Getting afraid for the U.S.

[Kestrel]

Even as I "type", news about another school shooting, in Troutdale, OR. Two killed ...

[catherine]

There are more people in the world today and instant and constant news transmission, so it seems like we're awash in crime. SEEMS is the operative word.

I'd rather be alive today than in any time in the past*, all things considered. But I live in a crime-free bubble; we had a murder here maybe ten or fifteen years ago--a sad case involving mental illness--and our biggest crime problem seems to be drunk or distracted driving.

You can over-concern yourself with the problems of the world--it's easy to do--but there's not much point to it, and it will make you crazy.

*Caligula, Vlad the Impaler, the Spanish Inquisition, centuries of witch-burning--now those were horrific times.

I agree with you, Jane. Best to go on a news fast when it starts dragging you down.

And on the topic of witch burnings, in my explorations of my family history on Ancestry.com I learned that my 10th great-grandmother actually died in prison after being convicted of being a witch in the Salem witch trials. She covered for her daughter (I suppose my 9th great-grandmother), who was on trial for witchcraft, and took the fall by telling the court that she had ridden in from another town on a broomstick. So it would seem that we may be a wee bit more enlightened than we were, at least in some areas.

[CathyA]

I'm mostly concerned about the crime in the city near here. The news isn't making these deaths up. It's almost like there is a club of young males and maybe they have to kill someone to get in.
Several really innocent people were killed for no reason at all..........one was out jogging, a couple were store clerks, and so on. I wouldn't mind if they just killed each other of their same violent kind, but innocents are getting gunned down. And my family spends various times in the city.
I know we can't worry all the time (well, actually we can.....haha).........but I would like our odds to be a little better.
DH puts it all out of his mind, and doesn't want to hear about it. That isn't good either.

[JaneV2.0]

I agree with you, Jane. Best to go on a news fast when it starts dragging you down.

And on the topic of witch burnings, in my explorations of my family history on Ancestry.com I learned that my 10th great-grandmother actually died in prison after being convicted of being a witch in the Salem witch trials. She covered for her daughter (I suppose my 9th great-grandmother), who was on trial for witchcraft, and took the fall by telling the court that she had ridden in from another town on a broomstick. So it would seem that we may be a wee bit more enlightened than we were, at least in some areas.

Ha! She wasn't convicted by Rev. Nicholas Noyes, was she? He was an ancestor of mine (so proud! ). Gotta love those Puritans.

[Tradd]

I'm mostly concerned about the crime in the city near here. The news isn't making these deaths up. It's almost like there is a club of young males and maybe they have to kill someone to get in.
Several really innocent people were killed for no reason at all..........one was out jogging, a couple were store clerks, and so on. I wouldn't mind if they just killed each other of their same violent kind, but innocents are getting gunned down. And my family spends various times in the city.
I know we can't worry all the time (well, actually we can.....haha).........but I would like our odds to be a little better.
DH puts it all out of his mind, and doesn't want to hear about it. That isn't good either.

Club? More like gang...

[sweetana3]

Cathy, I live in downtown Indy and while I am careful, I am not "worried". There are bad areas and bad people in every city. I dont walk down dark alleys, dont wear flashy jewelry, keep my doors locked and do not carry anything visible in my car. I have always worn my purse carried across my body and try to keep aware of my surroundings. These are common sense things.

We are experiencing fewer incidents in our neighborhood this year. We know the police and call them usually at the nonemergency number whenever we see something and want them to know about it. I call when we have strange solicitors for one thing.

Being a convenience store clerk is actually one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. Not much different from the two who walked in and killed the two policemen in Las Vegas. Crazy people with the ability to kill do exist everywhere. Thankfully they are few and far between. I leave it to the police and the informants to catch them. There are neighborhoods here I wont drive in, walk in or otherwise visit but I wont worry about it.

[bae]

But then also:



And:





http://www.ibmbigdatahub.com/blog/bi...-correlations?

[razz]

Cathy, bad things do happen but as others have indicated, when the media tries for 24/7 news infotainment, they keep rehashing the same stories over and over again. If you lived in India or parts of Africa, the story would be quite different. North America is the place to live, IMHO, for peace and personal safety.

[CathyA]

I'm not saying this is a bad place to live. We have it sooooooo much better than so many other places. All I'm saying is that things seem to be worsening and I don't want to lose all the good things we have in this country......like peace and safety. And when it's close to home, it bothers me even more.
Bae.........wtf are you saying?

[iris lilies]

...And on the topic of witch burnings, in my explorations of my family history on Ancestry.com I learned that my 10th great-grandmother actually died in prison after being convicted of being a witch in the Salem witch trials. She covered for her daughter (I suppose my 9th great-grandmother), who was on trial for witchcraft, and took the fall by telling the court that she had ridden in from another town on a broomstick. So it would seem that we may be a wee bit more enlightened than we were, at least in some areas.

ah that is such a great family story, the best ever!