I think there is way less violence today. And the curve of human history has veered toward less violence when looked at from a distance I believe. I mean, we used to chop eachother up with axes and swords in war, sure there are bombs, but that's a faster and less painful death, and most get a bullet. Where roving bands of pilagers would take over villages and rape and bash heads in with maces, now you get an occassional drive by. Violent sure, but nothing compared to the past.

Even death by natural causes is less violent with pain killers and medicines to cure the majority of horrible and painful diseases.

Perhaps you're speaking of our increased awareness of world violence through media?

In which case you may be correct. Where once violence would be rarely witnessed until an arm, leg, or head is lopped off, today we can see violence daily by turning on the television.

I'd argue though that awareness of it, for most, triggers the positive reaction of wanting to do something to end it.

So say you hear of violence in an inner city, or in a third world country. You not hearing about it would not make it go away, it would still happen. The difference is no one would know accept those few victims.

Because most advanced creatures evolved to be violent as to eliminate competition. Just look at almost every mammal there is. They mark territory, and if a member of the species doesn't have a territory, they are bound to starve. So they fight to gain territory that the can foster children and food upon.

Humans are generally violent because of this. We naturally create borders (nations) because we naturally assume we need to act like primitive beasts to survive. But since we know reason, we also like to attempt to rationalize violence, when in truth, violence is just a tool of beasts to survive.

Eventually we will evolve past violence once we genetically begin to understand that we are stronger together then we are apart.

We're human, and as the Terminator correctly says in Judgement Day: "it is in [our] nature to destroy [our]selves".

Because there are way to many people out there who are just begging to get smacked upside the head ;)