Reply to Why is "not living in fear" so important to conservative identity?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why do Dems thinks it’s NBD to be victimized by criminals? As if somehow that is the default condition for all of us? We should just expect and accept our victimization and not make such a fuss over it?

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Dems don't actually think this. why do you think we do?[/quote]

I haven’t read all 8 pages of this thread, because what I’ve read so far seems to reflect the expected arguments of both sides.  Over and over again, whether on this issue or any other, everyone seems to line up and parrot the same tired talking points that their respective parties have been spouting for decades - “Republicans are racist”, “Democrats are soft on crime”.  Neither side seems  willing to acknowledge that life is complex and reality doesn’t align with party platforms.

For starters, we can remember Mark Twain’s observation that “There are lies, d——d lies, and statistics.”

Maybe crime statistics are down overall and you feel safe in your life - great!  Those are excellent things to celebrate, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a universal experience.  Hypothetically, a city could experience a crime drop in 3/4 of the (safer) neighborhoods, but still have a dangerous neighborhood where the crime levels remain high or even increase, or of course it could reflect improved safety citywide.  People who live in safe, NIMBY neighborhoods, listening to statistics or anecdotes that support their pre-existing worldview from sympathetic media, whether they confirm the bias that crime isn’t so bad or the bias that crime is terrible have very little idea of what is actually happening in the “bad” neighborhoods.  If statistics say that the crime rate low and falling, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t still a problem and that some people live in fear.  On the other hand, even if there is a news report about a terrible experience with crime, it doesn’t mean that that particular incident is an accurate representation of overall crime levels rather than a possible isolated incident.  In both cases, getting an accurate idea of the actual state of affairs requires a deeper analysis than most of us are willing to commit the time and effort to undertake, especially since we have insufficient data to make the attempt.

I want to make it clear that I am not equating conservative media (Fox, etc.) which I consider to be open propaganda with more liberal news sources.  However, I think it is important that we recognize that everyone has an inherent bias and to take that into account.  Moreover, while Fox had proven itself unreliable and willing to fabricate and distort news, that doesn’t mean that everything they say is inherently false, they can certainly exploit and spin actual events that support their own agenda.

Also, both sides have a profit motive to give consumers what they want - which is not generally in-depth examinations of statistical methods and study weaknesses.  The networks (presumably acting on viewer interest) seem to devote more “news” attention to sports, celebrity gossip, fashion trends, etc., than in trying to determine and accurately communicate reality.  Even “serious” news sources spend more time analyzing polls than they do analyzing the subjects they’re polling about.

As for why “not living in fear” is so important to conservative identity, I don’t think it’s a partisan issue.  Nobody wants to live in fear.  If you look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, for example (and I have no idea of his political affiliation), personal safety is ranked secondary only to the physiological needs for survival, suggesting that people will prioritize it over more abstract needs like politics.  Republicans may fear crime, illegal immigration, and vaccinations, but Democrats may similarly fear police brutality, gun proliferation/school shootings, healthcare costs, and climate change.  Personally, my biggest political fear right now is a President who has demonstrated contempt for the Constitution, but I’m fortunate enough that I don’t have to live day to day under imminent threat to my survival.

I think it’s important you consider that just as “the other side” may be wrong in their assumptions about us, we may be wrong (at least in part) in our assumptions about them.  It might be even more helpful if instead of thinking in terms of us vs them, we see ourselves as one united country, sharing a common humanity with common emotions and problems.  If we recognize that individuals aren’t rigidly tied to party platforms but will each have their own individual complex viewpoints based on their own individual complex reality, we may find common ground and through that common ground find ways to help them understand how those interests may be better served by the party we’ve chosen to align with.
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