[PapayaTapper]

(08-26-2015 04:25 PM)bacan Wrote:  

I didn't even watch the video but just seeing the screenshot of her face gives me chills... I can't imagine hearing her screams..

With so many random killings these days, it's almost getting scary to live in this country. In the DC area for example we recently had the guy who was stabbed to death on the metro, the guy who was killed by a stray bullet on the way to a restaurant and so on.. There was a shootout a few blocks from where I live too. Luckily I wasn't in the wrong place at the wrong time but you can still see the bullet holes in the buildings when you walk by.

Actually violent crime per ca pita in the US is trending downward and has been for nearly 40 years.



The perception that it's getting worse is a product of 2 things primarily(albeit an over simplification)

1. "News" as profit center. Way back in the 1940's when the FCC granted the original Big 3 TV networks (ABC,CBS and NBC) licenses congress mandated that they had to as a public service give a 1 hr nightly newscast. The news was not considered a profit center in itself by the networks but rather a way to secure audience loyalty to the networks. This started to change when CNN came along in 1980 with the advent cable TV. People laughed at Ted Turner when he unveiled his 24hr news channel They stopped laughing over time as they realized it could work and that laughter ended for good in 1991 when during the first Gulf War people around the world were glued to CNN around the clock for months to watch that war unfold. CNN became hyper profitable over night and essentially changed news into entertainment forever...one of the most profitable industries there is.

2. The internet. The variety of "news" sources and speed of information available on the internet means that there is more competition than ever. That means you can't just report facts if you want to compete. Newspapers are as good as dead. You have to shock, outrage, horrify or otherwise titillate an audience else you'll lose their eyeballs (ie PROFIT) It's an ever escalating arms race and our society is both the source and the victims of it.

Mass murder is nothing new. However the ability to bring it so many, so quickly and so vividly is. So while to many it may seem that there's more violent crime than ever the opposite is actually true. You can see for yourself

Bureau of Justice Crime Statistics

FBI Crime Statistics

40 Years ago a crime like this would likely not have made national news . But then again 40 years ago the perpetrator-jackwagon couldn't film a selfie as he did it and upload it for millions to see.

It's a tragedy no question and I feel for the victims and their family. But let's keep it in perspective and not let the for profit fear mongering media calling itself "news" do what they want to do...keep us terrified / entertained for their financial benefit .