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For the past several months Americans have regularly listed crime and violence as the number - one problem facing the nation, far surpassing worries over the economy or health care. Despite the many government and community initiatives launched during recent year ....

Middle of Essay
.... issue to a near frenzy. When asked in January of this year, " How often do you see reports of violent crime on television ? " 68 % replied " almost every day ". Although the media have played an important role in raising the public's awareness of lawlessness, crime in America is far from a media - created phenomenon. Government statistics support the image of a nation which has overwhelmingly lost the war against crime. For instance, in 1960 there were 161 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people By 1992, the figure had jumped to 758 per 100,000 -- a rise of over 350 %. More and more people today are starting to think that something ....