Just Don't Panic

I came across a couple of interesting articles recently. This one at Slate is an thought-provoking analysis of the reaction--or more accurately over-reaction--of the press to the crack "epidemic" of the 1980's, and how it so closely mirrors the media's current fixation on the new meth "epidemic." And this article from USA Today points out that despite the extesive coverage of a few high-profile cases, sex crimes against children have actually decreased significantly in the last 10 years.

I mention these articles because I think they both speak to an important point. I have always marveled at how easily people can be convinced that something is an urgent threat to them if it is portrayed menacingly in popular media. I might be stating the obvious here, but the media loves nothing more than a "crisis!" or an "epidemic!" First of all, there's the titillating "can't keep from looking at a car wreck" factor. But more importantly, people who are frightened out of their wits and whipped into hysteria are going to keep watching television. After all, "THIS IS SOMETHING EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW!" "YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE MAY BE AT RISK!!!" Just remember, these are the same people who brought us panics over West Nile Virus--which kills about as many people a year in this country as do allergic reactions to eating peanuts--and my personal all-time favorite over-hyped, overemphasized threat to the general public, shark attacks.

And of course government is happy to play right along with every overblown, manufactured "crisis" that comes down the pipe. People that feel threatened are usually more than happy to give up their civil rights, build prisons on top of prisons, support unnecessary and ill-advised wars, and go blindly along with whatever agenda the powers-that-be happen to be pushing at that moment. The more the public believes they are under threat from some "crisis", the fewer uncomfortable questions will be asked.

Am I suggesting that meth use, sex crimes and other terrible things that we hear about in the news are imaginary problems that we shouldn't be concerned about? Of course not, that would be ludicrous. What I am suggesting is that things have to be kept in perspective. Before getting hysterical over whatever the latest threat to civilized society is, its best to know what the real facts are. Once you get past the hype and the frenzy and the breathless coverage, much of the time things are not actually as dire as some would have you believe. Always keep in mind that "they" want you to be afraid, and they also want you to think that they are the only ones who can keep you safe.