[flukus]

> Where exactly is this war zone in California...?

No idea how universal these things are in all of California, but nearly every Australian that visits LA and a few other areas come back with stories about hearing gunshots from the hotel, accidentally ending up in a seedy/crime ridden part of town or something similar. This is very alien to us and more in line with what we'd see on the news from Somalia. Statistics like homicide rates and gun crime show there's at least some truth it.

We're also a fairly egalitarian society, so much more likely to judge other nations on how well off the poorest are and not the richest.

[rxhernandez]

I have lived in LA county for more than 25 years and lived in East Hollywood ~1 year. I have never heard gunfire anywhere in LA. I'm sure it happens in the worst areas but I've never heard it and I've been around plenty of recreational gunfire (outside of LA).

Do you think it's possible they're mistaking gunfire with fireworks? There are plenty of fireworks here.

[alfiedotwtf]

> I'm sure it happens in the worst areas

I think the fact that those areas exist comes as a shock to Australians, who are used to gun control and probably never heard let alone seen a single gun in their lifetime