Hey man, can I have my head back please? I need it sometimes to think, talk and eat (not necessarily in that order). Ha ha ha!!!! I do hear what you are saying, though. Recently I read a really good article about just what you are talking about, about how the perception and fear of crime has gone up dramatically. I wish I could remember where I read that. I believe what they were saying is true, though.

Ok, I did a Google search on the subject of "perception of crime and fear of crime" and came up with some interesting stuff. Here is one interesting article or blog:

http://edmondgeary.wordpress.com/2007/10/29/fear-of-crime-the-perception-of-crime-is-not-crime/

I agree with what the author says about the news media. All you have to do is watch ten or fifteen minutes of CNN, FOX or even local news at night to wind up wanting to crawl under your bed. The news media loves to focus on the negative because so many people have this perverse need to watch stuff like that. Kind of like how people love to slow down and ogle out of their car windows at a horrible accident on the highway. They say that TV isn't all bad but maybe we should all try reading a little more instead. Stephan King is pretty good.