Ready to hear some bad news?
 
For some, this news may be dismaying. Others may simply say, “Duh.” But here it is: Louisiana is the least peaceful state in the United States.
 
That’s right — the Institute for Economics and Peace has named the Sportsman’s Paradise the most violent state of 2011.
 
Louisiana earned a score of 3.97, making it the lowest-ranking state in terms of peacefulness.
 
The rest of the top five violent states includes Tennessee, Nevada, Florida and Alabama.
 
The score was based on the state’s number of homicides (we have the most), number of violent crimes (we’re No. 44), number of jailed people (most again), number of police employees and the availability of small arms (we’re No. 48). The rankings were based upon the number per 100,000 people, i.e., number of homicides per 100,000 people.
While this news isn’t good, it also isn’t surprising.
 
Just look at The Advocate’s or The Times-Picayune’s crime pages every day.
 
On Saturday, a 21-year-old man was murdered in Westwego. On Friday, a man was shot dead in Algiers. On Thursday, a woman was shot four times. On Wednesday, a Lafayette bank was robbed (the burglar can be seen in a surveillance camera stuffing money into an LSU bag).
 
If you check the sites regularly, you’ll be entertained by other stories of drive-by shootings, burglaries and the like. It’s like reading the screenplay of the first 10 minutes of a CSI episode.
 
As you can see, there’s never a dull day for ballistics and crime specialists in Louisiana.
 
But why is Louisiana like this? Why can’t we just be peaceful?
 
Louisiana Public Square attributes the violence to poverty, access to firearms, lack of education, poor health and unemployment.
 
These reasons seem pretty valid.
 
According to the United States Peace Index, Louisiana ranked 45th in percentage of people in poverty. The state also ranked 46th in percentage of people with at least a high school diploma and 35th in percentage of people without health insurance.
 
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state’s unemployment rate is at 8 percent.
 
And finally, you do not need a permit to purchase a handgun in Louisiana. The only requirements are that you’re at least 21 years old and can pass a background check.
 
All of these factors could easily breed violence.
 
But while the above reasons give some insight, I’d say there are more influences to the violence that are overlooked — specifically in people that many in Louisiana and across the country consider “role models.”
 
There’s no doubt New Orleans-born rapper Lil Wayne has influence on the youth of our state. Wayne rose from poverty to stardom to prison then back to stardom, and many people still look up to him. While Weezy displays how a poor African American became a millionaire, he also sets a bad example for his followers after being arrested numerous times on drug and gun charges.
 
Which brings us to another major player in Louisiana — Lil Boosie.
 
Boosie had a similar success story to Lil Wayne’s, but he’s in jail on drug and weapon charges and has been indicted for first-degree murder.
 
I wrote a column on the “Free Boosie” movement earlier in the semester, and received numerous comments from people stating they don’t care what Boosie did. They still think he’s the best rapper alive.
 
Obviously, people look up to him.
 
In Boosie’s video “We Out Chea,” Boosie and his boys constantly shove pistols in the camera lens. And get this — there are two children in the video.
 
Need I say more?
 
I think it all speaks for itself. It’s impossible to argue it’s good for people to look up to gun-toting criminals.
 
Overall, the Institute for Economics and Peace’s poor rating of Louisiana should act as a wake-up call to residents.
 
Personally, I think we should put a greater emphasis on improving public education. If everyone could have a solid high school education, they would be better set up for a successful future, and violence and crime may decrease.
 
In the end, being the most violent state may be upsetting, but hey, look on the bright side — Louisiana’s still 17 percent safer than it was in 1997.
 
Chris Grillot is a 20-year-old English and mass communication sophomore from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_cgrillot.
 
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Contact Chris Grillot at
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