I tend to think that life is better now for so many but we seem to like to believe that the world has got to be a worse place and more dangerous for our children. The media certainly portray such an image of the world but do the facts back them up? Often not. I was watching TV last night (Crimewatch) and there was a reference to a murder using a firearm. The presenter made the point of saying that while the media image is that the risk of firearms deaths is going up the actual figures show a greater than 10% fall in the last year - and even then we are only talking about 70-80 firearms related murders per year in the whole of the UK (50-60 million people). ie. a very, very small risk but one overplayed in the media. The same goes for the risks parents believe their children are subjected to while the figures consistantly show that children are most at risk from their own families and other trusted people, not the strangers that most people automatically think of. Perception and reality - a balancing act....
H
It is sad when I think of all the summers we spent building dens down by the river in out Muppet Show shorts and wellies or those hideous black plimsolls .. sorry! I hate those plimsolls .. anyway .. we didn't come home till we it was dark or we were hungry and then it was grab a jam sandwich in grimy snail-stained hands and off we go again.
I have a bit of a thing about germs. In "my day" yes, there were germs but so what. Like it says above, we drank from the same bottle, ate worms etc etc and no harm came to us. Nowadays its all anti-bacterial handwash and bum wipes and look at the amount of kids with asthma, excema, food allergies ... no one think this might be related?
It is sad that we can't let our kids even nip to the shop with friends. i wouldn't dream of even letting my 6 year old play in the street outside our house but that's modern life for you. I'm glad that that we have central heating, that in the winter we don't have to break the ice on the toilet or wash in freezing cold water, or huddle round the coal fire (very pretty but hard work and doesn't heat up a whole house in mid-January). I'm glad my child won't die of TB or Polio and that should anything horrible happen I have a mobile phone to call for help.
I'm also aware of the fact that we do tend to look at things through rose-tinted glasses. Every generation does. there's no such thing as the golden years or the good old days. Your perception changes as you get older and you hark back to those glorious Indian summers of your youth and the snow in winter not April. Bad things that exist now also existed then, we just didn't hear so much about it. People still got murdered, kids got abducted, child abuse, burglaries, ... it's not a product of modern life. It was always around and it will be as long as humans are the superior species.
God, I loved that old mattress in my Grandma's back garden. Loads of fun despite the ants!
There are lots of things better today than they were in the 70’s when I grew up. Strikes, the economy, choice of entertainment etc.
I think the biggest issue facing society, putting global warming, immigration etc to one side, is that more and more children are brought by up by single parents and fewer in traditional family units with a mother and father.
I’m not suggesting that all single parents do a bad job, nor am I suggesting couples should stay together just for their kids. There just seems to be more young teenage girls having kids for economic reasons and more with kids by different missing fathers. Young males seem more likely today not to face up to their responsibilities.
I think that a lot of the youth of today do not have positive role models, either male or female, to look up to and there are a lack of restraining influences.
I realise that all of this happened in the 70’s but not to this extent - there were the equivalent of chavs back then - but I dont believe it was anything like the number there are today.
Sorry Seagull, but business and most large companies DO take responsibility. You only have to look at the amount of safety rules, regulations and environmental requirements that must be adhered to - particularly in the oil business.
International standards for training responsible people are constantly being updated and safety systems constantly being revised.
Yes, of course major disasters can and do occur but these usually can be attributed to human error and the large companies still have to pick up the bill for clean up, replacement, compensation etc etc. You can argue that the insurers pay the bills but where do they get the moneyfrom? From increased premiums that the business has to pay. I work all round the world and I promise you there are vast fines and cost implications if some aspect of the operation goes wrong.
To get back to the thread though.............
It seems to me that two major things have changed over the years - the increase in mobility of people means more cars, more roads and therefore more danger. Also, as people move away from their local area to work, the network of trusted family friends and relations is broken and, understandably, people do not trust strangers to look after kids.
Secondly, the rise in TV, radio and of course the internet means that people are far more aware of dangers that were probably always there but remained hidden.
Does anyone think though that the increased publicity of violent or sexual crimes etc on the media leads to copycat offences?
Sorry everyone but I have got to answer this.
Seagull, in my business we work to internationally recognised standards, industry accepted standards etc. wherever we work. That is how we maintain safety world wide.
The actual operations whether they are long term production or short term project based tasks are ALWAYS subject to independenant third pary verification from internationally recognised bodies (ie Lloyds, American Bureau of Shipping etc.) and are also subject to insurance company surveillance by a Warranty Surveyor who ensures that the operating company acts in accordance with the insurance peramiters.
This system works world wide, even in West Africa and the former Soviet Union states.
If the local regulations are no good, we work to the highest international standards.
It keeps me off the streets!!!!!!
Mr davej - never thought I'd say it but thank god for someone sensible on this thread!!
I basically agree with what you say - particularly about the sanitising effect of continual films, exposure to the internet etc. - you become less shocked at what you see.
With serious violence and sexual crimes however specifically those involving /children etc. I just wonder how many cases are there where individuals decide to act out fantasises (sick as they undoubtably are) because they see someone else has done so already and therefore that "fantasy" becomes less of a in their own mind and consequently their actions seem more normal to them?
What is certain is that there seems to be less of these crimes on the continent - although, yes, there are famous examples such as those in Belgium.
I have not said this too well but I am thinking with the benefit of a few drinks tonight.
McC
OK Foxylady - I will try and be brief.
Lloyds etc. are independant in the sense that they are not part of a government or a larger company. They provide a verification service which checks and ensures that all aspects of work conform to international standards. The financial interest they have is that they are paid to provide that service. They can however refuse approvals or refuse to award the required operating certificates and shut down unsafe operations or hold unsafe ships in ports.
Yes, the insurers prime objective is not environmental, but increased public awareness means that companies are fully responsible and the costs in fines, repairs, clean up operations is reflected in vastly increased insurance premiums. Both companies and insurers therefore have an interest in operating safely.
The regulations in some third world areas are actually more stringent than in Europe.
Yes, this is my business and so I do have a self interest. However, as a responsible professional I want to ensure that any operation I am involved in is undertaken safely and correctly so that I am not in any way responsible for an accident.
Even with alternative energy sources - wind, wave, solar etc. - there are dangers and risks and the projects and operations are subject to regulation and the same verification bodies are employed.
McC
Progress always comes at a price. Our generations are experiencing all the things that we complain and worry about. But would we stop progress, when some of these problems are about to be solved? Probably not. Most of us want progress. I don't think I have anywhere near the full realisation of what goes on around us and in the world. There are ideas being developed now which will be implemented in the coming decades. These could be very successful or result in more disasters.
Would we want to suspend progress and live in a steady indefinite state? Probably not. But it has been done many times in the history of human development. Other countries are in a state of stagnation today. I doubt many of us would be happy there.
Does politics have the responsibility? I don't think so. They are just the administrators. Manufacturers and the boffins are responsible. They invent and produce all the stuff of progress. We finance them by buying their current range of tempting products.
So its a team effort all round. The internet is fuelling the computer industry. There is a growing pile of hardware junk, pollution, exploitation etc. Are we happy with it?
Well we use the interenet don't we?
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Seriously it is a very sad state of affairs. I am seriously concerned that my children and grand children wil not have much of a future as society spirals out of control eating up the planets limited resources. I am not sure whether people in the west realise that people die so that we can have our standard of living. :( 
