Ganked from Stephen Levitt
A headline on the DrudgeReport reads “13 Days, 14 Homicides in D.C.” and links to a Washington Post story on the subject.
It shows just how far we have come in reducing crime when this sort of crime spree is headline news.
Washington, DC averaged well more than one homicide a day in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It would almost have been news if there were as few as 14 homicides in 13 days during those years.
______
Now that is interesting! Since I am not a DC native, I was unaware of just how crazy the crime rate must have been. Anyways, I grew tired of watching the news (both national and local) since it is 100% without a doubt depressing. Maybe that's why depression's on the rise, we are bombarded with negative stories and images on an hourly basis.
The Economist paints a slightly more rosy picture of the world, one in which both good and bad is going on. When I do watch the news, I turn onto public broadcasting and sit down to see the Lehrer News Hour, which is also not as negative as our good old commercial stations.
I've also been reading a blog of two people, in villages on either side of the Isreal Lebanon border. That has been much more illuminating than the "rocket X strikes Civilian Target Y" back and forth we're getting here.
Sigh.
It shows just how far we have come in reducing crime when this sort of crime spree is headline news.
Washington, DC averaged well more than one homicide a day in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It would almost have been news if there were as few as 14 homicides in 13 days during those years.
______
Now that is interesting! Since I am not a DC native, I was unaware of just how crazy the crime rate must have been. Anyways, I grew tired of watching the news (both national and local) since it is 100% without a doubt depressing. Maybe that's why depression's on the rise, we are bombarded with negative stories and images on an hourly basis.
The Economist paints a slightly more rosy picture of the world, one in which both good and bad is going on. When I do watch the news, I turn onto public broadcasting and sit down to see the Lehrer News Hour, which is also not as negative as our good old commercial stations.
I've also been reading a blog of two people, in villages on either side of the Isreal Lebanon border. That has been much more illuminating than the "rocket X strikes Civilian Target Y" back and forth we're getting here.
Sigh.