I Was In Danger and Didn't Know It

I was at work and was startled by a loud noise. Someone had dropped an instrument tray. I jumped a mile, embarrassed and made the mistake of my life. I made a statement that opened a can of worms...

"Wow! That sounded like a gunshot!"
Silence and stares...
Then the questions started...
"You've heard gunshots?"
"Like not while hunting?"
"Have you seen anyone shot?"
"It must be so dangerous where you grew up!"

I don't know how to respond. I can either a) lie and pretend that I have no idea that America is a semi-violent place or b) tell the truth.
I decided that the truth is the best option and then revealed that I had indeed heard gunshots (not at all associated with hunting, if you include hunting for a deal at the mall...), I had seen someone shot before (just that once) and knew how to shoot a gun (once again, not a hunting rifle, more like the standard 9mm handgun...who doesn't in Arizona!!?). Oh, that made me look terrible!!!

I didn't really think that I had a bad or dangerous upbringing. I grew up in Atlanta and have lived in a string of high population, high-murder rate cities and never gave it a thought. I knew what to do to keep safe (or try). I lock my doors, I don't talk to strangers, I run when I hear gunfire...who doesn't know that?!

However, our lives are so different here!!!
People speak to you for no reason other than just being nice.
People invite you to their homes, not to kill and eat you but to enjoy your company...
People actually like to be around other people!!!

So now, as far as the people at work know, I have been witness to every murder in the US for the past 20 years. I try to explain to them that its not that dangerous, but the more I explain, the worse I sound....

"Its not that bad, you just have to been on guard"
"Do a lot of people get killed where you are?"
"Yes, but not that many"
"How many? 1 a day? More?"
"I dunno, maybe more?"
"More than one a day? No one cares?"
"Oh, of course, people care!"
"So then people get attacked everyday where you live?"
"Yes, but not all of them die!" I say proudly (like that helps) "Some just get shot and live!"

I am sure I will NOT be invited to write travel brochures about the wonders of the United States by the Chamber of Commerce

I should have known that I am NOT at all like my new Kiwi neighbors. My first tip off should have been their description of the "bad neighborhood". I was told, by many people at my job to be sure NOT to rent a house in the "bad neighborhood". According to everyone, the "bad" area is anywhere south of the railroad tracks. Ok. Nowhere over the train tracks. So, Bruce and I decide to drive around the "bad" area.
The "bad" area looks nothing like our "hoods" back home. In fact, the "bad" area here looks curiously like places that we have lived and we didn't think it was so bad! (Of course, with well reinforced burgler bars)
Now that I think about it, their bad neighborhood seems like a pretty safe place. I didn't see any crowds of people loitering, didn't hear one gunshot, no police chases nothing that reminded me that I should be scared.

House I was thinking about renting on the "wrong" side of town...I don't know, looks pretty nice to me!!!

I have seen some bad neighborhoods...I remember one time we were visiting a friend in Puerto Rico and we drove down the wrong street...I have NEVER been so scared in my LIFE!! I just knew we were going to be shot, stabbed, robbed and killed (not necessarily in that order!). Point is, I've seen bad!!! This is NOT in any shape, form or fashion "bad".

So after our foray into the "bad" area of  our city in New Zealand, part of me wants to tell these people that they have it SO good!!!
I looked up the crime statistics from my home before New Zealand, Good ol' Glendale, Arizona.
The city is one of many that make up the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona. Its hard to compare because of the sheer size but here we go:

Population of New Zealand: 4,173,000 people
Population of Phoenix metro area: 4,281,889 (more than the ENTIRE country of New Zealand)

Number of Murders in New Zealand (2008):  12 per million people (about 50 people/year)
Number of Murders in Phoenix (2008): 118 people

Sociologists will point out that murder rates and violent crime rates are directly related to poverty and population density. Here we have the exact opposite issues that are causes of high crime...a well structured social system in which everyone has health care, disability care, elder care and education. Also the population density is so low. No fighting over "elbow room" or precious resources like land or water.

I'm thinking that I'm better off and less likely to die at the hands of a serial axe murderer here. Don't worry mom and dad, I'm not going to let my guard down and start walking down the street in the middle of the night, passing out flowers. I'm still my old, wary self...thinking that the whole world is "out to get you". Thanks to my mom, I will always look in my back seat before getting in the car, walk in large groups and be ready to run at a moments notice. However, I feel that here in New Zealand, I can maybe relax my guard, just a bit. Who knows, maybe i'll convince these people its not that bad back home (if you know how to run from gunfire, check the back seat of your car and learn to shoot a 9mm weapon)...ahhh...home. I'm NOT going to miss it!