Perception of Violence part III

In parts I and II I talk about perception and how it effects our truth. I also compared the violence of Mexico and the United States and how we view each. I think I've shown in some small way that the violence in the United States is horrific and yet, we go about our daily routines as if we're really quite safe. I should've added that many of us are. However, many are not. I've shown that while the violence in Mexico is also horrific and worse than the United States, it's not the apocalyptic nightmare that we've been led to believe. So why do we think it is? Why, do we ignore the violence in our own country but fixate on the violence of another? Honestly, I do not know, but I have some ideas that I'll share.

I don't think there is one simple explanation for our perception concerning violence. Ignorance, arrogance, laziness and self preservation all play a part.

It's always struck me odd that our country has been dominating the world stage since at least the second world war, yet we are the most ignorant of it. Any study of American's understanding of geography,world politics, or world history proves this point. Additionally we are poorly traveled. The world continues to get smaller and yet we don't travel it as much as other world players. Americans are less likely to travel exstensivley outside of our own borders as say a German or Japanese. One of the main benefits of travel is the exchange of ideas. Another is understanding that many places we once feared that once traveled aren't so scary. You begin to see people in foreign lands as people like you, who simply want to raise a family and send their kids to school. A strong example of this is the Rotary International Exchange program. The REP stated goal is "Peace through Exchange". They believe that the more our children live and travel in foreign lands and the more children from those lands do the same here, the more we'll understand and appreciate foreign cultures. The past few years we have hosted three wonderful young women from Chile, Turkey and Germany. Each reinforced my belief in the power of travel. During this period of time I sent my own daughter to live in Turkey for ten months. This was a life changing event for her and a reinforcing event for me. During the three years we were involved in the REP not a single American student was harmed in a foreign land. Conversely during that time at least two REP students were murdered in the United States. Both were random acts of violence. One in Miami and one in Seattle. So yes, ignorance of the outside world is contributing cause of our perception of violence. We see the world as a dangerous place filled with people who want to kill us. So when we see images on tv of the violence in Mexico it reinforces our perception and beliefs. Ignorance is bliss.

From the moment we are born we are instilled with the belief that America is the greatest country on Earth. It is taught and reinforced in our school systems, movies and popular culture. We are taught that as a country we are almost infalliable and it's a crime to suggest anything other than this belief. The punishment for such a crime is to be labeled as Un-American. This is an arrogant belief that blinds us from reality. I'm not suggesting that my country isn't the greatest. What I believe is that we are fallible. That we make mistakes but we strive correct them. This arrogance makes it impossible for us to clear this hurdle. So it's easy for us to believe that our country doesn't have the problems we indeed have. It's easy for the perception of infallibility to be reinforced. The perception that our country is the safest while the rest of the world is dangerous is fed by our arrogance.

Today we work harder than we ever have. When we're not working we're taking the kids to music classes, soccer games and a million other places we have to be in an average American day. By the time we're done running it's late and we're exhausted. We plop down in front of the tv and watch "Real Wives of Where ever" or the ballgame. Some will flip the channels and catch a twenty second piece on cable news about the drug war in Mexico. Few if any will attempt to discover the truth and let's face it, the news does a poor job of giving us the truth. It's a business and it plays to the dollar. Whatever sells will be covered. If it's a portion of the truth that's fine. Just as long as advertisers keep paying. Any any given day, people will be shot and killed in our country, but the national news will not cover it. Drug dealers in Mexico get killed in a shootout and it's played non-stop for days on cable news. It's so much easier to be spoon fed our information than to mine it for ourselves. It's so much easier to accept than it is to question.

If we fully understood how scary our own country is we might be paralyzed with fear. So it's just easier to ignore it. Put your head in the sand and everything will be ok. Poke your head out and ask questions and you'll wish you didn't. It's better to believe your safe and that Mexicans are just waiting for you to cross the border.

Like I said, I honestly don't know why the perception of violence exists. These are merely thoughts I've been working on for awhile. I am convinced that the perception is real. And like I also said if you believe in that perception, than that is your truth.

Perception of Violence, part II

In part one of Perception of Violence, I talked about violence in Mexico and how my personal perceptions changed as I lived and traveled in foreign lands. In part II I'll give you some facts. See if they support or refute your perceptions.

When I rode through Mexico the drug war had been raging for several years. So in 2007 it was already bad. Admittedly it has intensified and it is worse now. Most of the statistics I'm going to give you are from 2008 because they were the easiest to find. Remember, this post is about perception so try not to get hung up on battling statistics. We all know they can be manipulated and twisted to meet one's own conclusion. I'm admitting to doing that in this post. The statistics used are from trusted sources. If you want the sources let me know and I'll post them.

Every single day in America people are murdered. In fact approximately 35 Americans are murdered every single day. Every single day is statistically more dangerous in the US than a day in Iraq (358 dead in 2008) for an American soldier. You think you live in safe country? Ponder this, in 2008 there were more murders each in the cites of Chicago (508), Detroit (340, almost more though these numbers are the lowest in 40 years),and Los Angeles (376) than American soldiers killed in Iraq. To be clear this is not a combined sum, each of these cities was more dangerous for it's citizens than Iraq was for our soldiers. I could go on and on about work place murders, drive by shootings, children murdering each other in their schools but you all know about that. While still in high school one of my closest friends was shot while being robbed in Detroit. Many who read this will know who I'm talking about. Having outlined in some small way how dangerous the United States is, how many of you are too afraid to walk out of your doors? Will any of you postpone trips to Chicago or LA. Will any of my friends here, in Traverse City skip a trip to see the Tigers this summer? I haven't heard of anyone canceling their plans. But I have heard of people canceling trips to Mexico. Why is that? Is Mexico really that dangerous to visitors? Let's take a look.

Mexico is a country of 100 million people, mostly peaceful hard working folk. The biggest threat they face today is a drug war fueled entirely by our country's insatiable desire for illegal drugs. Prior to President Calderon's decision to fight the very powerful drug lords, Mexico's total murders were less than the United States. Granted, they had a murder rate higher than ours, but the overall total was lower. Since that time murders have exploded. But believe it or not the murder rates are actually down from 1980s. In 2008 the murder rate in Mexico was 12 per 100,000. Bad but not nearly as bad as Columbia (35) or even Brazil (25). I wonder how many people would change their travel plans to Rio if they knew it was twice as dangerous as Mexico? Additionally, the vast majority of drug related murders take place in the Northern and Western parts of the country and are for the most part, involving those in the drug trade. Yes, innocent people get caught in the cross fire or are targeted but it is the exception not the rule.

In some small way I've shown that in our country murder happens everyday yet we don't feel threatened at all. In Mexico murder is on the rise fueled by a drug war of our own making, but not nearly as bad as many other countries you hear nothing about. Also, the violence is concentrated in certain regions of the country and for the most part concentrated in the drug culture. So, why are we inundated every single day with headlines about Mexican drug violence? What makes us almost oblivious to the dangers in our own country while at the same time fixated on those of another country?

In part III, we come back to perception and try to tie it all together.