Is It Prophylactic To Take In The United States?
Last month, I wrote an article nearly why, despite what you lot encounter inwards the news, Europe is prophylactic to visit. Someone asked (with a marking of snark) if I would I write a similar article nearly the U.S. too?
Well, it’s a valid question. As an American writing for a mostly American audience, I tend to write mostly nearly what’s beyond our shores. But I receive got catch nearly this enquiry earlier – especially since 45% of the people who read this website are exterior the US. So let’s plow the tables on my ship together with ask:
“Is the U.S.A. prophylactic to visit?”
When most people enquire me this question, I experience they are actually quest me ii things: (1) Does gun violence hap together with then oftentimes I should worry nearly existence shot? together with (2) Will everyone abhor me because I’m a foreigner (or, especially, a non-white foreigner)?
These are valid concerns. After all, but similar how nosotros inwards the U.S.A. receive got a perception that the residue of the globe is unsafe together with unwelcoming, together with then likewise the residue of the globe has that perception of the United States.
In their news, they listen nearly our bulk shootings together with gun violence, every bit good every bit reports of police brutality toward minorities together with murders (or beatings) of Indian students confused for Muslims together with wonder if they are welcome. They encounter the election of President Trump, the huge ascension inwards deportations, the (yet withal illegal) Muslim move ban, heightened safety measures at airports, together with people existence detained together with go, “Maybe the U.S.A. isn’t the prophylactic together with welcoming province nosotros catch it was. How are much are those flights to Europe, honey?”
The media cuts both ways.
I won’t deny the statistics: The US has the highest charge per unit of measurement of decease yesteryear guns inwards the developed world (outside of state of war zones, of course), nosotros receive got nearly the highest incarceration rate inwards the world, hate crimes receive got gone up since the election, together with nosotros average roughly one bulk shooting 5 out of every half-dozen days (and 90% of the bulk shootings inwards the globe hap here).
And when these incidents together with attitudes are projected around the globe inwards conjunction amongst our recent political strife, it creates the perception of the U.S.A. every bit a unsafe together with unwelcoming place.
Already tourism has fallen together with airline bookings are down.
But, but similar Europe, the U.S.A. is prophylactic to visit.
There’s no ground to avoid visiting hither — fifty-fifty if the TSA makes it to a greater extent than of hassle and, well, our political landscape is less than ideal.
First, the U.S.A. is rattling large together with very, rattling diverse. It’s larger than Europe (the sovereign states non the continent) together with Australia. You tin drive xv hours hither inwards withal endure inwards the same state. It’s huge. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of visitors neglect to empathise that. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Chicago friend told me how ii visitors from French Republic wanted to become to Disney for the weekend. They catch it was a brusk drive because inwards Europe a multi solar daytime drive gets you lot most of the means across the continent! Most visitors but don’t empathise how vast the US is geographically until they arrive. Even I never got sense of but how large the province is until I drove across it. You tin encounter it on a map but until you’ve spent a few days driving, that sense of size is difficult to comprehend.
And due to this size, at that topographic point is a lot of cultural (and political) variation. While Americans practise portion mutual bonds together with beliefs, it oftentimes feels similar the US is actually a collection of micro-countries. The civilisation of Alabama is unlike than the civilisation of NYC, which is unlike than the civilisation of Chicago, Hawaii, Alaska, middle-of-nowhere Wyoming, or Florida. Heck, southern Florida is a globe away from the Florida Panhandle, together with Austin is a blueish (liberal) point inwards the carmine (conservative) ocean of Texas. Cuisine, slang, clothing style, accents, attitude, how people walk – it’s all unlike from part to part together with province to state.
Second, despite what you lot hear, crime inwards America is close a 20-year low. It’s been declining for many years. Here’s a visual representation of the article:
Graph: 1
(And the recent uptick is mostly due to a increased violence inwards few cities. The broader nationwide tendency is withal down.)
For example, I alive inwards NYC. Crime is downward 50% over the concluding xv years. I never worry nearly existence robbed or mugged patch inwards Manhattan. Sure, some of the other boroughs are withal unsafe, it’s non all rainbows together with unicorns throughout the city, but, overall, NYC is a lot safer than it used to be. Twenty years ago, you lot would never become through Central Park at night. Now, people become at that topographic point regardless of the fourth dimension of day.
Also, you receive got less of a withdraw chances of dying inwards a terrorist assault inwards the United States than dying yesteryear a bathtub.
I’m non proverb at that topographic point is nothing to worry about. There is offense (but most gun violence inwards the US is gang related, people killing friends, or su1cides). Chicago, Philly, together with Detroit receive got gang related offense problems. Racism is withal a large problem. Police brutality is a problem. Mass shootings hap likewise often.
The U.S.A. is non perfect.
But, but every bit inwards Europe, the likelihood that something is going to hap to you lot is rattling slim. The media sensationalizes attacks throughout the world! When attacks hap inwards Paris, practise you lot say, “Honey! Paris was attacked! Let’s non become to Lisbon”? No, because you lot know that these places are far apart together with that an assault inwards i identify doesn’t hateful you lot can’t become somewhere else.
The U.S.A. is 3.8 1000000 foursquare miles together with filled amongst dozens of climates, hundreds of cultures, chiliad of cities together with towns, together with 321 1000000 people. Problems inwards i province or metropolis don’t hateful you lot can’t catch some other exercise of the country.
Not coming hither because “Americans don’t similar foreigners” ignores the fact solely 26% of Americans voted for Trump, together with there’s currently a huge ground betwixt the correct together with left nearly so-called “sanctuary cities” (those that boundary their cooperation amongst the federal authorities over immigration law enforcement). Remember that when the move ban briefly went into effect, there were nationwide protests against it. It was never supported yesteryear a bulk of the American people.
Not coming hither because of what you lot read inwards the word is to say everyone is the same together with non recognize the vast cultural differences inwards the country. It is similar proverb you lot won’t become to the Middle East because everyone at that topographic point is a terrorist.
I know that every bit a white guy I can’t speak to what life is similar hither every bit a mortal of color. I’ve met many, many, many non-white travelers enjoin me how wonderful the flora the U.S.A. together with how welcoming everyone is, how people smile, say hello, together with become out of the means to attention but I don’t know what it’s similar to move around every bit a non-white person. I know at that topographic point is systemic racism inwards the country, but but every bit people aren’t the government, together with then likewise nosotros shouldn’t stereotype together with say that all Americans are racist. Attitudes nearly immigrants, gays, Muslims, together with everyone else vary a lot depending on where you lot are.
(But, rather than existence some white guy talking abut race, here is a link to an article nearly traveling the U.S. when you lot aren’t white. It volition give a meliorate perceptive on the subject.)
What you lot encounter on TV is solely a small, small, little sliver of the people who alive inwards the country. Because yell back if it bleeds, it leads together with the stories that hurting the U.S.A. every bit this fierce identify fits nicely into the existing narrative it has. (Just similar the globe existence unsafe fits into the narrative nosotros Americans have). The U.S.A. is non all filled amongst gun carrying, immigrant hating, racist, ignorant, fearful yokels.
Can I say at that topographic point won’t endure whatsoever gun violence patch you’re here? No.
Can I say you lot won’t experience racism? No. (My friend’s Asian lady friend was late told to become dorsum home.)
Can I say something bad won’t hap to you? No.
But all countries receive got their problems together with the media hypes upwardly everything. Americans, similar people everywhere, are by together with large expert people who are but trying to larn through the day. They are people amongst friends together with families together with are welcoming towards strangers. We aren’t unusual haters – together with nosotros don’t alive inwards Westworld where everyone is shooting everyone all the time.
Be safe. Be aware. Use your mutual sense.
But don’t skip this identify I telephone telephone home. It’s an often-overlooked goal that’s inexpensive to move around together with incredibly various (both culturally together with geographically).
So, but similar amongst Europe, ignore the news, volume your flight, together with come upwardly catch the United States!
Sumber https://www.nomadicmatt.com
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