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I would like to hear a discussion about our current "Culture of Fear". I was intrigued by a comment a guest made during today's discussion "Stayin' In" that while abductions have decreased over the last 20 years, their coverage in the media has increased dramatically. One of the results is that parents are less likely to allow their children to play in the woods near their homes. This is a topic I've been thinking about a lot as a parent and as a citizen. We are afraid of child abduction, terrorists, germs, and a host of other things. I find that I'm more afraid of getting in trouble for giving my children space than I am of something bad actually happening.

How has the media helped to propagate a culture of fear?
Is our attention being diverted? What should we really be afraid of?
Do children really benefit from hovering parents?
How has the culture of fear influenced our spending habits?
Families are more transitory than in past generations. How can we make it easier to reach out to a new community and meet the neighbors?
How can restore common sense to the discussion?

posted 4 years, 12 months ago
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