fears

Nice article by John Stossel on how the media promotes fear in order to get ratings.

Woo hoo, no fear!!!

I understand responding to terrorist threats but at what point do we become like the "Minority Report's" pre-crime unit?

Quoted: The planning was not far along, one U.S. official said, but authorities "take aspirations of that sort seriously."

Quoted: "At this time we have no indication of any imminent threat to the New York transportation system, or anywhere else in the U.S.," Richard Kolko, Washington-based FBI special agent, said in a statement to Associated Press Radio.

You don't have to agree with the specific examples in this article to agree with its overall point - that people worry about all sorts of incredibly improbable problems and ignore very real and present dangers. Going apoplectic over anthrax but essentially ignoring possibility of death from influenza is a typical example. My mom is the worst at this - she's constantly terrified that I'll be eaten by a cougar (the last attack took place near my home in 1991) but isn't concerned at all about me driving to the store. It makes me a bit crazy at times.