Good Figures, Strange Attitudes

I've never had much use for the FBI but I assume they have some people who can add and subtract. The bureau's figures on crime in America's largest cities last year should be accurate or at least close to it so I'd say Akron came out fragrant as a spring breeze. Not if you take the FBI numbers at face value, though, because the G-Men say crime here is up 20 percent. However, the biggies are down considerably. There were five fewer murders and 14 fewer rapes. Aggravated assaults (aren't all assaults aggravated?) increased by 40 percent and there were 69 more robberies so the FBI says Akronites were behaving badly. Considering the state of the economy in 2008 I'd say that's understandable. But aren't murders and rapes worse? In my book they are so I'm favorably impressed.

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Twenty miles south, some people need to rethink their priorities. The economy in Canton isn't exactly booming so it's hard for me to figure why veterans are up in arms over the placement of flags on banners at Fawcett Stadium. They are having an international football competition involving eight nations and unless they are talking about soccer it comes as a surprise that football is played in that many countries.Anyway, Canada was seeded first and the United States second. The flags were arranged in the order of seeding. This has veterans and even some other people feeling insulted. So the banners were taken down Monday. This is the sort of nonsense that keeps me out of two organizations that once claimed me as a member - the American Legion and the VFW. For some reason I just can't feel insulted by having the flag of Canada displayed above the American flag. It's all about the seeding for athletic events, for Pete's sake.
Isn't there something else of greater importance to worry about? Are these guys also insulted that 40 million Americans lack health insurance. Does the high unemployment rate hereabouts insult them? Surely there must be something of greater importance than the placement of flags to feel insulted about. I've spent six years in the military and it takes more than that to hurt my feelings.