America's paranoia is absolutely terrible!

[traveller]

When you look at it, America is far from being even one of the Top Ten Most Dangerous countries on Earth. And yet people are so paranoid of every little thing that it is scary like they think they are in Berlin at the height of World War II. It's like, something minor happens, a little glitch or maybe something that happened at work, at an amusement park, or at the store, and Americans act like Tsar Bomba is detonating in the area. It's like the saying of a person who sees an ant walk by and then says; "An elephant walked by!" In Illinois especially, it's even like the farther you get from any high crime areas, the less friendly people become. The safer a neighborhood is, the more paranoid and isolated the people are of one another. Like they think they are in Afghanistan or even Iraq.

[Ghost]

.

[The_Adventurer]

I've come across a few stories recently of guys with darker skin and beards being escorted off planes because someone "reported" them. One was a noted professor at a prestigious university.

[CB8]

In Illinois especially, it's even like the farther you get from any high crime areas, the less friendly people become. The safer a neighborhood is, the more paranoid and isolated the people are of one another. Like they think they are in Afghanistan or even Iraq.

Absolutely true. When I lived in an area where I heard gunshots every week, the neighbors were friendly and would have conversations with each other all the time, and we could help each other and expect nothing in return. Fast forward to moving to nicer neighborhoods and people walk around like scared squirrels constantly on the lookout for danger. Forget about them even acknowledging you. They treat you like you're going to shank them at any minute. The only time I heard from one of my neighbors while living in a good neighborhood was after he was robbed. He left flyers on every door in the apartment complex, asking for someone to please please PLEASE tell him if they saw who took his stuff. It's telling when you have to beg your neighbors to help you, let alone talk to you, after being robbed.

[Eric]

This country is tanked. In every way possible. It's very sad and you've got to keep yourself from it, from the mess - as much as you can. Dont mix with the ideals, keep strong and don't change (unless you want to). It's sad bc it's hard to find a good mate, a good friend, career...good places to be around. It's like living in one giant contagious cesspool everyday. It's that bad. People will tell you you need to chill out and have fun, relax and just 'get with it'; they are already fallen, and want to bring you down, too.
For your integrity, don't do it. Don't degrade and soil yourself. If there weren't pressure you wouldn't know how you are being is good, and right. Don't give up on yourself though, and your life - though it's depressing just trying to cope don't shut out shining bright and living your life with your ideals, the way you want to. Have a decent, good even awesome girlfriend, friends, job. Everything you can. I think the end is nearing.

I make no joke. I see things as they really are.

[jamesbond]

In the US, the safer a neighborhood is, the more paranoid the people are. This is not true in most countries, (thank God). This is just another reason to be "happier abroad."

[traveller]

In Illinois especially, it's even like the farther you get from any high crime areas, the less friendly people become. The safer a neighborhood is, the more paranoid and isolated the people are of one another. Like they think they are in Afghanistan or even Iraq.

Absolutely true. When I lived in an area where I heard gunshots every week, the neighbors were friendly and would have conversations with each other all the time, and we could help each other and expect nothing in return. Fast forward to moving to nicer neighborhoods and people walk around like scared squirrels constantly on the lookout for danger. Forget about them even acknowledging you. They treat you like you're going to shank them at any minute. The only time I heard from one of my neighbors while living in a good neighborhood was after he was robbed. He left flyers on every door in the apartment complex, asking for someone to please please PLEASE tell him if they saw who took his stuff. It's telling when you have to beg your neighbors to help you, let alone talk to you, after being robbed.

It's terrible when, especially in the kind of neighborhood that I personally felt absolutely no danger at all even riding through on my bicycle at 2 in the morning; no gunshots heard, no sounds of arguing, no yelling, no gangs loitering and selling illegal drugs, people live like they think they are in East St. Louis! In fact when I think about it, in most of the rich neighborhoods in DuPage County, Illinois, I don't think I have even ever seen children playing outside in front of their houses! Communities like Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Naperville, Wheaton, and such, those are very safe communities. They are even safe enough to take a Saturday night bicycle ride through. And yet the people in those communities live like they think they are in East St. Louis. Literally, those people treat you like you're going to blast them flat with an AK-47 and/or even use C-4 explosives to break into their house and do a home invasion robbery any second. They walk around more like scared wild rabbits. And I can even imagine, they see a person of black/African descent walking by or chilling in the park, and they probably think of 9/11 occuring in their neighborhood.

[CB8]

^ Yes, a black man's mere existence is considered a threat to these people. "Eek! Eek! Hide the children! What's he going to do?!" There's so much fear, even before a person shows signs of doing anything hostile. It's such a depressing situation if you want to get to know your neighbors or want to form a community bond.

[bostero]

I could regale you guys with stories of being harassed in a Northeastern suburb for no valid reason at all. Most of the time, it was skinny soccer moms in jogging gear, freaking out and getting me hounded for walking down the sidewalks while male. I've seen neighbors around here with signs on their houses warning that the house is "protected by Smith and Wesson" , and others with security cameras stationed in their driveways, Brinks alarm-system warnings posted on stakes by their mailboxes, "neighborhood crime watch" signs everywhere...and for what? The neighborhood is quiet and has a fine safety index. These people are paranoiacs; yet going by their behaviors, you'd think we lived in Beirut. It's absolutely insane. I'd find it almost darkly funny, except that the negative consequences are so real.

Bonus points to the dude down the street with the big yellow snake-flag on his front lawn ("Don't tread on me") Murrica! Hoo-raw!

I couldn't make up this shit if I tried.

[traveller]

^ Yes, a black man's mere existence is considered a threat to these people. "Eek! Eek! Hide the children! What's he going to do?!" There's so much fear, even before a person shows signs of doing anything hostile. It's such a depressing situation if you want to get to know your neighbors or want to form a community bond.

Tell me about it! In DuPage County, Illinois, people see a black man especially carrying something, even a box of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, passing through and many of them are probably like; "Hide the kids in the basement! He's got a bomb! He's gonna blow up the entire neighborhood!"