How Thin is the Veneer of Civilization?

Even though Americans act politely and democratically most of the time, aren't we still animals underneath?

How deep and how long does a recession need to be before democracy starts to crumble?

I am particularly taken with the shooting of nine year old Christina Taylor Green, born literally on 9/11. 

I am not sure what symbolic meaning someone who is born during the terror and hatred of 9/11 and dies in a politically motiviated assassination has, but there seems like there must be some meaning there somewhere.