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Some Good News, and Some Good News

Chicago"s crime rate decreased by 3.8 percent in 2007, according to an article in the January 25 issue of the Chicago Tribune.

I may know why.

After a pleasant day watching my beloved CUBs (yes they are still beloved, despite their inability to break The Curse) at Wrigley Field recently, my wallet was stolen as I coffeed. I had made a purchase, sat down with my purse slung on the chair back, and when I got up to leave, the wallet was gone. Within that two hours, $7,500 was charged on two credit cards. Additional attempts were made but blocked. Last sightings, the cards were hanging out at a gas station in California.



When I tried to report the crime at the Wrigleyville precinct, the desk cop refused to record the wallet disappearance as a theft. Did you see someone steal it? he asked repeatedly with his head cocked and eyebrows raised. Despite my denials, he insisted that I lost my wallet and wrote up a Lost Report.

I guess that"s one way to keep a city"s crime rate down. If you can"t report a crime, it didn"t happen, right?

Blame it on the Media

The media has been faulted for Americans" growing dissatisfaction with the economy, the automotive and housing industry downturns, and for their desire for change—especially as it relates to the upcoming election. Several email groups have circulated angry letters, likening dissatisfied Americans to spoiled children. I blame the media! one writer concluded.


Hey, we didn"t start the fire. When something happens we relay it—good or bad. Would you have us report only cheerful news of positive events, ignoring the negative?



Accurate reporting by a free pressfree to report problems, unfavorable statistics, and downturnsis critical to a free democracy, an informed electorate, and continuous improvement.



The stamping industry has had its share of tough times in the past few years, especially in the automotive segment. Not reporting it to you wouldn"t change that; it would only keep you in the dark. How can you fix a problem if you don"t know it exists? How valuable would a sensor errorproofing system be if it didn"t alert you to a malfunctioning press or defective parts?

If you really want to hear only good news, plenty of countries" government-controlled media would be happy to feed it to you. If bad news can"t be reported, it doesn"t happen right? Just ask Beijing.

Got thoughts? I"d love to hear from you. kateb@thefabricator.com

About the Author

Kate Bachman

Contributing editor

815-381-1302

Kate Bachman is a contributing editor for The FABRICATOR editor. Bachman has more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor in the manufacturing and other industries.