Newb, I'm with you- I think the world IS a more violent place than it used to be. I'm not saying nobody ever got murdered before, but today gun violence is an increasingly standard reaction to life events. I live in Oregon, where the Columbine shootings took place- Ilived close by the school. That seemed to be the start of a cycle.

I grew up in Omaha. I used to hang out in the Westroads Mall (shopping center we called it then). I got snowed in there once and they showed movies at the theatre all night long and gave everybody food.

A few months ago as I waited at a bus stop in a decent part of town at 2 in the afternoon I was attacked by 3 twenty-somethings who tried to steal my groceries. Nothing like that ever happened when I was young. I'm willing to be labeled an old fuddy-duddy for stating what my life experience tells me- the United States grows increasingly dangerous.

First off, Columbine was in Littleton, Colorado - not Oregon.

Next, the world is more violent? More violent than when? Vietnam? WWII? The Crusades? The Inquisition?

Man is violent. Always has been, always will be. It's just that every random incident is over-reported and over-analyzed in an effort to fead the beast of 24-hour "news" coverage and to keep us all living in fear. A country that fears for its safety is one that will sacrifice its freedoms for a false sense of safety.

What isn't reported is a perspective on which to frame the events.

Eight people died in that mall.

85,000 have died in Iraq since the US invaded.

The world is rough, but it isn't a new development.

Sorry- I meant the shooting by Kip Kinkel in Thurston high school, 1998.

Yes, there have always been wars. Not denying that.

I believe what newb is refering to is an ever increasing amount of personal violence in people's lives. It's a rather easy and facile argument to say "oh, it's just reported more often." I don't think it's just that. When I was growing up nobody ever took a gun to school. Yet where I live teenagers are arrested with guns at school every week.

Sure, the world is rough. My statement was there's more danger in the United States than there was 40 years ago. Look at the statistics on guns on the street.

I don't spend my life cowering under my bed, but neither do I deny what I see around me. I have memories of 40 years ago. I was there. It wasn't like this.

I happen to think you are both (Rod & Neverending) right on this one.

Violence has always been around in the form of military and religious warfare, but I do think there has been a recent increase in civilians going off the deep end and killing dozens of random people in a public place. The media then sensationalizes the story to increase public fear and that in turn drives more people off the deep end. We are painting ourselves into a corner.

Growing up in the 80's, there was never the notion that you could just be randomly killed at school or at the mall or work. The world certainly seemed safer then, but that feeling could be attributed to media coverage.

But freeway bridges weren't collapsing in to rivers in crowded cities during hour for no apparent reason and assholes hadn't taken to flying planes in to office buildings back then either, so things were safer.


The world's always been violent, but it's getting more violent.

That's my 2 cents.

quoted for truth

neverending and Bwind have touched on what I was referring to. Its the more personal violence that touches us all. When I was younger "home invasion" meant its time to call the exterminator to get rid of ants.........now you see it in the paper on a daily basis......Sean Taylor being the lastest casualty.

Other words that were foreign in my youth

Carjacking

Drive-by

carjacking can be funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4YRh...eature=related

Statistically, there are less violent crimes now than there used to be. It's just that they get reported more now.

Again huh?
I won't even look into this one, just point out that there are far fewer crime/violence related deaths in countries that don't give out guns like candy.
Time to rethink the whole deal is long past - Your right to bear arms only protects you, until someone else weilding the same rights decides you're worth shooting in the face...I doubt many of the "good" folks are ready for that happening.

I live in Omaha. I used to have fun memories of getting chased by the Security Guards for Skateboarding inside the the mall. Now, when any of us Omaha natives drive by, or go to the Westroads Mall... We will think of the senseless tragedy that took place on 12/6/07. :(