There is a webcomic I read every day called User Friendly. Its fairly geeky (alright, more than fairly, it is flat out totally geeky). Today though the author posted an interesting book review / commentary on society. It is about something we all recognize in society today, but can’t seem to properly handle.
The Climate of Fear. In our present modern era, we are the safest as a society that we have ever been. Crime has significantly trended downwards over the last 30 years, murder rates are at low, kidnappings at a low, industrial accidents at a low. But when you pickup the paper, or turn on the tv, you are bombarded with images and sound bites that have the essential message, walk out your door, and you will be murdered and raped, and your kids will be assualted, and we will then all die in a terrorist attack. The messages are everywhere.
I look at my nephews, and I am left to wonder. Will they be allowed to go out and play for hours at a time out in the neighborhood without a parent to supervise? I remember being out in the woods behind my house for literally 8 hours in a day, with little or no fuss. Can kids today do that? Do they do that? Will my kids be able to?
Check out the review, it is very interesting. And I think I might track down this book. I have been on something of a non-fiction kick recently, and this will just fit the bill.
