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Next week, when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs in San Francisco for the first time since 1987, Riccardo Muti will be on the podium. This eminent conductor is practically a brand name, synonymous with La Scala (where he was music director from 1986 to 2005), the Philadelphia Orchestra (1980-92) and other great orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, with which he enjoys an association of 40 years.

Here’s the deal in California.  Wearing the wrong color – red – can get you killed.  Which just goes to show you the sad state of affairs that exist in the once-Golden state.  Not only is California teetering on bankruptcy, but making the wrong fashion statement is a lethal mistake. 

On July 23, 2010, a jury convicted Jose Martinez of second-degree murder with gang and gun enhancements, along with conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit street terrorism.  Martinez, who is 25 years old, is a gangbanger.  He belongs to the Surneno gang, which is a Mexican street gang.  He and eleven of his homies – who are also Surenos – shot and killed five people.  The five people were killed simply for wearing the color red.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word riot is defined as “a wild, violent public disturbance, or disturbance of the peace, by a number of persons (in law, three or more) assembled together.”

In case you hadn’t heard, they had one – a riot – in Vancouver a few months ago.  And the definition provided by Webster’s Dictionary pretty much hit it right on the head.  Lots of wild, violent, pissed off people got together in downtown Vancouver, which is billed as “Canada’s most livable city,” and proceeded to disturb the peace, which included smashing in storefront windows, looting, throwing rocks, bottles, and Molotov cocktails, turning over police cars, and setting fire to anything that would burn. 

According to a new study by Robert Brame of the University of North Carolina, one-third of young people are arrested by the time they are 23-years old.  Most of the arrests are for underage drinking, petty theft, vandalism, and violent crime.  Admittedly, the study indicates that violent crimes are relatively rare and that the high-rate of arrests may or may not signal increasing criminal behavior in young people. Nevertheless, the conclusion – that young people are engaging in more criminal activity – is hard to escape.