Last summer, we went to Switzerland and France. We toured Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Lausanne, Geneva, Lyon, Dijon and Paris.

In all of the above named places, there wasn’t one location that approached Van Nuys in ugliness. I don’t say that all of Van Nuys is ugly. There are many lovely tree lined streets with green lawns and neat landscaping. But in the social and civic pride that one sees in all of Europe, Van Nuys is simply lacking.

In the photos of Van Nuys, we see billboards, traffic, graffiti, mini malls and the most gruesome signage in the world. Every angle is meant to intensify an assault on the senses. The shapes are violent and discordant, perhaps influencing the behavior of the people who shop there. Trash competes with power lines; plastic signs fight with traffic signs and SUV’s.

In the French photos, the pedestrian is king. These are environments of order, peacefulness and culture. There is respect for the civic values and in turn these cities foster respect for the needs of their inhabitants.

Los Angeles and much of America is terribly ugly and we have only ourselves to blame. No wonder we turn on the news and hear of school shootings and other violent events. Our cities are largely a disgrace.