Do we live in a culture of perpetual fear, and if so what are the causes?

Absolutely. Watch "Bowling For Columbine" for a lot of good examples of this. While I don't agree with a lot of what Michael Moore comes up with in his doentaries, this one hits the nail on the head (for the most part). I do not believe in gun control laws, however... When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.