AMERICA UNPUBLISHED - AN UNPALATABLE TRUTH

WHEN BRITISH TOURISTS James Cooper and James Kouzaris were gunned down in Florida, their deaths exposed the hidden society that exists within the USA.  It is a society which is currently flourishing in the recession, yet one which is rarely publicised by a plethora of films which Hollywood release.  This society consist of around 60 million Americans, all trapped by misfortune.  They are the impoverished citizens of the United States.

     From sitcoms including Friends, Frasier and King of Queens, to films such as The Hangover, American Pie and The Social Network, audiences are presented with the image of a rich and affluent country to which all should aspire to join.  Yet in reality millions of Americans subsist in shanty towns and run down estates, where the only rule of law is that of the gun.  Many of the people who survive in these environments lack the education to escape, and the American administration appears to be doing little to help liberate them from their misery.

     By straying into a housing estate in the Sarasota district of Florida after a drunken night out, Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris were completely unaware they faced any danger.  Upon realising they were lost after leaving a nightclub, both men were probably convinced someone would direct them back to their hotel.

     Instead they were targeted by Shawn Tyson as easy victims to rob, and both were executed when they could give him nothing of value.

Shawn Tyson branded himself with this tattoo before committing the murders

     Tyson, a high school drop-out and the product of a broken home, showed no remorse as the details of his shocking crimes were graphically recalled.  Jurors were told he was regularly seen strutting around Sarasota with a gun, and that he had been released from prison the day prior to the murders for firing a weapon into a carload of people.  Found guilty of the murders, he has now begun a life sentence with no chance of parole.

     However, the great tragedy is that Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris were ignorant of the danger they were in because America's gang culture has not been effectively publicised outside the USA.  Many people in the United Kingdom believe the whole of America is essentially safe, protected by similar law enforcement agencies to our own.  The State of Florida is presented in an especially favourable light as a place of golden beaches populated by beautiful, carefree people who seek only enjoyment in life.

     In reality, this is not the case.  Whilst large areas of Florida certainly do present the ideal image of America - glamorous, stylish and affluent - equally large areas are riven with social deprivation and decay.  Until these areas are improved, the dream of universal prosperity throughout America shall remain an illusion.

     The tragic case involving these two murdered Britain's has simply reinforced the point that although America is a country full of wealth and diversity, visiting tourists must always remain vigilant.