From: Jeffrey Fabijanic (jeff@primordialsoft.com)
Date: Fri Jun 11 1999 - 08:12:39 MDT
Michael S. Lorrey wrote:
>You could not be more wrong. Here, the cities where guns are most regulated,
>people are the most rude (NY, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston). Other cities,
>like Seattle, Burlington, Portland, etc people are very polite and freindly.
Um, not to disagree with your general point (especially since the temporary
censure on the gun topic is in force), but I believe that you are quite
mistaken about the relative "politeness" of people from the cities you
mentioned. There have been many studies that have examined the behaviour of
city dwellers and what most of them have found is in fact counter to your
assertion.
It is true that people in the older, longer established, "east-coast"
culture cities (which include many of the older, midwestern urbs) are less
likely to smile or say hello. But they are much more likely to return
dropped/lost belongings to passersby, much more likely to help lost
strangers not just with directions but by acting as escort, and much more
likely to intervene on behalf of strangers in confrontations with other
citizens *or* police. Interestingly enough, they are also less likely to be
pickpocketed, and more likely to spot a researcher as a plant. The sudies
would seem to indicate that east-coasters are seasoned city-dwellers who
are more *aware* of their surroundings, generally speaking.
It is also interesting to note that in the last quarter century, the
greatest gains in US urban quality-of-life, measured by such things as
reduction in crime, improvements to air and water quality, and access to
public resources for *all* citizens, have taken place in some of the older,
east-coast culture cities.
Personally, having spent no little amount of time in most of the cities you
mentioned, I prefer the sometimes reserved (some might say 'aloof'),
sometimes abrupt (some might say 'rude'), but usually *engaged* attitude of
the east-coast culture cities to the outwardly cheerful but civically
disengaged demeanor of the west coast cities. Something like the difference
between living with family and living with strangers.
I believe that in many ways some of our more successful older cities have
now leapfrogged their newer brethern and are much better situated to adapt
and exploit the changes taking place into the next century. Many west-coast
culture cities are still built upon a "gold-rush" mentality, without the
very broad-based economies of the longer established east-coast urban
centers. As example, look at the relative civic unease caused by the
failure or impending failure of some of the fishing stocks along the Oregon
coast compared to similar happenings along the New England seaboard. Both
regions rely heavily on this industry, but although it is a major concern
in NE, it is not considered a potentially lethal threat to the region's
economy.
The same would be true for a manufacturing or hi-tech lull/fall-off. Such
things would devastate the west coast economies, but the east coast cities
have matured through several such bust cycles during the last couple
centuries, and are now diversified to the point that they are less affected
overall by such blowouts. Their civic cultures have similarly matured.
I'm all for freedom to bear arms - after all, I live in the city where
blood was first spilled to preserve that right for Americans. But I think
the differences you point to between cities have more to do with their
relative heterogenity and age than the fact or no of public carriage of
firearms.
tschau,
jeff
| Jeffrey Fabijanic "Long as you're not afraid,
| Designer, Tinkerer, Cook nobody can run your life for you.
| Gardener, Homebrewer Remember that.
| (617) 983-3056 Hell is being scared of things.
| 38 Spring Park Ave, Heaven is refusing to be scared."
| Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 - Tom Robbins
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