BL> I have this same argument every time Rod makes his assertion.

 BG> I don't recall your posting specific figures before, though.

  Don't tell Rod, but I've been looking in the Year Book in the wrong
place under Deaths! Homicides were listed differently every time. I
finally found the real figures under "Courts" or "Law and Order."

   It's interesting to see how times change. My 1968 Year Book is
beautifully bound, with photographs and maps and charts and is 3"
thick. The latest one is a lousy paperback done on the cheap, a third
the size.

 BG> The fact that the murder rate has increased at all is still a
 BG> major cause for concern though, and I'd be interested to see if
 BG> these figures have been further broken down into say random
 BG> murders, or those done by people who are known to the victim.
 BG> It's the random stuff which worries me the most. 

  There's no breakdown except into the 7 major categories. Perhaps a
State Yearbook would do better, but I don't have any old ones of
those. "Homicide" includes attempted murder and unlawful killing, but
excludes motor accidents as you would expect in crime stats.

  Aha! I've just found another obvious flaw in Rod's 50 years of
constant murder rate in Australia. The records only go back to 1964.
That's when the ABS started collating national figures for crime. I 
wonder where he got his "figures"? 

 BG> It's the random stuff which worries me the most. 

  That's right. I figure if anyone does any murdering it'll probably
be me, but random murder does seem to be rising. I'll have a look in
the NSW Yearbook next time I'm up the library (not that I have much
faith in the NSW Police Force keeping useful figures).

 BL> Our perception that Australia is less safe than it used to be
 BL> is correct.

 BG> Bloody hell, Bob! I didn't need any stats to tell me that, just
 BG> my eyes. 

  It's the random, careless, brainless violence that seems to be on
the rise - boongs who rob a taxi driver and then kick him to death!
Stupid. I think there are too many disaffected people around.

Regards,
Bob
 
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