5 Complaints about Modern Life (That Are Statistically B.S.) By: Mar M.! M. Asher Cantrell "n #eneral!

it$s easier to be ne#ati%e. "t$s easier for us at Crac ed! because it$s &&&&&&to 'rite (o es about terrible thin#s than nice thin#s. "t$s easier for us as a &&&&&&! because to admit that the 'orld isn$t that bad ri#ht no' 'ould be to admit &&&&&&'e ha%e it easier than our #randparents did and that the 'orld thus has the &&&&&& to e)pect more from us. But as much as 'e li e to (o e about &&&&&&sorry state of the 'orld! the facts really don$t bac us up. that the #eneration easier ri#ht

*+. ,Crime "s -ut of Control., The Complaint: ,A member of Con#ress #ets #unned do'n in yet another mass shootin#. .ou can$t &&&&&&&on the ne's for fi%e seconds 'ithout hearin# of a child bein# abducted and mutilated! &&&&&&&a massi%e #an# 'ar alon# the Me)ican border. /%ery city in America has one section &&&&&&&you 'ouldn$t dare dri%e throu#h at ni#ht. 0o' compare that to the +152s! 'hen nobody &&&&&&&loc ed their doors at ni#ht. 3hat chan#ed4, More bri#ands4 The 5eality: There absolutely 'as a &&&&&&&crime 'a%e in the +162s! than s to the crac epidemic (the spi e murders in L.A.! &&&&&&instance). But the numbers do not lie: Crime! property crime! theft and bur#lary ha%e actually &&&&&&droppin# since about +117. 8roppin# and droppin#! belo' e%en 'here 'e 'ere before dru# %iolence &&&&&&&the stats up'ard. "f you loo at the homicide rate per +22!222 people! 'hich is &&&&&&&of the only crime stats reliably trac ed throu#h the +122s and into today! you can &&&&&&that not only is it the lo'est since the +152s! but that it$s 9uite a &&&&&&lo'er than it 'as in the +1:2s and e%en the +172s. (And it$s a scalin#&&&&&&! meanin# it isn$t s e'ed by population.) 0o' 'hy 'ould the crime rate be so hi#h &&&&&&the +172s4 3hen the economy is bad! people &&&&&&desperate! and desperate people 'ill do 'hate%er they can to sur%i%e! ri#ht4 And here 'e&&&&&&! 62 years later! 'ith the 'orst economy since the ;reat 8epression. <o'$s the crime rate &&&&&&no'4 "t$s lo'er than it 'as before the recession. A fe' days a#o! the =B" &&&&&&&its statistics for the first half of >2+2! 'hich sho' that crime has dropped further still. &&&&&&&has not dropped is the number of T? sho's and ne's features about crime! and &&&&&&need to report on %iolence 'hene%er it occurs. Therefore! the only thin# about crime that &&&&&&to be #oin# up is the perception of ho' bad it really is. So! by &&&&&& sheer numbers! you 'ould be (ust as safe eepin# your doors unloc ed at ni#ht as &&&&&& #randparents 'ere bac in ,the #ood old days.,

"n other 'ords! it$s time to bo) &&&&&&your mantraps. or been formula for 'hat s e'ed #et turn that one sit e%en the see seems up hu#e lot published your ne'spapers$ in farin#