Methinks times have changed a bit.

In total agreement Doug.  I have to keep hoping that, at one point or another, we'll eventually have a politician in a place of power that we actually LIKE. *sigh* I know, I'm a dreamer

Nations are safer.  Their leaders are not.

Churchill's name headed a list of assassination targets found on an IRA man. As he drove through Hyde Park one morning, two men were spotted signalling to a third in a clump of trees. "If they want trouble, they can have it," Churchill said. Thompson, feeling it "not part of my duty to pander to his desire for a hand-to-hand scrap in Hyde Park", drew his gun, told the chauffeur to drive like the devil, and shielded Churchill with his body. "Don't ever do that again!" Churchill shouted.

He took some precautions. He carried his Colt .45 at times, and amused Thompson by lifting the tapestry back of the chair that stood between the door and the bed in his room, to reveal a slab of bulletproof steel. It was, nonetheless, miraculous that he survived. Assassination plots came from the IRA, Indian and Arab nationalists, Nazi snipers, and deranged individuals like the armed American airport worker who was providentially overheard to say he would get "that f***ing Churchill" shortly before Churchill was due to arrive.

Not sure I feel safer & I was born during WWII.

I think that depends on which country you happen to live in. If I said what I would like to say I would probably be banned for life.

That would depend greatly on your definition of dangerous times.
Don't misunderstand me, but in deepest Cornwall the most dangerous thing you are going to see is a pissed up farmer weaving home in his tractor.
When bombs are going off in your capital city, I think that comes under dangerous times. When terrorists are still trying to plan attacks with aircraft, that is dangerous times. When a certain element wants to kill you because of something your government has done, that is dangerous times. However I am probably the wrong person to comment having lived a portion of my life never getting in a car without looking under it. When the IRA was randomly killing British service men in Northern Germany, that was dangerous times, but part of the job I signed up to. When Islamic terrorists want try to kill civilians, women and children in the name of religion, that is a different matter and that is dangerous times.
However, this is getting away from "Real Aviation" some what.

Matt

Dangerous things still exist.  Just to a far lesser extent and, I would say, (although it is debatable) on a smaller scale.  Entire societies used to be conquered, massacred or enslaved not too long ago.  It's all about chances, and the chances of being hurt or killed by one of today's dangers are far less than those of yore.