Here is a fact to end out the year on:
There were 55,432 Simple Battery offenses in Chicago this past year.
Simple battery may include any form of non-consensual harmful or insulting contact, regardless of the injury caused. Criminal battery requires an intent to inflict an injury on another, as distinguished from a tortious battery. (from good ole Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_%28crime%29)
Of course, this is spread out over the entirety of Chicago with the most being 3,702 in one neighborhood. Why spread this seemingly dark info on this day of Joy and New Year's Eveness? In no way is this intended to be a downer fact. It is just a fact that highlights the amount of times people actually fight (and it gets reported...) Considering we are a population of 2,896,016 (just blindly trusting the internet on that one!) 55,432 is not great but it could be worse. Looking at the stats from the 70's to mid 90's it sure was a lot worse than it is now!
Basically, while violence is not pretty nor something we should welcome, it is a part of our lives and our responsibly displaying it on stage will help find solutions to the problem. Theater has the power to change societies. As fight choreographers, actor combatants and stunt people, we share that power and have a real ability to make a difference with our work if we do it honestly and fully.
So take that huge lemon of a number and make some violent lemonade!
Greg
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