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The Low Down
Let's first start out by pointing out one fact: the news is biased. News is supposed to be neutral, just giving the facts so that you can form your own opinion. However the reality is that news always favors a liberal stance, and that North American news is notorious for such a narrow view. Especially if you watch international news from places like the BBC, it sounds so different you aren't even sure if they're talking about the same thing. With that in mind, Canadian news loves to paint the United States as a bunch of uncontrolled gun toting rednecks who'll shoot at anything that moves. Of course you're only going to hear about isolated incidents, but that doesn't mean that's common place. Likewise if Americans were to hear nothing but Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, they'd think Canada is one messed up sex crime country. Comparing and analyzing the United States and Canada is so involved you could do it full time. Statistics can be made to prove anything. Even a line graph, if you stretch the graphic wide the curve will look like a gradual decline, and if you compress its width it will look like a sharp change. In both cases that graph will be 100% accurate against its axis. The other thing is that even if you had a comparative analysis, the conclusion is just based on the computation of numbers. Life usually doesn't fit perfectly into a mathematical equation. The reality is the difference isn't that drastic. There's no doubt there is more crime in the United States. This is due to the access of guns, poverty levels, and that the population is over ten times that of Canada's. However crime in both Canada and the U.S is usually isolated to regions; for example the infamous Jane and Finch area near Toronto, and South Central L.A. You need to research your target cities and see what the situation is. If you live in a good/normal area, chances are you'll never be affected. The reality is that the average joe in Canada is the same average joe in the United States. Everyone wants to live a basic normal life; go to work 9 to 5, then go home and be with the wife and kids, watch some TV and go to sleep. Canadians have the image that the United States is a warzone. That's completely ridiculous. I've yet to even know someone who has a gun here. It's just not part of the culture. Texans and other southern states like to have guns, as they believe it gives them a minimal level of defense against break ins. That might be something to be concerned about. I'm not too comfortable being in an area where it's legal to carry a gun in your car and as a concealed weapon, even by good-natured people. But then again, cities that allow this sometimes have lower gun related crime, as people who have guns legally don't commit crime. Gun related crime is usually by people who have acquired guns illegally, and this can happen anywhere, including Canada. But this is all something you have to determine for yourself when you investigate the city. Observe what the people are like, the culture and mentality, the statistics, etc… I've found it hard to find good analysis on the matter, but here are a few links that may help your research:
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Produced by Tariq Ahmed, Email at tariq@dopejam.com.
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