America, Fear, and Terrorism; or, “We have nothing to fear but… everything.”
I was raised with a somewhat idealistic view of America: Mom, Football, Apple Pie, the works. My parents raised me talking and thinking about politics, and I can remember more elections than I think most people my age can. Historical sites were always important stops during our trips, and Independence Day was one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas and Easter. (I mean, come on, as a little kid, fireworks, candy, and presents are the coolest things ever.) I’m definitely proud of the standard ideals we’re taught are the foundation of our great nation: freedom, courage, democracy, and so on. However, now that I’m older, I’ve learned to draw the line in my mind between the ideal and the reality.
So what’s the problem with America, if you ask me? Fear. As an idealist, the driving force in America should always be hope. Ideally, if our freedom is respected and we work hard enough, there is nothing that is impossible in our great nation. In two generations we have gone from a black man being unable to drink from the same water fountain or attend the same schools and universities as white men, to a black man having a very real chance at being president of the United States. How awesome is that? However, the hopeful forever have to fight with the effect of fear. Fear of Indians, fear of Mexicans, fear of the Chinese, of Blacks, of Communists, and now of terrorists. Look, the only thing that scares me is the unbelievable power of ignorant white people. No. That is not white guilt. That is not racism. The people who are most paranoid about whatever or whoever “they” are…just happen to be white people who refuse to accept that maybe, just maybe “they” are not all the same. I’m not saying all white, blue collar Christians are ignorant and don’t “get it” sometimes. I’m just saying, the number of them in the country disturbs me. Greatly.
Brief digression: I don’t specifically support Obama and I’m not a liberal. I’m a libertarian. I’m white. I’m a Christian. Just thought you should know. Now, here’s the rest of my message.
So, here’s my beef of late: It seems to me that the Republicans have been taking advantage of people’s fears for too damn long. Basically, the last 8 years have been one great big long fear-mongering fest in the name of the party. That sort of manipulation is about as unpatriotic as it gets. To me, any action that incites fear to the extent that it pressures people into giving up their freedom, is much closer to slapping your momma and hating apple pie than flag burning. When John McCain got the nomination for the republican party, I was seriously considering voting for him because I felt he truly was a maverick, as overused as that is now, and that he’d actually make a good president. However, as the election has progressed, I’ve been increasingly turned off by the fear-mongering associated with the McCain campaign and McCain’s supporters.
Look, Obama’s not a threat to America. He’s not. He’s a United States Senator from the midwest. He was born in the United States. He’s a citizen. He wouldn’t be able to run otherwise. He’s not a muslim, not that that makes any amount of difference. Islam is not a religion of hatred. In fact, until the crusades, Muslims got along just fine with Christians and Jews. Muslims were more generous and tolerant of Jews than Christians were for a very long time. If someone is a Muslim, he or she is not automatically a terrorist. If someone is Arab, he or she is not automatically a terrorist. Besides, the nature of terrorism is that not only is it pointless to be afraid of potential terrorism, it is foolish. By definition, a terrorist is one who incites fear. If you fear a terrorist attack, you are literally fearing something meant to incite fear. If you react to a terrorist attack by being afraid, you are doing exactly what the terrorists expect, and you are therefore aiding the terrorist in achieving his or her goals. That, that, my friends, is more anti-American and loathful than not wearing an Old Glory tack pin on your lapel or having an Arabic middle name (the Historical Hussein, by the way, was a badass. Hussein meant business. You didn’t fuck with Hussein. In America, we hear the name “Hussein” and think “Sadam.” That’s like hearing the name “Adolph” and assuming that person is a Nazi. It’s ridiculous.).
So, call me un-American. Call me a terrorist. Call me whatever you want, I refuse to make my voting decisions based on my emotions. I’m voting based on the issues, regardless of race, regardless of party, and regardless of how well or badly somebody speaks. I’m voting for who I think will truly put America and her citizens first. I’m voting because I’m a patriotic American citizen.
