I’m willing to entertain that claim if you would be willing to point to one or two examples and define “broadening views”. From the data I’ve seen, violent crim

I’m willing to entertain that claim if you would be willing to point to one or two examples and define “broadening views”. From the data I’ve seen, violent crime is associated with urban areas. I think of the places where one might encounter the most broad set of worldviews (airports, subways, dense low income metropolitan areas with a mix of ethnic backgrounds) none of them seem increasingly unified in any meaningful sense of the word unified. We now treat citizens the same way we treat enemies, by spying on them, because some may be terrorists. That was the original justification at least. I don’t see much evidence of our “broadening views unites us”. Look at our universities for increasingly violent mob behavior where once there was a culture of debate (give or take the occasional fire poker incident). Increasingly there is focus on one’s identity group, as a means of self-distinction (ironically) and need for community.