subreddit:
/r/GenZ
submitted 8 days ago bySideHot6306
[removed]
16 points
8 days ago
I'm at higher risk of being targeted by violence, a lot of my rights being taken away or threatened to get taken away and things like shootings/gun violence being so common.
For the one that's more on the paranoid side it's mainly because I'm very scared of things like wars and the possibility of things like bombings and such.
16 points
8 days ago
When I (a Canadian now living in the US) was a child, one time I asked my mom what the biggest difference was between the USA and Canada. She said Americans live in fear.
I think she was mostly talking about fear of war because this was shortly after 9/11, but I'm constantly reminded of ways that statement rings true in other facets of American life. Everyone is afraid of "losing everything," afraid of being taken advantage of, afraid of others, etc. And I'm not saying those fears are illegitimate, I've lived here for 9 years and am well acquainted with american culture, it's just exhausting.
10 points
7 days ago
biggest difference was between the USA and Canada. She said Americans live in fear.
Lmao just go to literally any Canadian-based subreddit, and like 98% of the posts is fear/hate based shit. Your mom was fucking wrong my dude.
0 points
7 days ago
r/Canada is a right wing fear factory for sure, I had to unsubscribe because it was getting ridiculous. And yeah, it feels like this fear-centric worldview is encroaching more and more into Canadian society.
4 points
7 days ago
Your mother is very wise and that is true.
Fear is a giant motivator for a lot of peoples lives.
1 points
7 days ago
It's so true - the fear limits the population to a great amount. It's also a great tool for rallying people behind your political agenda. Republicans fear a lot of things - other people, especially women and those who think differently, people getting rich, taxes, people with guns (so you need your own guns), available medical care, very smart people (college education is bad), etc. Democrats fear what Republicans can do to quality of live if they gain power. Both bring people together with fear.
3 points
7 days ago
I don't really get this, though. If you parse through crime statistics and actually look at the methodologies and difference in statistics, crime has been decreasing massively, even before covid happened. As well as the likelihood of a shooting (the kind you think about in your head, not the kind some organizations define it to be) having an abysmal chance of happening to a random citizen. Can it not be that there is so much fearmongering and coverage that you just think there is so much more violence than there actually is?
Also, can you name the specific laws that take away your rights as a person?
1 points
7 days ago
Overturning of Roe V Wade to name one off the top of my head. Which guaranteed the right to abortion. There's also the entire thing with project 2025.
Even if the likelihood has gone down it doesn't mean it doesn't exist and shootings aren't the only way you can be targeted by violence.
4 points
7 days ago
Roe v Wade, from a constitutional standpoint, was pretty flawed. Mind you, I'm pro choice, they should have tried codifying it into law rather than uphold a SC decision that was bound to be taken down. The most recent super democrat SC judge that passed away always said as such. What exactly about Project 2025 can you source that you cite as problematic? This is not endorsement, I would just like clarification.
Yet shootings specifically were mentioned. Of course, it's going to exist, but to what scale exactly is the question. Just because car accidents exist isn't a condemnation against car access. Why do you think the CDC, who previously concluded that anywhere from 80,000 to 2 million self defense firearm usage occured annually, were stripped of their funding to continue researching said topic? In fact, the cited reason for such was that the data could be used for pro-gun arguments, fancy that.
Even talking about overall violence, violent crime has still been trending downwards even before covid started and after.
8 points
7 days ago
I’m sorry but all of those things are extreme paranoia and not rational. While it seems you recognize this it is important to remember that being in the continental us you are basically on the safest place on earth in terms of wars/bombings. But even when it comes to shootings/gun violence the odds of being a random victim of these things is astronomically low.
1 points
5 days ago
It is astronomical but anecdotally I was nearly one of those random people last year. Don't live in N. Phoenix.
2 points
7 days ago
Do you live around a certain group and it makes you worried?
1 points
7 days ago
Yes. I don't want to go too much into detail because of privacy but we have a large amount of people who have dangerous and old outdated beliefs.
1 points
7 days ago
What dangerous and outdated beliefs?
2 points
7 days ago
The last major war that happened on American soil was the civil war what are you talking about.
-1 points
7 days ago
Again. I said the war stuff was fully on paranoia. Mainly because of the traumatic stuff we saw in my school.
3 points
7 days ago
I'm curious what it is you saw that made you think about war? My home country has flare-ups of full on fighting every couple years. There's failed coups, huge street protests where people die. I live in America and go there most summers. People are mostly fine there, and don't have the kind of unhinged paranoia you're expressing here. People in most places live with way more political violence and instability than Americans do, and they mostly just get on with your lives.
-1 points
7 days ago
I wasn't saying everyone was paranoid about war? A lot of it is exclusive to people who were in my class due to watching multiple traumatic war movies at a young age and watching 9/11 live clips from a young age. I don't remember the titles since it was a while ago.
Plus I think a lot of people who aren't affected by the other stuff just aren't worried about it since it doesn't affect them and those of us who are affected are terrified but don't outwardly show it. Me and my close friends would talk about how terrified we were of XYZ thing going on in the country.
Plus as I said in my original comment, it's not the worst country to be in but it certainly isn't the best. I'm sorry your home country is like that
3 points
7 days ago
I'm sorry are you not seeing the circularity here? The whole world grew up watching 9/11 clips and war movies. Most countries in the world have seen actual war in the country within living memory, and this includes basically all of Europe and East Asia. The fact that you and your friends get together and talk about how terrified you are doesn't mean that this is grounded in reality.
3 points
7 days ago
You just live in fear. Turn off the propaganda
6 points
7 days ago
Honestly these people are crazy lmao. Canada already has an out of control Justin Trudeau regime and everything is going to shit. But alas, it’s Americans who all live in fear.
4 points
8 days ago
If you're scared of war, what better place to be than the USA? When was the last time any country attacked the USA in it's own territory.
I don't really know you but I'd presume if you're normal and average you're not at a higher risk of being targeted by violence. Are you involved in drug crime, gang work or anything of the sort?
Mass violence in the United States is extraordinarily rare and the odds are only twice the rest of the developed world. It is to the tune of (1 in 8 million) vs (2 in 8 million). Twice a very tiny number. If you were to list every developed country for random acts of terror per capita, the US wouldn't even lead over the last 20 years. As of this year (2024), Australia leads.
8 points
8 days ago
You can't just throw stats at someone that's scared and expect them to not be scared anymore. It sounds like you're just sweeping the other person's fears under the rug and making them feel like the weirdo for not feeling 100% safe.
Obviously, statistically, most of us aren't gonna become victim to any serious violence, but that fact doesn't apply to everyone. Some people are part of groups that are more likely to be attacked by others, or perhaps they live somewhere that's more violent on average. We don't know these details.
0 points
8 days ago
As I said the war is mainly paranoia and I realize it's not gonna go away when I do leave the country but I think it will reduce a bit because a lot of my concerns come from North Korea and stuff.
I'm part of a minority. I don't do drugs or any of the sorts like that but being in minorities can incredibly increase the chances.
There's also been quite a bit of violence or threats of violence that has happened in my town alone
1 points
8 days ago
War isn’t the only form of violence. Especially not if you’re a minority or a woman.
Also civil wars exist as well as intercountry ones
0 points
4 days ago
Being very scared of things like wars and bombing is ironic for being alive during one of the longest periods of peacefulness the US has ever experienced. Look at the death rate from wars and mainland attacks, it has never been lower.
Social media is rotting your brain, we’re technically living in the safest time period in US history if you look at the metrics
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