The United States of America is the most violent nation in the free world, and probably one of the most violent nations in any world. Assault, armed robbery, rape, and the physical abuse of women, children and animals are common occurrences. Hundreds of American citizens are murdered every year. There appears to be little interest in curbing American violence: Child protection agencies and battered women shelters get smaller budgets every year; the criminal court system remains thoroughly disorganized; and hundreds of people (probably the same people who have no idea what is really in the Bible) have read ridiculous interpretations into the Second Amendment.

You would think that government leaders (I use the term loosely) and the news media would be concerned about the obscenity of this violence, but instead, they fall all over themselves with the Amber Alert so we'll know what a great job they're doing. Or they spend hours and hour talking about the Laci Peterson case, or whatever happens to be the hot murder case of the week.

It has to be truly horrific for Laci Peterson's family to know that every aspect of their daugher is being talked about every moment on radio and television. Which brings me to the question: Why Laci Peterson? Hundreds of people are murdered in the United States, and most of them barely get a paragraph or two in their local newspaper. So what is the process for determining who will be talked about ad nauseum for weeks? If there is a celebrity involved, such as O.J. Simpson or Robert Blake, it is undertandable that the news media would have a field day. But what about the other "hot" cases?

It is, of course, essential that the murder victim be white, and it seems to help a lot if the victim is a young female. This gives the whole event a kind of pulp fiction overlay, which appeals to the public's taste. I guess that says it all.