Americans!

Hi Americans and Americans only.

I have a project for my college to get first hand knowledge about Americans and whether assumptions made about them are actually true.
I hope you people can explain these assumptions that they are true to what extent.
Thanks alot.

Assumption 1:

Americans are full of FAT people. They eat potatoes salmon beef and all meat like crazy. like OMG wtp 50% of them are overweight?God if americans cut down 10% meat consumption maybe somalis and nigerians will get to fill their stomachs everyday.

Assumption 2:

Americans are usually rude people who tend to think that they are high up and they live in the bestest best country in the world.

Assumption 3:

America is unsafe, scary. High crime rates and its like, YOU CANT GO OUT AT NITE OR YOU'll get shot for no reason.

Note these are all commonly heard assumptions by me and I really wonder if it's actually true or not. Note I'm not agreeing with these statements.
Post your views about these statements please.

Hi Americans and Americans only.

I have a project for my college to get first hand knowledge about Americans and whether assumptions made about them are actually true.
I hope you people can explain these assumptions that they are true to what extent.
Thanks alot.

Assumption 1:

Americans are full of FAT people. They eat potatoes salmon beef and all meat like crazy. like OMG wtp 50% of them are overweight?God if americans cut down 10% meat consumption maybe somalis and nigerians will get to fill their stomachs everyday.

Assumption 2:

Americans are usually rude people who tend to think that they are high up and they live in the bestest best country in the world.

Assumption 3:

America is unsafe, scary. High crime rates and its like, YOU CANT GO OUT AT NITE OR YOU'll get shot for no reason.

Note these are all commonly heard assumptions by me and I really wonder if it's actually true or not. Note I'm not agreeing with these statements.
Post your views about these statements please.

1: not where I live. Only 1 fat person in my whole school. Also, if we eat less, that doesnt send food to africa. All it does is make us eat less. When people say dont throw that out, that could feed a african family for a day. Thats nonsense. Me eating it wont make it feed them, nor will not buying it.

2: sure there are jerks, but not a majority of us are jerks, and among them, generally it isnt because they are american. We are in no way the undisputed #1 country.

3: Depends on the neighborhood. Not in mine. When I was little, we used to go out and play manhunt every night, and usually get sent back home by either an official township police, or our high grade volunteer policemen that actually TRAIN the paid ones.

1: not all people are fat. theres a great deal of debate over health care regarding obesity, especially childhood obesity.
2: depends on where you go. if youre using major cities like L.A. and NYC as your models for that, then youre waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay far off. though the whole "we live in the best country in the world" is really a moot argument, as everyone thinks their home is the best.
3: canada has a higher rape percentage compared to the rest of the world. also see #2 for citites regarding safety.

its true so far that it depends where youre hearing it from and from where these people are basing their assumptions. first, assumptions themselves arent always good (my old driving teacher in high school one day made the quip 'when you assume something, you make an ass out of you and me.') to base your views of something on, its better to get first-hand experience. if you watch what you eat and how/when you eat, you wont need to worry too greatly about your weight. technically anywhere in the world can be dangerous, all it takes is one madman with a knife/gun and an empty stomach to get mugged for money so he/she can get some food, or just flat out get robbed.

its not the worst place in the world, and its not the best, but depending on where in the US you go it may very well be a damned great place to be.

Only assumption 1 is true, 65% of the Americans are overweight

1. There are a lot of overweight people. There are not however as many morbidly obese people as is generally presented.

2. Rude, no. I've lived in both a big city and small town and people are generally nice to each other. Then again that may go back to treat people nice and they'll treat you nicely in return, in which case it's just my take on things since I try to be friendly. The vast majority of people probably will tell you America is the best country in the world, but blind Patriotism isn't a horrible thing in my opinion. It's not a judgment on other countries but rather a pride in one's own country.

3. This one kinda depends on where you live whether or not you would feel safe. I have no problem going outside at night where I'm at now, same thing while growing up. The general area was safe. There are areas that you don't want to be at when it gets dark though. Not that something is guaranteed to happen, but the chances are raised.

I'm not American, so I won't be answering the questions, but I'd just like to say that I hear this stuff all the time in NZ. People constantly talk about "Americans and their guns". I'm not sure how true it is to be honest, I'm looking forward to seeing the replies in this thread

Overweight is a hard thing to judge. Do you count people who are a little on the plump side like myself, but who aren't actually "out of control" of their eating and weight? Or just the obese people?

Overweight is a hard thing to judge. Do you count people who are a little on the plump side like myself, but who aren't actually "out of control" of their eating and weight? Or just the obese people?

There is a flawed way of judging over/under weight that is generally used when doing these studies.

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Just a simple input of height and weight and you wind up with a number you can reference to determine where you are at.

I'm not American, so I won't be answering the questions, but I'd just like to say that I hear this stuff all the time in NZ. People constantly talk about "Americans and their guns". I'm not sure how true it is to be honest, I'm looking forward to seeing the replies in this thread

Overweight is a hard thing to judge. Do you count people who are a little on the plump side like myself, but who aren't actually "out of control" of their eating and weight? Or just the obese people?

I'd have to agree. Weight is hard for some people - no matter how healthy they eat, or how rigorous they exercise, it just all ends up slapping some extra pounds into their weight.

1. Untrue. I am fit and lean.

2. Fuck off, you trying to imply that America isn't awesome? Yeah? Well I fuck you, I fuck your mother, I fuck your father, I fuck your dog.

3. Untrue.

Assumption 1: Americans are full of FAT people. They eat potatoes salmon beef and all meat like crazy. like OMG wtp 50% of them are overweight?God if americans cut down 10% meat consumption maybe somalis and nigerians will get to fill their stomachs everyday.

True. I'm fat.

Assumption 2: Americans are usually rude people who tend to think that they are high up and they live in the bestest best country in the world.

True. I'm rude and I think I'm better than you.

Assumption 3: America is unsafe, scary. High crime rates and its like, YOU CANT GO OUT AT NITE OR YOU'll get shot for no reason.

True. I like to shoot up the town when there's nothing to do on a Friday night.

Note these are all commonly heard assumptions by me and I really wonder if it's actually true or not.

All the statements are true.

Hi Americans and Americans only.

I have a project for my college to get first hand knowledge about Americans and whether assumptions made about them are actually true.
I hope you people can explain these assumptions that they are true to what extent.
Thanks alot.

Assumption 1:

Americans are full of FAT people. They eat potatoes salmon beef and all meat like crazy. like OMG wtp 50% of them are overweight?God if americans cut down 10% meat consumption maybe somalis and nigerians will get to fill their stomachs everyday.

Assumption 2:

Americans are usually rude people who tend to think that they are high up and they live in the bestest best country in the world.

Assumption 3:

America is unsafe, scary. High crime rates and its like, YOU CANT GO OUT AT NITE OR YOU'll get shot for no reason.

Note these are all commonly heard assumptions by me and I really wonder if it's actually true or not. Note I'm not agreeing with these statements.
Post your views about these statements please.

[color="#cc8899"]
1. While there is a problem with weight and obesity (high standard of living/technological assistance leads people to eat more and physically exert themselves less), it is not typically as bad as is made out to be (say, for instance, if your knowledge of America comes from American tv, particularly things such as Jerry Springer, or "trash tv.")
2. Every culture is generally rude to foreigners, which is where this opinion would be based. If you're comparing to Asian cultures, yes, we generally aren't as polite or respectful to others. Best country in the world? A small margin believe this. Most don't even really care, and just enjoy the benefits of living in America without really giving it much thought.
3. Depends highly on location and scenario. Every culture and country has issues with gangs, and going out alone in gang territory at night is a foolish idea no matter where you are. This has little to do with being American or Chinese or Martian, it has to do with human nature, urban settings, and opportunism.[/COLOR]

1: A good deal of Americans are overweight; I don't know about the stereotypes about what they eat, though.

2: Varies from person to person. Obviously there's going to be annoying people everywhere, but I guess it's slightly more acceptable to be so here... Kinda sad, though.

3: Really really varies. I've never felt unsafe near where I live. But I live on a dead-end street in the suburbs.

GTA IV depicts a picture perfect scenario of what everyday life is like in New York City. Play that game and be enlightened.

GTA IV depicts a picture perfect scenario of what everyday life is like in New York City. Play that game and be enlightened.

This is not the funhouse, go troll there.

Only the first one is true.

#3 might be true if you live in Compton or something.

To say that the majority of the US is the kind of place where you could get shot for walking outside would be extremely wrong, but there are obviously places that are like that. Just not the USA in general.

This is not the funhouse, go troll there.

I'm sorry. I'm American. I can't help myself.

If someone really wanted to know about the United States there are wonderful sites like Wikipedia and CIA Factbook. Take the following information for example that files under #3.

Among developed nations, the United States has above-average levels of violent crime and particularly high levels of gun violence and homicide.[167] In 2007, there were 5.6 murders per 100,000 persons,[168] three times the rate in neighboring Canada.[169] The U.S. homicide rate, which decreased by 42% between 1991 and 1999, has been roughly steady since.[168] Gun ownership rights are the subject of contentious political debate.

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate[170] and total prison population[171] in the world. At the start of 2008, more than 2.3 million people were incarcerated, more than one in every 100 adults.[172] The current rate is about seven times the 1980 figure.[173] African American males are jailed at about six times the rate of white males and three times the rate of Hispanic males.[170] In 2006, the U.S. incarceration rate was over three times the figure in Poland, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country with the next highest rate.[174] The country's high rate of incarceration is largely due to sentencing and drug policies.[170][175]

Though it has been abolished in most Western nations, capital punishment is sanctioned in the United States for certain federal and military crimes, and in thirty-six states. Since 1976, when the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty after a four-year moratorium, there have been more than 1,000 executions.[176] In 2006, the country had the sixth highest number of executions in the world, following China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, and Sudan.[177] In 2007, New Jersey became the first state to legislatively abolish the death penalty since the 1976 Supreme Court decision, followed by New Mexico in 2009.

Maybe I'm just skeptic because someone named uncouth who claims to be a college student is insinuating that a a given country is mostly fat, rude, and belligerent. High school kids are pretty stupid so it makes sense that they might treat comments in a Maple Story forum community as legitimate responses in a written report. But a college student? Come on man. Don't bullshit yourself. You were trolled way before you decided to read my comments.

In reality, socially we aren't any better or worse then any other country; you have your dangerous cities, you have your asshats, you have your racists, you have your fat people.

Is this racism I see? One white boy receives an infraction while the other gets a warning.

OP should have realized his thread is stupid. He's a freaking college student asking about bullshit assumptions. This thread offends me.

Edit: Agree with Swerve 100%.