Living in the suburbs didn't stop my house from being broken into, tossed, and burgled while my wife and I were at church. Fortunately the dog and cats were not molested or lost.

Seattle has become a pit. Businesses have left. I don't go downtown unless armed. Portland is worse, and its population and business base are leaving. You pass over the problem of situations like the Autonomous Zone---but the people who lived in the Zone were in a box. Murders occurred. Maybe you are okay with that, as long as it wasn't you.

Just relax on your 31st floor balcony as you watch the carefully orchestrated mob set fire to the lower floors of your building.

I love this talk of odds. On the basis of "the odds" do you elect to not wear your seat belt when driving? Or not wear a life vest when boating? Or not wear a helmet when horse-riding? Or not have a fire extinguisher at hand? Or know which way to evacuate in the event of a volcanic eruption? (Don't laugh. Remember Mt. St. Helens?) Or what to do in the event of an earthquake? (Another no-laugh topic Remember the Nisqually Earthquake of 2001?)

I wouldn't have expected to hear from a Pollyanna on this page, but now I know better. Have a good life, untouched by the odds.