Seriously, I do sort of understand. Decades of isolation and media brainwashing has made Americans literally terrified of each other. We have a huge loneliness epidemic, and research finds that those sort of loose, community ties are what would best fix it. Yet, we refuse, and cower behind the wheel of our Suburban Assault Vehicles.

Honestly, I suspect this is a large part of why cities tend to be so socially liberal. When you have to exist in the same space as people of all manner of different skin tones, appearances, lifestyles, religions, etc., you eventually realize that they’re all just normal people wanting to live out their lives, get groceries, get to school/work, etc.

It’s when you’re isolated away from everyone and everyone that paranoia kicks in. When you live in suburbia, your house starts to feel like a fortress that needs to be protected from everyone, and anyone on the street starts to seem a threat. But when you live in a city, the abundance of people on the streets becomes a source of safety – hard to commit crime when there are so many potential witnesses! There’s a reason crime statistically congregates in places like under freeway overpasses and in dark alleyways and other places with few pedestrians – crime doesn’t like witnesses.