Ouch! I wouldn’t go as far as saying they are mistakes. And I don’t think families are even disappointed if they have a girl instead of a boy these days. This is not China. Of course, if a first born is a boy, they are congratulated as there are first born son implications and blah blah blah. But this is 2014. Girls are not “mistakes”.
Ouch! I wouldn’t go as far as saying they are mistakes. And I don’t think families are even disappointed if they have a girl instead of a boy these days. This is not China. Of course, if a first born is a boy, they are congratulated as there are first born son implications and blah blah blah. But this is 2014. Girls are not “mistakes”.[/quote]
Of course girls are not “mistakes” but the attitude towards them makes them think so. Hence, the “need to repay/compensate”.
Well, thankfully, attitudes change, but slowly and keep on passing on from people treated that way/who benefit from that treatment. I am just referring from talks among colleagues or neighbors at the hair salon, just one or two generations removed.
Yeah, but you’re a lot less “not disappointed” than if you had a boy. I know a lot of families who just kept having one baby after another in the hopes a boy would come about, to the point where they had more than they could comfortably support. But it’s all worth it if you get that little emperor on the forth or fifth try, right?
[quote]Is Taiwan safe?
Depends what you compare it to.[/quote]
I compare it to international crime rate statistics of reported crime. I’ll say it again, but nobody seems to take any notice. Taiwan is ALMOST ON A PAR WITH THE US for homicide and violent crime. This means that it is 3 times more violent than most of Europe and Canada, including the UK, and you are 3 times more likely to be murdered. Every day there is somebody beaten with baseball bats, knifed, run over on purpose, beaten by a group of thugs or shot and foreigners here ignore all this, ignore the figures and still insist that Taiwan is a peaceful place to live. Yes, that’s as maybe if you are a foreigner, but if you are a local, the chance of crime happening to you is somewhat higher. Let’s not forget that a lot of crime here goes unreported, and in Europe and in some cases in the States, they over report it. I remember when it was dangerous to ride around Taichung at night because gangs of teenagers would ride around slashing people’s backs with machetes. Kaohsiung now has a problem with rogue scooter gangs and the police can’t and won’t control them.
To some extent, it depends on who you associate with, who you know and how you behave. But did you ever stop to think why so few people tell off other drivers here? They are scared they ‘might get angry.’ People don’t help other people because they are afraid of legal repercussions, or that they might take an offer of help the wrong way and get angry. There are cameras everywhere. There is road rage everywhere…Taiwan really isn’t the safe haven paradise people think it is.
It’s on a par or slightly more dangerous than the global average.
Scoot gangs are a recurring problem. The fuzzz need to start shooting on sight maybe ?
But then with their lousy shots they will kill innocent bystanders. Or maybe rubber bullets? So in case they shoot the wrong person (very likely) the victims wont die.
A months hard labor is what they need to give for one nite of scooter gangsterism.
As for TW girls? I have known quite a few and none of them were softies in ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM.
They were tuff cookies.
Some Taiwanese suggests caning for petty offenders… and execution for serious crimes like murder.
Caning is a good thing. And they have been executing people for murder. Problem is that they have executed the wrong guy more then once.
Corporal punishment just might be a good thing. I need to read some studies.
Capital punishment I’m universally against.
But these are just opinions.
The government here wanted to end capital punishment, but the problem is the people are against it.
The government here wanted to build the fourth nuclear power plant, but [strike]the problem is[/strike] the people were against it but let’s go ahead with it anyway for the lulz.
Seriously, anytime they say “the people are against it so we will/will not do something” it’s just an excuse.
Yea, I hope those same people who were against the 4th nuclear power plant don’t plan on using AC in the summer. Taiwan’s facing an energy crisis and they won’t at least go with what works…
That’s my point: most people are idiots. The government is responsible for making the decisions that benefit the country, not the ones that get them reelected. Ahh, well, politicians are the same the world over.
[quote=“Bernadette”][quote]Is Taiwan safe?
Depends what you compare it to.[/quote]
I compare it to international crime rate statistics of reported crime. I’ll say it again, but nobody seems to take any notice. Taiwan is ALMOST ON A PAR WITH THE US for homicide and violent crime. This means that it is 3 times more violent than most of Europe and Canada, including the UK, and you are 3 times more likely to be murdered. Every day there is somebody beaten with baseball bats, knifed, run over on purpose, beaten by a group of thugs or shot and foreigners here ignore all this, ignore the figures and still insist that Taiwan is a peaceful place to live. Yes, that’s as maybe if you are a foreigner, but if you are a local, the chance of crime happening to you is somewhat higher. Let’s not forget that a lot of crime here goes unreported, and in Europe and in some cases in the States, they over report it. I remember when it was dangerous to ride around Taichung at night because gangs of teenagers would ride around slashing people’s backs with machetes. Kaohsiung now has a problem with rogue scooter gangs and the police can’t and won’t control them.
To some extent, it depends on who you associate with, who you know and how you behave. But did you ever stop to think why so few people tell off other drivers here? They are scared they ‘might get angry.’ People don’t help other people because they are afraid of legal repercussions, or that they might take an offer of help the wrong way and get angry. There are cameras everywhere. There is road rage everywhere…Taiwan really isn’t the safe haven paradise people think it is.
It’s on a par or slightly more dangerous than the global average.[/quote]
Haha no one is saying Taiwan is a safe haven paradise. I come from LA where I won’t even get out of bed when random gunfire starts popping off in the middle of the night. You have gang-related driveby shootings and delinquents setting up shop at almost every intersection. Compared to some of the ghettos and the projects where we would all agree to be “unsafe”, Taiwan has to be considered relatively “safe”. Do you feel the need to have a gun in your home for protection? Do you feel the need to pack a concealed weapon at all times? Not in Taiwan. Sure you see the road rage and the scooter gangs and little trouble makers and you may fear for your safety, but road rage and troublemakers are everywhere. Would you consider Ximending safe? During the day? yes. But then the freaks, pimps, and drug dealers come out at night.
If you come from a particular fantasyland where the crime rate is at the bottom of the list and everyone is nice to each other and the worst possible crime one can commit is jaywalking, then YES, Taiwan IS a violent place. If I grew up in a safe haven like that, then I probably would consider Taiwan to be a violent place as well. Imagine how you would feel going to the bad parts of LA or NYC. If you think Taiwan is bad, just visit some of the other places for a wider perspective.
When I first came back to Taiwan in 2006, I thought the MRT was so confusing with the blue red brown lines. Then I visited Tokyo and I was lost in their 100+ different subway lines. I came back to Taiwan and was immediately grateful we only have 4 different color-coated lines.
Its all relative…
Actually, I don’t understand Taiwan. Taiwan’s own submission of statistics show this:
Murder rates in Taiwan per 100,000 people: 3.6 as of 2010 (2006 - 4.0)
Murder rates in the US per 100,000 people: 5.0 as of 2010 (2006 - 5.6)
Canada: 1.81
UK: 1.17
France: 1.09
Japan 0.40
Germ: 0.86
However, there is very little data on reported violent crime in Taiwan. The fear of crime index is very good and shows Taiwan as a very safe place, but this goes against the statistics posted above. The fear of crime in places like France and the UK is very high, but in actual fact are not as high as we are lead to believe. While assault cases may be higher in these countries, risk of serious injury or death is lower, as the statistics show.
Look on Youtube for road rage Taiwan v’s Road rage UK, and you’ll see the difference.
Watch the news in Paris for a week, and then compare that with the news in Taiwan and note the huge disparity in the types of violent crime shown. Taiwan feels safe, and for the most part it is safe, and of course with the murder rates committed by armed civilians and professional government killers back home in the States, it is very safe, but in reality it is not as safe as we think.
yea it’s not good to hit your kids like that. maybe a spank on the butt - cuz honestly, a lot of bratty kids really need it!! but better than how they discipline kids in the mideast/india. they behead them or burn them up alive. thats how they do it there. 
How is it discipline if they get beheaded? Can’t learn from anything once you’re dead…
nothing like a disciplined toddler than one with no head. cant mouth off or roll their eyes at you no more. :aiyo:
[quote=“Leftywang81”]
I come from LA where I won’t even get out of bed when random gunfire starts popping off in the middle of the night. You have gang-related driveby shootings and delinquents setting up shop at almost every intersection. Compared to some of the ghettos and the projects where we would all agree to be “unsafe”, Taiwan has to be considered relatively “safe”.
Its all relative…[/quote]
I am on the same page. Lived in a major US city in a very nice older inner city neighborhood but not far from some really rough neighborhoods. Hearing gunshots at night was not uncommon. At one time the burglary rate was 1 in 4 houses (city wide, several years ago). In the rough neighborhoods is was closer to 1 in 2. One year we had the highest murder rate (per capita) in the country. There are neighborhoods you did not want to drive through and would never walk there (day or night). Many yuppies bought homes in my neighborhood (large older homes with big yards) and once they had kids, many moved to the suburbs if they could not afford private schools or felt danger bringing their children up in the inner city. In short, many did not feel it was a safe place to raise children.
In Taiwan I have been all over, often late at night, and never felt unsafe. There is no fear using public transportation here (many would not use it in my US city). Compared to the major US inner cities, Taiwan seems very safe to me.
If the question is whether or not Taiwan is a violent place…
I think the only answer to that is: “Compared to what?”
Safe, violent…its all relative.
What someone considers safe, the person next to me may think its a war zone.
is it fair to say that most violence in taiwan is not random and usually there is connection between the parties involved?