Interesting points, EEE, as I never would have thought to investigate such a variable. Oh for the days of just six bullets! Remember when Andy only allotted Barney Fife a single bullet? 

I would imagine most Americans believe that violent crime is at a record high but it's actually fallen dramatically according to the FBI. 

According to Pew Research, between 1993 and 2019, overall violent crime fell 49%, with robbery down 68%, murder/non-negligent manslaughter down 47%, and aggravated assault down 43%. Property crime has fallen 55%. 

There are so many variables at play: the insane war on drugs, inadequate mental health care, polluted environments that damage the mind and body,  the many bad outcomes associated with poverty, inadequate education and skills required for a global economy, the absence of male role models, the inability to defer gratification, the loss of hope, and of course, the master variable, the abundance of firearms. 

Given that this is the attention economy, with cable news programs and social media spreading and amplifying the good, the bad, and the ugly, we're stuck with a perception that things have never been worse, not that they aren't utterly and tragically unacceptable! What's more telegenic than a shooting, the resulting protests, and the sporadic burning and looting? 

Peter T.

Peter T.