University of Phoenix COM/155

University of Phoenix COM/155

When most people are asked what they think of South Africa compared to the United States, the most common response that is given is that South Africa is a desert like the remaining continent of Africa is; this is as far from the truth as possible. Would you have ever thought that two countries could be so similar yet so different at the same time? South Africa is as up in the technology world as the United States is; if not further along to some degree. It is known to have the largest research association of great white sharks off of any coast. Although the United States and South Africa have several similarities, they are also quite different because the United States has a lower violence and poverty rate than South Africa. One similarity between the Unites States and South Africa is that they are a huge melting pot of ethnicity and race, that had to fight for what they believed was right between the higher percentages of races. Both countries races consist of whites, blacks, Asians, and Indians. But there is a huge difference in the race percentages’, according to "Race and Ethnicity in the United States" (n.d.), the majority of the more than 300 million people currently living in the United States consists of White Americans, who trace their ancestry to the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. In South Africa, black's makeup 79.0% of the total population ("Ethnic Groups in South Africa", n.d.). The percentage of all white households that are made up of individuals is 19.1%; this is a complete flip-flop in the United States, where there are more whites than blacks. Asians hold a pretty consistent percentage in each country. So, these two countries mostly consists of whites, black and Asians, the ratio to each is quite different. The fight that these two countries have in common is the Civil Rights Movement and the ending of The Apartheid. Both of these very important moments in history, fought for the rights that the whites had, and the whites just wanted to keep the races separated. These two movements were similar in that they involved some form of violence, they both had boycotts, they dealt with Black oppression from the Whites, there were problems with inequality, and there were problems of discriminations and racial segregations to name a few things (drduffy2009, 2010). One of the major differences between the United States and South Africa is the amount of violent crimes that occur each year. Violent crimes are considered murder, rape, and assaults. South Africa is the most violent crime country in the world. South Africa's murder rate is 4.5 times higher than the global average of 6.9 per 100000. The murders in South Africa increased 4.2% from 2012 to 2013. What this tells us is that the murders there per day, jumped from 43 to 45 (South African Police Service, 2013), while the United States murders increased 0.7% during this time frame. According to the ‘Global Post’, South Africa has the highest rates of rape in the world, with some 65,000 rapes and other sexual assaults reported for the year ending in March 2012, or 127.6 per 100,000 people in the country. The estimated rape statistics of South Africa is 500,000 a year. This is a number that estimators start with, knowing it will more than likely elevate. Also, these numbers are so high because there are a lot of baby rapes. HIV-positive individuals believe that sleeping with an innocent virgin as young as 8 months old, will cure them of their disease. From 1994 to 2011, the percentage of sexual offenses rose 47.9%. In 2010 the United States had 84,767 police-reported rapes which calculates to 27.3 per 100,000. The United States has loopholes in what is considered rape, meaning most rapes are questioned due to the fact that drugs and alcohol is involved. Assaults can range from aggravated robbery, shoplifting, drug-related crimes and personal or bodily harm. There is a famous assault in South Africa called ‘necklace’. This is when savages put a tire around an individual, spray gasoline or spirits on the victim and light them on fire. These people will use whatever is available to bind the victim. Most of the times, it is after they have raped the individual. In the United States, assaults range from the same as South Africa, but a lot of it is gang or breaking and entering situations. A final difference between the two countries is the degree of poverty each country is experiencing. According to "Country Facts Comparison - United States Vs South Africa" (2014), South Africa's population is 31.3% below the poverty line. South Africa ranks 178 out of 194 countries with a life expectancy of 49.5 years. Aside from the numerous murders a day there, many South Africans are also dying from hunger or the inability to nourish themselves without the proper income or funds to do so. The cost of living is so incredibly high. It is impossible to pay bills and buy food. The high poverty leads people living on the streets, homeless, which decreases their chance of survival with a high crime rate. Along with the high cost of living, the unemployment rate for South Africa is 25%; this goes hand in hand with a lower life expectancy. On the other hand, the United States population is 15.1% below the poverty line and the unemployment rate is around 9%. The United States also had a higher life expectancy of 78.5 years and rank 38 out of the 194 countries. This is not saying that there is not poverty- because there is plenty of it. However, in comparison, the United States does not suffer as South Africa does. Lower poverty and better health care lead to a higher life expectancy.

The United States of America: the land of the free, the home of the brave, and the land of opportunity. Every year people migrate to the United States and many are from South Africa. The fact that both countries had racial movements that fought for equality and what they believed was right could be an advantage that is enticing to them. It also helps, that the United States offers less violence and the ability to live longer with the benefit to overcome poverty.

References: drduffy2009, (2010). Similarities and Differences between the Civil Rights Movement and Apartheid. Retrieved from http://drduffy2009.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/blog-3-similarities-and-differences-between-the-civil-rights-movement-and-apartheid/
South African Police Service,. (2013). FACTSHEET South Africa: Official crime statistics for 2012/13. Retrieved from https://africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet-south-africas-official-crime-statistics-for-201213/
Country facts comparison - United States vs. South Africa. (2014). Retrieved from http://country-facts.findthedata.org/compare/1-133/United-States-vs-South-Africa
Conway-Smith, Erin (11 February 2013). "South Africa gang rape a symbol of nation’s problem". GlobalPost (Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd). Retrieved 12 March 2013.