Correlation? Ya Think?

Listening to political talk requires a third ear that hears what is not said. Today's near silence about crime probably is evidence of social improvement. For many reasons, including better policing and more incarceration, Americans feel, and are, safer. The New York Times has not recently repeated such amusing headlines as:

"Crime Keeps on Falling, But Prisons Keep on Filling" (1997),

"Prison Population Growing Although Crime Rate Drops" (1998),

"Number in Prison Grows Despite Crime Reduction" (2000) and

"More Inmates, Despite Slight Drop in Crime" (2003).

George Will

HT: Instapundit