On Sat, 2003-11-15 at 12:00, Pigeon wrote: > On Sat, Nov 15, 2003 at 10:01:36AM -0600, Ron Johnson wrote: > > On Sat, 2003-11-15 at 05:08, cr wrote: > > > > > > That's kinda a risky argument to rely on, since if accepted it inevitably > > > leads to the question - why does the US have ten times as many homicidal > > > criminals per capita, than other countries? Answers in the back of an > > > envelope please, addressed to the Director-General, FBI, Washington (I guess > > > he'd dearly like to know...) <vbeg> > > > > You think the (main) reasons why the US has become a relatively > > violent society over the past 45 years would fit on the back of an > > envelope? Well, lets see what's on the top of my head: > > - breakdown of the family > > - divorce/abandonment > > - fear by modern parents of damaging children's self-esteem > > - parents wanting to be "friends" > > - federal regs that make it financially more attractive for the > > father to leave. > > - excessive amounts of TV > > - breakdown of public morality > > - libertine-ism instead of liberty > > - for *example*, the HBOization of broadcast TV > > - ties in with "breakdown of the family" > > - growth in use of illegal drugs, in past ~40 years > > - ties into "breakdown of the family" and "breakdown of public > > morality" > > But these factors are not unique to the US, so they don't really > answer the question of why the US should have a disproportionate > number of murderers.
Hmmm. Inherently violent society? No, can't be, because the US didn't used to be violent. Maybe there was a "latently violent tendency" (that's not present in many other societies) just waiting for soci- etal breakdown to manifest itself? -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ron Johnson, Jr. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jefferson, LA USA "they love our milk and honey, but preach about another way of living" Merle Haggard, "The Fighting Side Of Me" -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
