ABSTRACT
American life is inundated with violence. Violence has become common in our culture, media, and entertainment. The United States is easily the most violent of any industrialized country that is not engaged in a civil war. Our homicide rate is three to eight times greater than any other Western democracy. Violence in America differs dramatically across racial lines and has its greatest impact on ethnic-minority males, particularly those who live in urban areas. Many say that violence in America is a social and public health crisis and that it demands immediate attention and corrective action. The fact that the motive for the Oklahoma homicides appears to be political makes them different only in quality from the thousands of other violent deaths and losses suffered by American families each year. The Oklahoma City bombing and the abuse and murder of Nicole Brown emerged as just some incidents in the endless tide of American violence.
