Boomers Retire From Violent Crime

		Boomers Retire From Violent Crime
	CRIME & JUSTICE
	GOODBYE TO BOOMER HEYDAY MEANS GOOD RIDDANCE TO VIOLENT CRIME A WELCOMING OUTLOOK FOR DRUG USE EDUCATION IS DUE
		"There is a strong association between drugs and crime, I agree with that. Unlike alcohol which precipitates violence, most drugs -- when used correctly -- diminish violence. This won't be clear until more people are using drugs and the rate of violent crimes, plummets. Even then, it will take about 25 to 50 years before anyone will believe it." *TRASH, 1980* Residual effects of WWII, the only U.S. war victory during the last 100 years, are still being felt today, more than 60 years after the war ended in 1945. That's because the generation of post-war "Boomers" altered the world in ways that were previously unimaginable. As these "babies" reached their teens, they set off an escalation in violent crime, not because they were any different from the generations born before them, but rather because there were so many of them living in a world unprepared for them that anything they did was subject to scrutiny. Linking drugs to the rise in violent crime was the hoax of the 20th century. When violent crime began to fall during the the 1990s, the U.S. Government claimed zero tolerance policy was the reason until other nations reported a drop in violent crime as well without zero tolerance policy. The common thread between these nations and the U.S. is a higher birth rate following WWII that ended around the same time. A lower birth rate since the late 1960s has resulted in a lower rate of violent crimes, however drug arrests are rising in across the U.S. There are other noteworthy factors for the decline in violent (continued below)


	crime. Some of these secondary reasons are considered here.
	AWARENESS: There is a greater awareness of the violent crimes, such as rape. Because women have been prepared to defend themselves, incidents of rape have decreased in nations such as the U.S. Robberies, also have declined because people are more aware.	RELIGION: Fewer young people are hampered by religion. Teenagers today take more responsibility for themselves because religious dogma has changed. Violence is simply unacceptable.
	ALARM SYSTEMS: Home, business, and auto alarm systems have made it more challenging for criminal offenses to occur. Monitoring and other detection systems have discouraged burglary and theft.	COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: Realizing the number of single-parent families and households where there is more than one parent working, neighborhoods and community organizations have developed to assist such families. Although not pervasive, these organizations should get some credit since they have registered a blip on the scale.
	MASS DRUG DEALING: What once was a closed-door business, limited to a few is now opened to many who make small profits by soliciting small quantities to friends and other, eliminating the need for theft in order to survive, especially among the unemployed.	RECREATIONAL DRUG USE: As much as illicit drugs are blamed for an increase in violent crime, they really control it. Someone who doesn't have drugs is far more likely to commit a violent crime than someone who is using drugs. In 2005, UCLA conducted the first research effort in the U.S. to determine the positive impact of drugs on society. Among their findings, sports, video games and recreational drug use were deterrents to violent crime and property crime.
	COMPUTERS & INTERNET: The prevalence of computers and networking through the Internet have led many youths and adults to assume a past-time that is not as passive as TV. Adult website owners claim that they offer an outlet for citizens that reduces street violence.	CHEMICAL SEEDING: Although it's mere speculation, several authorities have come forward to state that the U.S. Government has produced airborne chemicals that influence a more subdued behavior. So that's why employees in fast food chains are so slow to place your order! Hmmm!
	EDUCATION: The general public is more educated today than past generations. School programs have created a more enticing environment to occupy the stagnant mind. Students realize that there is little value in violence and they've incorporated that into their own lives.	DIVORCE OPTIONS: Today, it is far easier to get a divorce than it was only 25 years ago. It is expected that a couple will divorce at least once during their lives and that has been occurring. Some even prefer to stay single for as long as they can. With the focus now being on the individual, murder is no longer a way out.

	Copyright C 2008