The Streets of New York...

Before I left for Jordan, several people confronted me.
“Dave, why Jordan? You know how dangerous it is out there?”
It’s true, in a sense, that the region is relatively unstable and could erupt – seemingly – at any given moment. However, there is certainly another reality that not enough people realize. We have the very unfortunate consequence of a free press that has grasped the unholy truth that violence sells. Danger sells. Explosions that claim nine lives in a fiery car bomb sells.
But there is a certain peace and calm in Jordan while walking around at night that I have only experienced in two other places: one in my very suburban home community of Baywood Estates, a veritable paradise for yuppy families to enjoy the safe life of Minivans and gardeners, and Israel.
It is a sadly unknown fact that the crime rate in these countries is virtually nonexistent (unless you leave your backpack open near a bunch of Bedouins, long story…). In these highly religious countries, crime is either against the faith or punishable by very unsavory policies. And yet, with the bombing of a hotel or the mad rampage of a man and his tractor, headlines tell us to stay away from these nations.
Again, sadly, these free and objective headlines play right into the hands of the Islamist movement. A definition of terrorism, as provided by my professor Jeffrey Bale, (this is a paraphrase if he ever happens to read this), is violence or the threat of violence against a target of symbolic significance with the intention of making a third party act differently in order to bring about a change. Meaning, for example, going into an extremely peaceful neighborhood and blowing up a bus to force other people to no longer want to take the bus and sending a message to the rest of the world that the city is a dangerous place.
However, while the threat of a bomb going off in a local coffee shop looms, the threat of danger seems practically nonexistent. I felt far more likely to get mugged and stabbed walking in New York City or Berkeley or Denver or – hell – Monterey. Perhaps more accurate reporting would be, “Four die in Israeli terrorist attack while 6 million survive night in New York.”
Not to mention, against all the stereotypes I heard before coming here, the cordiality of Middle Easterners is unlike anything I’ve experienced in the United States. For example, I got lost. Surprise, surprise. I was making numerous mad dashes across highways to figure out where to obtain a visa, when I finally dropped my manliness and asked someone where the hell I was. A man, finally figuring out what the hell I was asking about, finally told me where to go, but unsure of himself told me to pull out a pen and paper so he could write down his address.
“Look,” he said, “if you get lost, get a taxi to take you to my house and I’ll help you. Or, for anything. If you need any help, just come find me. And welcome to Jordan!”
Besides the fact he basically gave me the wrong advice, where else would you find that kind of hospitality?