls the criminal activity and any mugging ring or drug operation must be made with the permission of the local boss." Not according to Sowell. Sowell said that it was because the mafia scares away other thugs because the mafia would destroy thugs that robbed their relatives. I have a primary source to back up my statement. "The mafia organizes the crime in the area, it does not prevent it." It prevents random thugs from doing it. I would like a link, yes, of an event that happened on the streets in which innocent civilians were killed due to the mafia. As for the Black Hand extortion, Sowell would have probably mentioned if living next to a mafia boss ever forced him to pay money. He hasn't. Does the mafia send Black Hand extortions to random people, or certain people? 3T) I am very, VERY sure that had such an event happened on the street Sowell lived on, he would have mentioned it. "Depending on the size of the neighborhood, the chances of being related to the under boss may well be small and my opponent assumes the mugger knows of the under boss, and assumes the criminal is capable of making informed decisions." Sowell knew that he lived with mafia leaders. I'm sure muggers would do a little bit of research, and gossip about a mafia boss would be very important to them. Why would a mugger risk his life for one mugging, when the chances are higher there than pretty much anywhere else? Furthermore, it appears that the criminals were capable of making informed decisions in Sowell's street. "I cannot accept this situation as being safer." I can. Thugs rob random people on the street. The mafia is involved in illegal, but not always unsafe, activities, and they don't often occur on the streets, unless you have a source that says otherwise. So, until then, my contention floats. "My opponent may wish to abandon this position concerning the gangs I mentioned..." Yes, I do. I dismiss them on the account that they do not qualify as strong mafias, because they don't even get exclusively mentioned by M-W. Now, most of those gangs, I would not consider to be full-blown mafias. Are there any specific points on the map that I should be looking at? Are those mafia crimes or other crimes? "I maintain that the mafia must be viewed in full by examining the totality of the circumstances..." By "Mafias are not all bad," I meant that not all of their effects are bad. I'm not saying that "not all Mafias are bad." They are not "all bad." There is definitely no such thing as a mafia that is net positive, but they have beneficial effects, such as making streets safer. That was really what the resolution was supposed to convey. "When determining whether the mafia is not all bad, I reason that all bad must involve the 'overall bad' to some extent." "All bad" means that not all of their effects are bad. "Mafias are not all bad" is different from "Not all mafias are bad." Sorry for any confusion.