Most peaceful states

Most peaceful states

Most peaceful states
The Institute for Economics and Peace recently issued the first ranking of peaceful states in the United States.Rankings were based on factors such as violent crime, incarceration population and the costs associated with violence. Check out the 10 most peaceful states in the nation.

Washington
Known for its picturesque mountain views, Washington rounds out the 10 most peaceful states at No. 10. A leader on the West Coast, Washington ranked most peaceful in the Pacific division.

Iowa
Once mistaken for heaven in an Oscar-nominated film, Iowa ranks as peaceful state No. 9. In the 18 years of conducting the study on peaceful states, Iowa has never fallen out of the top 10.

Rhode Island
The small coastal state of Rhode Island  saw a decrease in homicides from 4.28 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 2.94 in 2009. This helped land the state at No. 8 on the most-peaceful list.

Massachusetts
Massachusetts  ranking seventh, showed significant decreases in both violent crime and homicide rates, and the incarceration rate has remained one of the lowest in the country. It’s home to a peace-promoting organization.

Utah
Widely known as the Friendly State, Utah ranked most peaceful in the West region and the Mountain division and No. 6 overall.

North Dakota
The Peace Garden State, named after the state’s treasured International Peace Garden, was ranked the most peaceful state for the first nine years of the study. Slight increases in violent crime moved North Dakota into the No. 5 spot.

Minnesota
Ranked fourth peaceful, Minnesota  has the third-lowest incarceration rate and fifth-lowest number of homicides. It recently launched a new system to notify violent-crime victims when offenders are released from prison.

New Hampshire
Though the study indicated that peace was not linked to political affiliation, New Hampshire is famous for its role in the U.S. political process. The No. 2 most peaceful state has the lowest homicide rate in the country.

Maine
Vacationland is the perfect nickname for the most peaceful state, which ranked first on three of the tested indicators of peace

Vermont
Vermont attracts visitors and residents alike with its beautiful scenery and inviting ski slopes, not to mention this sweet industry. This peaceful state ranks third based on low homicide rates and a decreasing violent-crime rate.

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Weird state laws

Check out this array of crazy codes of conduct from across the nation.

Weird state laws
 Some are no longer on the books , some might be urban legends and others are truly letter-of-the-law lunacy.

Louisiana

In the Bayou state, it’s illegal to pull the pizza prank .

Florida

What qualifies as a public nuisance in the Sunshine State? Doors that open inward, instead of outward.

Wisconsin

All you restless adolescents in the Badger state take note: There’ll be no throwing rocks at passing trains.

New Hampshire
Don’t even think about collecting seaweed at night in the Granite state.

North Carolina
Tarheel state residents who want to know their futures should stick to Ouija boards, because palm-reading parlors are banned.

Ohio
Buckeye state crooks must’ve been living for the weekend —no arrests were allowed on a Sunday.

South Carolina
Hey, minors in the Palmetto state, there’s no playing with pinball machines until you’re 18.

State trivia:

Wyoming
If you run a junkyard in the Equality state, you’d better not buy any scrap from a seller who’s been boozing.

State trivia:

Arkansas
Don’t just hold the mayo, hold the horns, too. In the Natural state, there’s no honking outside of sandwich shops.

West Virginia
No matter how dapper it may have looked, it was once a misdemeanor to wear a hat inside a theater in the Mountain state.

Nevada
Silver state residents, no matter how tired you get in "The Biggest Little City in the World," you’d better think twice about lying down on a city sidewalk.

Maine
Take those billboards and fliers elsewhere because the Pine Tree state wants to keep its cemeteries ad-free.

Texas
Until 2008 , it was illegal to sell sex toys in the Lone Star state.

Alabama
Spray string — that’s this party favor — is taboo in the Heart of Dixie (which city?).

Read More

Weird state laws

Check out this array of crazy codes of conduct from across the nation.

Weird state laws
 Some are no longer on the books , some might be urban legends and others are truly letter-of-the-law lunacy.

Louisiana

In the Bayou state, it’s illegal to pull the pizza prank .

Florida

What qualifies as a public nuisance in the Sunshine State? Doors that open inward, instead of outward.

Wisconsin

All you restless adolescents in the Badger state take note: There’ll be no throwing rocks at passing trains.

New Hampshire
Don’t even think about collecting seaweed at night in the Granite state.

North Carolina
Tarheel state residents who want to know their futures should stick to Ouija boards, because palm-reading parlors are banned.

Ohio
Buckeye state crooks must’ve been living for the weekend —no arrests were allowed on a Sunday.

South Carolina
Hey, minors in the Palmetto state, there’s no playing with pinball machines until you’re 18.

State trivia:

Wyoming
If you run a junkyard in the Equality state, you’d better not buy any scrap from a seller who’s been boozing.

State trivia:

Arkansas
Don’t just hold the mayo, hold the horns, too. In the Natural state, there’s no honking outside of sandwich shops.

West Virginia
No matter how dapper it may have looked, it was once a misdemeanor to wear a hat inside a theater in the Mountain state.

Nevada
Silver state residents, no matter how tired you get in "The Biggest Little City in the World," you’d better think twice about lying down on a city sidewalk.

Maine
Take those billboards and fliers elsewhere because the Pine Tree state wants to keep its cemeteries ad-free.

Texas
Until 2008 , it was illegal to sell sex toys in the Lone Star state.

Alabama
Spray string — that’s this party favor — is taboo in the Heart of Dixie (which city?).

Read More