( http://www.citylab.com/politics/2013/01/gun-violence-us-cities-compared-deadliest-nations-world/4412/)
War torn nations are terrible places to be, none the less, countries that appear to be peaceful can have plenty of dangerous crime as they camouflage the truth everyday with their reporting. Yes, below, they are comparing U.S. cities to entire countries.
- If it were a country, New Orleans (with a rate 62.1 gun murders per 100,000 people) would rank second in the world.
- Detroit's gun homicide rate (35.9) is just a bit less than El Salvador (39.9).
- Baltimore's rate (29.7) is not too far off that of Guatemala (34.8).
- Gun murder in Newark (25.4) and Miami (23.7) is comparable to Colombia (27.1).
- Washington D.C. (19) has a higher rate of gun homicide than Brazil (18.1).
- Atlanta's rate (17.2) is about the same as South Africa (17).
- Cleveland (17.4) has a higher rate than the Dominican Republic (16.3).
- Gun murder in Buffalo (16.5) is similar to Panama (16.2).
- Houston's rate (12.9) is slightly higher than Ecuador's (12.7).
- Gun homicide in Chicago (11.6) is similar to Guyana (11.5).
- Phoenix's rate (10.6) is slightly higher than Mexico (10).
- Los Angeles (9.2) is comparable to the Philippines (8.9).
- Boston rate (6.2) is higher than Nicaragua (5.9).
- New York, where gun murders have declined to just four per 100,000, is still higher than Argentina (3).
- Even the cities with the lowest homicide rates by American standards, like San Jose and Austin, compare to Albania and Cambodia respectively.
America seems like a violent place. I would probably be more comfortable in many other countries than it some parts of the USA.
ReplyDeleteTabor, astounding information, right? I try to avoid places that obviously a bit dangerous here in the States. I am curious about the homicide rates referred to in the statistics. Wonder what the major reason is for that?
ReplyDeleteThe difference is there are some neighborhoods to avoid especially at certain times of the night. It does not protect us from that random lone wolf that shot Gabby Giffords and so many others in Tucson at a grocery store I also shop at. Same thing has come to Portland again in malls where I visit. But then I can be driving down the highway and have a vehicle slam right into me. Life is dangerous but some places more than others. So a city like Tucson has a high crime rate but not everywhere. A lot of its shootings are gang related. It's not a matter of never visiting Chicago. It's a matter of knowing where it's safer. We can get that info with research. It's not good that we have these more violent districts but not sure what anybody can do about it. When the police go after minor crime there, which some say reduced major crime statistically like in NYC, they are condemned. Solutions aren't easy to come by. Some would say confiscate all guns (which all would not be gotten anyway), but a lot of violent crimes are with knives, axes, machetes, and bombs.
ReplyDeleteHi Tabor, You know I'm from New Orleans and have never felt *in danger* there... not even now when visiting family... and not even in the French Quarter. However, just like any city or country, there are *areas* its best to avoid.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the US is unsafe as these statistics are indicating and certainly not when compared to some countries.
This one
ReplyDeleteis so aware of the world not being
like the past.
Peaceful by my woods but know
the local small town is not
like years in the past.
I stay concerned over my children and grandchildren,where they live, travel and their
adventurous lives.
What appalling statistics. I read those and think about my friend DeAnna who teaches journalism in Serbia. Guck.
ReplyDeleteFacebook. I have seen you on the American Cancer Society page I run but didn't want to bother you. The only reason is that I want to see your pictures. :) Speaking of pictures, check out the MV Algolake. One of their photographers, perhaps a deck hand, is a whiz with a camera.
Off to find my black pants.
Where I live the murder rate is low but there are a lot of fatal accidents,mostly traffic accidents and drowning. We have the lowest rate of gun ownership in the country.
ReplyDeleteyep. gun culture at it's finest.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what conclusion can be drawn from this information--other than there are too many murders in the world.
ReplyDeleteI guess a large part is knowing the city and which parts are especially unsafe and avoid them. It would also be helpful to know the reasons behind most incidents. Domestic violence, although hideous, doesn't generally affect your safety as a tourist. There may still be more deaths because of it but it will be less of a concern for a visitor's safety.
ReplyDeleteIt's safe to assume violence can occur anywhere. I know someone who was mugged in the Vatican.
ReplyDeleteAnd i grew up in and around NOLA and feel safe there. One of our pastors just came back from Lebanon, and the places they went, he felt perfectly safe. It's all in the specific area, i guess.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the comparison with European nations would be like. Could this high rate of gun crime be something to do with gun laws?
ReplyDeleteNo matter how many people lose their lives annually, I don’t suppose gun laws will ever be tightened up.
I am quite glad that we don’t feel it necessary to carry killing weapons around with us.
I think wherever you are or travel it's always best to seek local advise about the 'no go' areas and local customs. This seems sensible to me even in the smallest rural towns.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to answer your question. I'm sorry. Lands end has a couple of good simple black dresses at good prices. Very bnland. But I like mine.
ReplyDeleteThe movie was "Into the Woods." A beautiful, flamboyant piece that lasted an hour to long. They needed to hire another editor.
Just goes to show you that you need to vacation at the Grand Lake Of The Cherokees in Oklahoma:)
ReplyDeleteI am surely going to check the temperatures before I travel next time. :)
ReplyDeleteGuns in and of themselves do not kill people. I've grown really tired of hearing the "lala" way of looking at the world around us. Why not be prepared to protect ourselves, and provide sustenance?
ReplyDeleteRain said it better than I can.
As a matter of fact someone told me they were afraid to go to Paris. I told them they shouldn't go to New York or Boston if terrorism is the fear. Terrorism is everywhere these days, but we can't live in fear or evil would have won.
ReplyDelete