A Culture of Fear - June 23, 2004

Fear. We live under a constant cloud of fear. Fear that we will be attacked by terrorist. Fear that we will mugged while walking to our car. Fear that the plane we're on will crash. Fear that someone will break into our house. We are afraid of everything, it would seem. We live in a constant state of fear. Never does anyone on the news, or a public official, say that there is nothing to worry about. Not that there is nothing to worry about. There are many things to worry about. But, what makes us vulnerable to fear these days is that it's being used against us. Our fears are multiplied, and amplified, and then sold right back to us.

We are quelled, slightly, with a false sense of security. But, when we get too secure fear is once again put into our minds. It's a yo-yo of fear and security. But the ultimate goal is to keep us thinking of things that might do us harm. Even with that false sense of security we are still on alert.

Is there anyone that thinks buckling your seat belts on a plane is going to save you if you crash? They are there are a safety feature. But, a seatbelt is hardly going to save you if your crash into a mountain at over 500 mph. The idea that your seat is also a flotation device is another false sense of safety. While the flotation devices are floating to the surface, much of the plane will be sinking. The main focus will be trying to get out of the smashed up wreckage, not getting the seat cushion.

Guns are often sold for their ability to protect one's home in case someone breaks in. But year after year, statistics show that a gun is more likely to harm someone living in the home rather than an intruder. Despite hearing stories of children finding a gun and either shooting themselves, or a friend, people still keep guns in the house. Even though intruders are more apt to enter a home when the people living there are away.

Smoking will absolutely subtract years off your lifespan. Yet, people will try to pretend that low tar, filtered, or "natural" cigarettes will help stem that certainty. Meanwhile, none of these alternatives have been shown to be any different than smoking a regular cigarette.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. It may sound glib for me to say those words, but the reality is that fear is now used against us. The only way to fight it is to know if there is a legitimate reason to fear something. To fear something that we can't change is detrimental. To fear something that is nearly nonexistent, is foolhardy. To buy into the fear tactics that political officials pour on us day after day is also silly. Because they understand that fear is a useful tool in establishing their agendas. Nothing motivates like fear. And to be keep the nation in a perpetual state of fear is just one of the ways those in control of the government, the media, and security, keep us from asking any questions. Because to keep us fearful is to keep us from asking questions. And when we stop asking questions, we stop knowing.