Mexican Town
The talk of our town has been about an article published this week that says that Brantford is the the crime capital of Ontario. The article also places Brantford in the startling position of having the second-highest per capita rate of reported sexual assaults in Canada.
COMPARED TO WHO?!
I was born in the United States and now live in Canada. I have lived in Western New York (home to Buffalo) and an hour outside of New York City. When I first moved to Canada 16 years ago I felt like I had gone back in time! No longer did I need to lock my car door or be afraid to walk down the street alone. Canada was so SAFE! In fact, the crime rate in Canada was so low compared to cities in the United States that I often mocked the evening news. The lead story was usually about the plight of farmers in Manitoba or about the antics of Canadian politics. Oooo... so scary!
No. You wanna know scary? Drive through Detroit! That's what I did today on my way to visit family in the States. But I DIDN'T know that Interstate 75 (which is the highway I needed to take) currently looks like a war zone! There isn't a highway to drive on near the border crossing! No, I had to follow the scenic detour through Mexican Town.
Now hear me out. I don't have a racist bone in my body. This isn't about the Hispanic community or any other people group for that matter. This is about feeling unsafe. YIKES! The I-75 South detour took me through the slums of Detroit!
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm stereotyping - gangs of youth walking down the street, burned out buildings, horrible streets with major potholes and not one person of MY color (which I guess would be NO color) to be found. Again, I don't have a problem with people of color. My family is full of people of color (Korean, African American, Hispanic). I actually wish my town had MORE people of color living there! But today I was the minority. And when you're the minority things "feel" different.
Which brings me back to MY city being the crime capital of Ontario!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
That is funny.
I think Macleans magazine needs to read an article THEY published two years ago and STOP making people afraid of things they DON'T need to FEAR!
COMPARED TO WHO?!
I was born in the United States and now live in Canada. I have lived in Western New York (home to Buffalo) and an hour outside of New York City. When I first moved to Canada 16 years ago I felt like I had gone back in time! No longer did I need to lock my car door or be afraid to walk down the street alone. Canada was so SAFE! In fact, the crime rate in Canada was so low compared to cities in the United States that I often mocked the evening news. The lead story was usually about the plight of farmers in Manitoba or about the antics of Canadian politics. Oooo... so scary!
No. You wanna know scary? Drive through Detroit! That's what I did today on my way to visit family in the States. But I DIDN'T know that Interstate 75 (which is the highway I needed to take) currently looks like a war zone! There isn't a highway to drive on near the border crossing! No, I had to follow the scenic detour through Mexican Town.
Now hear me out. I don't have a racist bone in my body. This isn't about the Hispanic community or any other people group for that matter. This is about feeling unsafe. YIKES! The I-75 South detour took me through the slums of Detroit!
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm stereotyping - gangs of youth walking down the street, burned out buildings, horrible streets with major potholes and not one person of MY color (which I guess would be NO color) to be found. Again, I don't have a problem with people of color. My family is full of people of color (Korean, African American, Hispanic). I actually wish my town had MORE people of color living there! But today I was the minority. And when you're the minority things "feel" different.
Which brings me back to MY city being the crime capital of Ontario!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
That is funny.
I think Macleans magazine needs to read an article THEY published two years ago and STOP making people afraid of things they DON'T need to FEAR!
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 10:29 PM.
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1:18 AMAnd people think *I* am crazy when I say Brantford ain't that bad!
7:47 AM
It's true about the comparison. But I don't think that McLeans really did anything but publish stats.
In fact it was actually quite a positive news story for the larger cities in Canada (Doubt regina was too but...)
I agree that I've always felt safe in every city I've EVER been in in Canada. I've not once in Canada felt unsafe... and I have in the states very recently.
I suppose all i took out of it all was that its good to know that there are issues that can and should be addressed in Brantford.
10:10 AM
it's funny that you compare brantford to detroit because I read in that same MacLeans article that detroit is the most dangerous city in the USA. I've also watched some videos on youtube about the rough areas of Detroit and they are in the same ballpark as thrid world nations. Speaking of third world nations, I think it is hilarious that the "poverty stricken" countries are often the safest. When i was in mexico, i would have walked down any road or alley at any time of the day or night. In fact, it is not uncommon to see young girls alone at night in the city. there just isn't a fear in people like there is in North America. we often associate wealth with peace, but i don't think that correlation exists. my mom used to always say "99% of people are nice" and I think it's true
11:20 AM
Freedom is a funny thing. Some people take it to mean that they can do whatever they want without fear of reprisal. Also this penal colony turned country had some dubious beginnings. From the USA.
4:48 PM
Had a similar experience in Rochester NY.
Naive Canadian woman, that would be me, and 10 year old soccer playing daughter crossed a little creek looking for some place to get lunch in between games.
It was like I had crossed a colour line ... an entire black community. Something we don't have here.
At first I thought 'cool' this is just like I've seen in the movies. I had heard that we Canucks are often ok but decided to turn around in case we weren't. Drove into a church parking lot, circled around and stopped to check for traffic and turn right back on to the main drag. Across the street was a car facing me turning left.
When the traffic was clear I began to go and was stopped dead by the car across from me charging out laying on their horn. I think it was a woman but could not see them that clearly.
Not very welcoming that's for sure so we drove along and saw a Kentucky Fried Chicken drive thru. We were still on the wrong side of the creek so to speak. But we were beside it.
I was amazed ... as we drove up to pay. There was no contact with the cashier... only a cylinder that I placed my money in. The cylinder twirled and then twirled back with our food on it.
We returned to a world more familiar to us. Although our soccer teams here have black kids on them. There was not one black person at that soccer tournament, not one black child playing ... the tournament was nestled in a huge park in a well to do suburb.
Wow reality really hit home that day.
Just a note to add though or I just wouldn't be my shibeanit filled controversial self.
Sometimes I feel that way beside certain church people. And that is a reality here in Canada.
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