Most major American cities are dumps

[xuechengfeng]

in reference to http://www.chinese-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2423&highlight= this thread..

roddy, sorry i posted it in the wrong forum, it was early in the morning, but i still want to continue this discussion especially because some of the responses.

It's a good thing there isn't crime in the rest of the world.

So did you call the police?

The point being that crimes like these are common place in most major American cities, and they really aren't very safe. America is a very violent society. Sure, crime happens elsewhere, but as frequent or as violent? Highly doubtful.

I didn't have to call the police because by the time my g/f woke me up and explained the whole situation, the men were gone and 3 police had come. Mind you, this is my FIRST WEEK of living in this new apartment. Crime like this is commonplace in Columbus. In the past year of living on the campus area, I've seen someone smoking crack outside of Target, my buddy I work with has been robbed 2 times, once on a main street, the event last night, constant rapes, execution style murders, arsons killing 6 students, 2 kids just recently into a fight outside a bar and both shot... are you trying to tell me this happens as frequently in China or elsewhere? That's a joke. The worst I've heard as a consistency in China is pick-pockets. And mind you, the events I've listed have been over the course of a year, and let's not forget about the constant riots after football games. Couches burned, tear gas, people stabbed, wooden bullets.. this is nice?

[Ian_Lee]

Hmmm.......Please don't generalize the crime in American and Chinese cities.

In the American city that I live now (pop 800,000+), generally it is very safe to even wander in the city in night time. Burglary is on the rise but hardly are there any violent crime.

In the city that I went to graduate school (pop 250,000+), I didn't even lock my door when I went out.

But for Chinese city like Shenzhen, in average over 100 HKers are kidnapped every month. Some are kidnapped owing to business disputes and some by faked Gong An and some are framed by the prostitutes.

According to the Public Security Bureau in Shenzhen, many of these kidnappings, i.e. business dispute, are ignored by them because there are just too many cases.

[xuechengfeng]

What you mind saying which American city? Obviously, I can go a few blocks this or thataway, and I can be completely fine, but I guarantee if you look at the overall crime and violent crime per 100,000 people let's say, no other country will even come close to America. I have been to a variety of major cities, and most of them have neighborhoods that would make the worst neighborhood in another country look like an affluent suburb.

And, in your example, you note that these kidnappings are due to business disputes or having to do with prostitutes. I am talking about crime committed where there is an absolute victim. I am not talking about a perpetrator who is feeling vengeful and justified in his behavior, just senseless acts of violence for whatever material/sexual/sick twisted gain they get from this.

I can't speak for China, but from what I've heard, you can't even compare it to here; nowhere can be compared to here. I'd like some natives to please tell me if they have ever seen any of this, heard of any of the things I listed, and how consistent they are.

[Ian_Lee]

Why would you choose Columbus, Ohio -- a city in the rust belt -- to go to school in the first place?

Cities in the rust belt have long lost its lustre in the manufacturing sector and saddled with those now unemployed Inner-City immigrants that moved from the South in the '60s. Of course, crime is rampant in that region.

Try transfer to another school next semester.

[Adam]

but I guarantee if you look at the overall crime and violent crime per 100,000 people let's say, no other country will even come close to America

I rekon Israel and Palestine might rival america with amount of violence.

Are you in Ohio by choice?

[xuechengfeng]

Why would you choose Columbus, Ohio -- a city in the rust belt -- to go to school in the first place?

Cities in the rust belt have long lost its lustre in the manufacturing sector and saddled with those now unemployed Inner-City immigrants that moved from the South in the '60s. Of course, crime is rampant in that region.

Try transfer to another school next semester.

I didn't really choose Columbus, Ohio.. it was pretty much like I was raised in Columbus, and the only money my parents could afford was Ohio State. Also, I wish I could transfer to another school but there are too many factors keeping me here: family, friends, girlfriend, money, and most importantly, there are few schools that have a Chinese major program, especially one as reputable as OSU. Also, out-of-state tuition is way out of my price range, and being a white, male, ?Christian? I don't get any scholarships, believe me I've tried. So enough of my sob story, this really isn't limited to just Columbus, this is a lot of major cities.

[xuechengfeng]

I rekon Israel and Palestine might rival america with amount of violence.

Are you in Ohio by choice?

It may seem like that with all the media coverage that Israel/Palestine get, but there is no way there violence is close to ours. If someone there blows themself up or an IDF soldier shoots a 3 year old girl, it's front page news. Murders don't even get front page news here, and other serious crime isn't reported, so of course you don't read about it. Also, Palestine/Israel have their own respective causes for the chaos ensuing right now, while most crime here is over something trivial or completely senseless.

[Claw]

I had a very hard time believing that America has worse crime than other places around the world so I did some Googling to come up with some statistics. I found this site:

http://www.uncjin.org/Statistics/WCTS/trc000927.pdf

Per 100,000, the U.S. actually is pretty much in the middle for total recorded crime. By looking at the data, there are several countries that have higher crime incidents per capital than the U.S., for instance: Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Guyana, New Zealand, Norway, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Sweden.

Surprisingly, China ranks as one of the lowest of all the countries ranked.

One thing you should keep in mind is that the American media likes to play up reports of crime in order to boost their ratings. This gives the public an impression that life is more dangerous than it really is.

[blob]

I think at the moment, Iraq has overtaken US on the number-ppl-dying-per-day and many other types of crime. Some bits of Africa and some former soviet union states are pretty lawless too I think.

[Quest]

well just to add to it, there are reports of some kids shooting windows with guns in my neighborhood. so theres a bunch of cops here every night since. (I live in Boston) and there's a street near Chinatown, where prostitutes would frequent every single night, it's almost like a stripper show there. The cops would visit there perhaps twice a month, and on other nights they just come right out again.

but that said, Boston is still statisitcally the safest city in America.

[bhchao]

there's a street near Chinatown, where prostitutes would frequent every single night, it's almost like a stripper show there.

I think the Chinatowns in the major US cities need better maintenance. It seems like almost every Chinatown share a common trait; dirty, congested, and sometimes crime-ridden.

San Francisco's Chinatown is notoriously dirty and the smell is unbelievable. I went there once and will not step in that place again. New York's Chinatown is also dirty, but is actually fun to be in because it has a diverse mix of people, food, and shops. It also has a distinct, bustling culture of its own that you can tell the minute you step in the neighborhood. So it offsets the dirtiness factor. I'm not a Chinatown fan, but New York's is an exception. During my visits to New York, I often stop by 天仁集團 on Mott Street.

LA's Chinatown is actually quite clean, but I never go there. I don't know about Chicago's or Boston's.

[xuechengfeng]

Claw:

Can you pull up something as to what kind of crime this involves? I highly doubt the likes of Sweden, Norway, Canada, Belgium, etc. have more violent crime than America. Obviously they are probably going to have more crime per 100,000 because we have so many more people. I made a mistake saying that per 100,000 nobody will compare because I didn't factor in that we have so many more people, so of course we won't be up there, but I believe if you compare violent crimes, Canada, Sweden, etc. won't compare.

The American media oftens does overdramatize crime, but I lived in the suburbs for 18 years of my life and never saw or heard of an actual crime. I've lived on campus in a major city for over 2 years now and have seen and have heard many, many crimes, including violent ones including arson, rape, and murder. And, of course every city has these things happen, but I speak of these with a consistency.

[sunyata]

violent crime in the US does exist, and I agree - it can get pretty wild in big cities...

but not only US is like that...As someone said, try former SU countries - Chechnya, Georgia, Armenia, Moldavia, Azjerbaizhan, Russia...

[wushijiao]

I think Claw is right in that America's crime is vastly overstated by the media. You are more or less as safe in america as most European countries. Well, a bit more at risk in the US (Germany, france and the UK murder rates about 3-4/100,000, US a bit over 5, Russia over 20). And crime rates have seen a downward trend sice the 70's, especially in the Clinton era.

Bowling for Columbine, although it tries to be an expose of sorts, best shows American's strange view towards crime. On the one hand Moore goes to South Central and spends a lot of time explaining how safe the US really is, and how the media just plays with our fears. But then he states how we really do have a huge problem with gun violence.

Gun violence, in my liberal opinion, should be reduced through gun control. But if you aren't invloved with drugs, if you don't commit suicide Kurt Cobain-style, and you don't know crazy gun-loving friends, then your odds of dying by gun are much lower.

[bhchao]

The neighborhood you live in right now and just going to a few other bad neighborhoods in major US cities is giving you the false perception that America overall is unsafe. I think it is a little unfair to generalize the overall crime rate in the US, and conclude America is unsafe just by visiting a few bad neighborhoods. Every city has its own affluent well-to-do neighborhood combined with the bad ones.

Wushijiao is right. Crime rates in major US cities are much lower now than they were 30 years ago. In the early 1990's, the crime rate in New York was appalling. There were 2,245 murders and 3,126 rapes in New York in 1990. In 2002, there were 587 homicides and 1,689 rapes in the city. Now New York is the safest big city in America.

[geek_frappa]

if the crime gets too bad, you can move to dublin, westerville, or worthington, then you can commute (45 minutes, 55 minutes on rainy days) ... stay away from white hall though; crime is higher there...

[xuechengfeng]

?????????

How do you know so much about Columbus?

By the way, I'm only staying down here because I'm here for school. I'm actually from Westerville, which is very nice.

[geek_frappa]

By the way, I'm only staying down here because I'm here for school. I'm actually from Westerville, which is very nice.

i might have attended worthington-kilbourne and had to wait some days for the train to cross the tracks while 2 miles of cars piled behind me... (that is, if you're coming from dublin-side of the tracks)

i also lived in westerville...

[xuechengfeng]

yikes what a small world.. how long ago did you graduate from kilbourne? and what neighborhood /street did u live on in westerville?

[TSkillet]

if you look at the overall crime and violent crime per 100,000 people let's say, no other country will even come close to America.

I suspect Columbia might have a higher violent crime per 100k. As would certain cities in Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, Cambodia . .. etc.

I don't think the US is all that dangerous - of course I grew up here - sure it's not Hong Kong where I can hang out in Mongkok at 4am, but it's not like every city is West Oakland or East Palo Alto or Washington DC.