All in a Day’s News
HOW do you feel about all the crime and violence reported in the news? Is it just an exaggeration, or are things really so serious that, in some localities, people live in constant fear of being harmed or mugged? Let’s look at just one day’s news in New York city.
“Brutal killing at a stoplight—victim was shot 5 times in the head.” “Shotgun blows off man’s head in B’way barroom.” “Killers drown woman after forcing her to see spouse die.” “Slasher may be on ‘Death Wish’ binge.”
Those were just a few of the headlines appearing on almost two full pages of nothing but reports of the most gruesome murders—all in one day’s news in the New York “Post” last December 30. Similar things are happening in many parts of the world.
Apparently distressed by this sort of news, the editors ran an item the next day entitled “Murder on the march: we need more police.” After summarizing the previous day’s reports, the editorial asked: “What is happening to this society? What is in the minds of young killers who fire not one shot into a man’s head at point-blank range but five?” It pointed out that the situation is becoming “increasingly insecure” and that we are in a “descent into lawlessness.”
As bad as that was, just two days later the same paper carried this front-page headline in two-inch-tall letters: “10 Murders, violent start for new year.” The article started out by saying: “The City’s New Year began violently—with at least 10 murders counted in the first 24 hours of 1981.”
Throughout the reports were expressions such as “absolutely senseless,” “for no reason,” “with no warning” and “most brutal ever.” Is it any wonder that many people’s lives are filled with fear?
All of this clearly echoes what the Bible says about a time marked by “increasing of lawlessness,” a time “hard to deal with” when men would be uncontrolled and violent and would “advance from bad to worse.” Every day’s news adds to the proof that we are living in that time—the “last days” of this system of things.—Matt. 24:12; 2 Tim. 3:1-5, 13.