Progress Amid Turbulence: Finding Comfort in the Chaos
A week into the new year, and it feels like the world is already unraveling: a terrorist attack in New Orleans, a Tesla Cybertruck explosion, and another school shooting weeks prior. Large crowds are anxiety-inducing, sending your kid to school is risky, peace feels elusive, and many Americans are questioning their safety.
In this climate, it’s no surprise that 58% of U.S. adults now see reducing crime as a top priority for the president and Congress, up from 47% at the start of Joe Biden’s presidency in 2021. The rising demand for security reflects a collective yearning for stability. However, there’s an ironic truth: the paradox of our time is that while the world is statistically safer, it often feels more dangerous.
A Safer America Over Decades
According to Pew Research, both the FBI and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) data reveal dramatic declines in violent and property crime rates in the U.S. since the early 1990s. Violent crime rates fell by 49% from 1993 to 2022, with robbery rates plummeting 74%, aggravated assault down 39%, and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter decreasing by 34%. These declines paint a picture of progress that can often feel at odds with the perception of a more dangerous world.
Try Living in a Another Era
Human history has been marked by extreme violence—cruelty as entertainment, slavery as labor, conquest and genocide for power and land, torture as punishment, and assassination as political succession. Practices like rape as war spoils and homicide as conflict resolution were once common and accepted.
Today, such atrocities are rare or nonexistent in the West, significantly less common globally, and widely condemned when exposed. This shift reflects humanity’s progress toward a more just and empathetic world.
The World is Different?
So why does it feel like things are getting worse? The answer lies in perception. Increased media coverage, our access to the internet with current events, and the amplification of violent incidents on social media contribute to a heightened sense of danger, even as violence in the U.S. declines statistically.
Now, this isn’t to dismiss the pain of recent tragedies, the genuine concerns for safety, and social contention amongst us. Yet, understanding the progress we’ve made can offer solace amidst today’s turbulence.
This may be as good as it gets—but that doesn’t mean we stop striving for a peaceful world. It means appreciating the progress while working towards harmony.
Good night and good luck.
