[UA] America by Prime Time (was Greetings)

[James O'Rance]

"Bailey Watts" <didi_mau at hotmail.com> said:

 >>>As a curiosity, do you have what Americans call "gated communities" over 
in Oz?<<<

There just isn't the high incidence of violence to make a fortress-style 
community attractive to many people. As the gap between the rich and the 
poor widens here, though, it may happen.

A similar disturbing occurence is that the councillor for a gentrified area 
in Sydney has written to the Salvation Army (iirc) asking that they not 
distribute food and blankets to homeless people in a local park. Apparently 
food handouts encourage vermin, and blankets "create an impression of 
permanence".

My father (who has definite socialist leanings) likes to complain about 
wealthy people who move into particular suburbs because the proerty prices 
are low (in comparison to the inflated Sydney market) and then try to drive 
away the low-income people who already live there.

This kind of pressure comes from political and economic forces, though, not 
through gates and security guards.

To echo another comment, it is a very long time since I have seen a gun that 
was not properly holstered on the belt of a police officer. Just about 
everybody I can currently think of with personal knowledge of guns was in 
Cadets or shot feral pigs for sport in the country.


Cheers,

James O’Rance
“Divine being creates petting zoo. It gets out of hand.”
- The Bible (summarised by John W. Mangrum)

http://www.geocities.com/dragon-dreamer/



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