Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley

Violent crime is worsening in the United States, argues Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley in the following viewpoint. He maintains that the rise in violence is due to the fact that criminals are younger and more impulsive than they were in the past. According to Billingsley, the rate of violent crime is likely to continue its increase, regardless of how much money the government spends to reduce crime, because there will always be violent people. Billingsley is the editorial director of the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco, an organization that promotes the principles of personal responsibility and individual freedom.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to a book cited by the author, how does the violent crime rate in the United States compare to that of Europe?
2. In Billingsley’s view, how is this...