He gave us some statistics about how much the occurrences of random violence have escalated over the recent years, and it's terrible. Something like 99% of us will be exposed to, or become a victim of a violent crime. ... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. ... As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. ... Pat Malone said again and again that the women who die EVERY MINUTE from violent crimes expected to go to bed tonight, and get up tomorrow. No one expects it, but we must be prepared and aware so that we HAVE A PLAN. BE PREPARED TO ACT! AND ACT HARD! HAVE A PLAN!
As I read this, my first thought was "paranoia". Or maybe just that strange attraction to fear which many (maybe all) humans have in some way, and which seems to be a primary instrument of the JW indoctrination process. I live in one of the safest countries of Europe, and still I do know a couple of JWs here who are in constant fear of all sorts of violent crimes. As a teenager (in the 1980s) I toured the continent by rail for three months. Like many others, I was sleeping in parks, railway stations, on beaches...and generally trusting lots of strangers, at least to some extent. That doesn't mean I was careless, but I don't think I had ever been afraid back then. And I wouldn't see any reason to be afraid today, especially not where I live.
On the other hand, maybe I'm naive. Plus, I'm male, which makes me less of a target for certain crimes. Has life in urban America really become so dangerous? Or are people just becoming hysterical? Is it the media? Or have people always been hysterical?
Odd timing indeed. Just today the latest crime statistics for the US was released:
"U.S. reports steepest annual violent crime drop
Incidents of violent crime plummeted nearly 15 percent in 2000, the steepest one-year drop since the federal government began keeping track in 1973, the Justice Department said today."
- Jan -- Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. [Ambrose Bierce, The Devil´s Dictionary, 1911]
in fact if you think back to almost every single Circuit assembly you have been to the public address on sunday starts off this way:
for 4-8 min straight the DO will give example after example of human suffer- then he will start his talk and conclude by saying the WT will show you the way
and the basic framework of each CA on sunday is exactly like that
a few weeks ago my wife was looking thru some notes of past CA and they all and mean all started the same way- things are so bad that you need to get you black behind out there and sell some books
It's just that thing I've often asked myself: why do those who claim to have found security in "Jehovah's Organization", those who claim to "walk in the truth fearlessly", spend their lives in such fear? Shouldn't they be much more confident since they've found The Truth(tm)?
A religion that thrives on fear cannot possibly be the true religion. But then, I think that no religion is true, anyway ;-)
Actually, the words quoted come from a "worldly" security expert who is a bodyguard to the rich and famous, but also does seminars on self defense. An e-mail has been going around from someone who took the seminar. It really has nothing to do with "witness" issues.
Most places in the U.S., a person cannot be too careful. Especially women. The caution and subsequent "heads up" to women are certainly warranted.
Believe me fodeja, even as a male, you would not feel comfortable in many areas of urban America.
On the other hand, I agree that witnesses live (in fear) for this kind of stuff.
Ah, a security expert who gives seminars. Looks like he's trying to drum up some business by scaring people to death. :-)
Anyone who thinks crime is bad now should read Barbara Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror" about life in Europe in the middle ages!
I've lived on both coasts of the US and in Colorado, as well as Europe. I felt safe everywhere I lived. Sure, crime happens and people should exercise sensible caution, but there's no reason to live in fear. I still walk by myself after dark in our city and I feel perfectly safe.
Believe me fodeja, even as a male, you would not feel comfortable in many areas of urban America.
I'm convinced that urban America has its dangers, but sometimes it seems to me things are being blown out of proportion a little bit. I don't think there's any other part of the world where crime in general gets so much media attention, what with "cop TV" and shows like that.
Which reminds me of a funny little thing that happened to me in Chicago some years ago: being the stupid and naive tourist, I managed to get into an area which (as natives later told me) is considered rather dangerous. It was already getting dark. A couple of huge black guys came my way on the sidewalk, and one of them lost the cap of his water bottle. It rolled towards my feet and of course (as I'd do anywhere) I picked it up, handed it to the guy, smiled, and walked on. They stopped with their jaws hanging and looked at me as if I'd just grown two additional heads ;-)
