Rev. Edwin Kosak's Good News

Thought For the Week

I sent this letter to the editor of the Post and Courier, our local newspaper for those of you out of town. The principle is this: Focus on what is right to help create the world you want. So here goes:

Thank you to the Post and Courier for putting the good news about our nation's declining crime rate on the front page. I have been following this downward trend in our crime rate now for several years, 20 to be precise. I often have wondered, "why is this not front page news?" It's great to see that the downward trend in crime continues. Yes, there is continuing crime and we have work to do. I have both personally and professionally been affected by crime. But our consciousness seems to be in a fog of negativity. Much of what we see in the media is the negative, so it's understandable that many conclude the crime rate is terrible. However, I quit blaming the media (and our politicians) for the negativity. The media and politicians simply reflect what we the people want, and negativity is what we seem to want. I think we want better, but our human ego wants less. Even if that is true, it is my firm contention that there is an equal amount of good, if not more, happening in the world. Actually, more neutral things are happening in the world. More and more research and statistics are coming out to validate this reality. For one, seeThe Better Angels of our Nature by Pinker for an in depth analysis. When you compare the amount of crime going on in the world per capita, compared to our population numbers, the result would be interesting to many. 

But more than stats and research, I believe in the goodness of people. While there are many terrible things happening in the world, goodness is equal to the badness, or it exists in a greater amount than we think in my opinion. Call me naive, but at least I'm an informed naive. I pray for those affected adversely by crime. And, I pray that the fog of negativity in our consciousness will burn off, and that we focus on the good/neutral, while we continue addressing the world's problems.

And kudos to Charleston for its double digit drop in violent crime!