To be serious a moment, the issue of the perception of crime came up at a recent conference I attended. Part of the perception has to do with news coverage. 30-40 years ago, someone in Ohio would not likely hear about a shooting in a bar in California unless the story was big enough to make it on the network news, or the morning paper. Now, the Internet brings each of these stories to our smart phone moments after the story breaks. The psychologist at the conference said this causes the perception that crime is increasing, and there is no where safe. This has several impacts on society. It causes people to feel generally unsafe in their communities. Some people feel depressed about this, hence increased reported depression among the population. Some people feel the need to go armed, hence increased popularity of CCW permits. Some people overreact, hence claims that the streets run red with innocent blood, so we must pass new laws. It all flows together...