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The greatest ammunition at our disposal is not disbursed through the barrel of a gun but through, thoughtful actions, right speech, and an understanding heart.
When I first arrived in China back in 2009, I noticed quickly
that crime is relatively low here, especially, violent crime; it’s
mostly due to the illegality of gun ownership.
China with four times the population of America has far fewer
criminals. Many sociologists say the social stigma of being labeled a
thief in China is a greater deterrent than a prison sentence. I also
noticed that China doesn’t have the number of drug crimes that America
is now plagued with. Most crimes in America are drug-related but China
isn’t overwhelmed with those issues.
My students in my cultural diversity class are fascinated by
the availability of weapons in America. Their perception of gun
ownership in the U.S. is greatly influenced by the world media coverage
of America’s high crime rate.
Many of my students see the U.S. as a gun-toting society with
its citizenry hell-bent on getting their way with a gun in hand.
Violent films and news broadcasts give the impression that America is a
dark and dangerous place to live. I, however, tell my students that most
Americans are not criminals waiting for an opportunity to rob or steal.
The right to bear arms is not something you will find in
China. That is certainly a good thing and it makes for great
conversations in my classes. I tell my students that you must practice
common sense when it comes to personal property especially in America
because thefts do take place. But not everyone in the U.S. walks around
with weapons to protect themselves and their property.
In 2011, one of my students said, “guns are like toys for
most Americans,” and she went on to say, “the weapons they own is a sign
of their immaturity and insecurities.”
In 2010, a popular program in China showed security camera
footage of a man walking into a convenience store in Florida with a
holstered pistol. The footage of him was like something out of an old
cowboy movie. As he stood in front of the clerk at the checkout, a man
walked up behind the gun tooting man and pulled the pistol out of the
man’s holster. He used it to demand that all the money be handed to him
from the cashier, and after receiving cash in hand. The robber removed
the bullets from the pistol and handed the gun back to its rightful
owner. He then apologized to the clerk and walked out of the store. The
video went viral on social media not just in China but throughout the
world. People overseas use these types of videos to make our country and
gun advocates in America look stupid.
I once told my students in a class that “in times of struggle
gun owners are usually killed by their own weapon.” I then went on to
say, “there are more guns in America than people.” My students always
laugh at those statements and the statements are always followed up with
many insightful comments from my students.
I find the Chinese here to be relatively honest, nonviolent,
and on the most part helpful. I never worry about my personal belongings
being stolen because from my personal experiences I never had anything
stolen here. I never have to lock my apartment door because I know when I
return everything will be there as I left it.
In 2009, an American couple left an unwanted shirt in their
Hotel room in Shanghai. A Hotel employee showed up at the Shanghai train
station on his own to return the shirt to them. They tried to give the
Hotel employee a tip for his trouble, but he refused to take it. That
experience left a huge impression on that couple and it was something
they never experienced before. They said to me “experiences like that
are not something you can easily describe to a person because China’s
culture is not something that can easily be expressed in words it is
something you have to experience.”
China was not always free from crime though because the
country did and still has its share of criminal organizations. Criminals
here still ignore intellectual property rights and they illegally copy
popular products. In 2009, BlackBerry phones were hot items for
bootleggers. Today, various brand name wristwatches, computer operating
systems, and brand name clothes are copied and sold on the streets of
Shanghai. You can still buy fake Rolex watches here that look like the
real deal, and fake brand name smartphones on China’s city streets.
Counterfeit currency is another criminal enterprise here. The China
Government must continually come up with ways to make it more difficult
for criminals to print fake currency.
In 2008, the Shanghai Daily Newspaper ran a story about a
pickpocket ring in the Northern city of Xinjiang and the elaborate
distractions the criminals came up with to pick your pocket. It was News
because of the boldness of the criminals.
In the Chinese City of Fujian an illegal smuggling operation
of human cargo was shut down in 2008 and the criminals were given long
prison sentences. Some of the people who were smuggled out of China
illegally found themselves in various U.S. cities forced into
prostitution.
There were about 270 cities in China in 2010 that saw a huge
rise in cellphone thefts. The reselling of stolen phones was a huge
criminal enterprise. Today, however, the tracking of stolen phones has
become a huge deterrent for criminals. The cellphone companies in China
can turn a stolen phone off and make it impossible for a thief to use
it. China is now beginning to utilize even greater technology to curb
the theft of cellphones with GPS tracking and other locator software.
Modern cellphones cannot be completely turned off enabling the phone to
be tracked which has also become a huge deterrent for thieves.
Artificial intelligence technology and facial recognition
software have also become a huge crime-fighting tool. There are cameras
everywhere in the most populous country on earth. If you commit a crime
it is only a matter of time that you will be tracked and caught. Law
enforcement can track down criminals by user apps and facial recognition
security cameras. Artificial intelligence facial recognition technology
has brought the crime rate down to an all-new low making the Chinese
society a relatively peaceful society.
I’m not able to adequately describe the cultural differences
between America and China nor can I explain why crime is so much higher
in the U.S. There is however something deeply ingrained in China’s
culture that sets them apart from much of the problems that are
currently plaguing our American society. I believe the U.S. is losing
touch with its core values and principles that led to our greatness. At
the same time, many in America still communicate the traditional values
that resonate within our nation's core principles. Those core principals
set our country apart, attracting our ancestors to our shores, they
were the ones who built our great nation.
One simple lesson I learned from my Grandparents if you are
kind and respectful others will be kind and respectful in return. That
insight is also ingrained in China’s culture and it is also something we
can all learn from through experience and practice. I didn’t have to
travel halfway around the world to be kindhearted and respectful towards
those around me. It was already instilled in me from my Grandparents
from a young age. I also discovered over the years that what you give to
others is returned to you in, greater fold, and that is something I
have experienced firsthand.
I always tell my students our self-worth is not determined by
our material possessions. Our self-worth is ultimately determined by
what we give to others. The average Chinese person seems to understand
that better than us average Americans.
Our American Founding Fathers believed in Life, Liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness but to find true happiness, we must first have
the life and liberty to bring happiness to others. The happiness I was
seeking when I first came to China was already within me, but I didn’t
discover that happiness until I shared it with others. I think that is
why I enjoy the company of my students and why they enjoy my company.
My students want to learn all they can about the American
culture and at the same time, I am gaining tremendous insights about
China’s culture and its rich traditions.
Thomas F O’Neill
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