the death of decency

What is happening to this world? When did we all get so cynical? Was it always like this? Or is it something that I'm now seeing and understanding through adult eyes?

Everyday, you turn on the news only to find humans committing atrocities against humans or humans committing atrocities against animals and for what? For greed? For personal gain? For fun? or just for no good reason? I just dont understand it. What drives a child to stab another over pettiness? What drives a child to bring a weapon to school? Are they not being taught by parents that there are reprocussions to their actions? What drives people to commit murder? How can they not care that they've taken a life?
And why on earth would people kill cats for fun? Why would they slaughter horses for a quick dollar or even feel entitled to touch someone else's property and claim it as their own? Why would they take someone's hard-earned belongings and then kill them? As if they're entitled to those things. As if they have a right.

These don't even scrape the surface - men swindling innocent people out of their hard earned money just so that they can live in excess & have their shoes custom made in Belgium. Other men murdering people who have done nothing but try and make a difference in the lives of others, some with special needs. People stealing other's lives by locking them away in walls or backyards or compounds...
People making a living off of exploiting and harrassing others and others making a hobby out of criticizing and mocking people who have no way of defending themselves. When did this become entertainment?
Mothers and fathers killing all of their children. People taking away other people's rights to chose, think, feel & speak. Name calling, accusations, fights over money & power & priviledge...
Nobody has any concept of commitment or loyalty or respect, either. The institution of marriage is a joke, these days. People cheat on the people they "love" as if its a hobby and they get away with it by using stupid excuses and deflecting responsibility. Intimacy is a joke. Sex is a game. Trust is a novelty.
Even entertainment is refective of the deterioration, not only in the treatment of "celebrities", but also in the very movies we watch. The "happy ending' is nearly extinct. Most movies end with the destruction or downfall of the hero you grew attached to. If you can't find a little ray of sunshine in a fantasy setting, where do you turn? Yet & still, these are the least of our problems.
And really, where does it end?

It feels more and more like humans are losing their kindness and compassion and allowing greed and arrogance and selfishness to settle in its place. I long for days where I'll be able to turn on the news and hear something happy. I'm quickly losing my faith in humanity these days. Over the past ten years, I feel as though I have witnessed the death of decency.