Are you scared? Me? Nope. Not scared at all. I'd say, however, that since 9/11 most Americans are obsessed with fear - the fear of being killed in a terrorist attack. If this is true, then the terrorists have won. They don't have to kill any more of us than they already have. We're killing ourselves obsessing over the "idea" of another attack. And our government has played a huge part in this because they WANT us afraid. Scared people are sheep, easily herded.
Why? Why are Americans so afraid of dying in a terrorist attack? Americans, unlike most people in the world, have a huge oxymoron playing out in their lives. The love of violence almost always enhances the fear of death. And I can't think of anything Americans hate to deal with more than the thought of dying.
We watch so many people die on TV every day that one would think that the thought of ending life wouldn't be much of a big deal. Sometimes that's entirely true. Mass murderers, psychopaths, they all think nothing of taking life (including their own in most cases). But those are sickness. Psychological quirks. For most of us, watching all that violence simply plays to our fear of violence. As Bush would say, better to have it over there than over here. Better it on TV than in my community. Of course nervousness sets in when you read the morning paper and realize that all the violence isn't on TV - it's in my hometown too.
THAT's the fear that grips us. The fear that one day we'll be riding the L (I know, I know, Phoenix doesn't have a mass transit system. We're building one though soon.) and some dark skinned man with a backpack and eyes wide with hate starts running up and down the center aisle shouting indiscernible religious oaths until BANG. It's over.
So now every time we go into McDonalds, we're looking, seeking, watching for that madman who's only desire in life is our death. We know eventually he's going to show up. That's why we're willing to give away our freedoms to a repressive government to the tune that they can search our homes without us even knowing it. That's okay, as long as they protect us from terrorists.
So why am I not afraid of this? Mayhaps it's because the chance of it happening at MY McDonalds is about the same as the chance I have of winning the lottery. But Marcia, you say, people win the lottery every week. True, but I don't. Chances are extremely good I never will. And if the madman DOES appear beside me on the Phoenix transit system someday in the future, well, it's a good day to die, cause there is NOTHING anyone can do to stop it. Reality 101 people. It's not to be feared, it's to be accepted.
I know a bit about living under the possibly that today might be my last. I'm a stroke survivor. Another one could hit me anytime. The big one. So do I live my life everyday in fear of that happening? Hell no. The Bible says, "Time and chance befall us all." Do you know what that means? Shit happens, baby. One of them things. And if it happens to me today, well, it's a good day to die. At least I haven't been living in constant fear of it.
Then there's that other American obsession - belief in beating the odds. For proof to bear this out, look at the money spent playing the lotto every week. Three times a week. Then there are the casinos, horse tracks, off track betting, sports book parlors, on-line bookkeepers, illegal bookies, and a host of other ways to throw money away in a vane attempt to beat the odds. You may be the lucky one in a million after all. And why not? Better to be rich when the whacko terrorists explodes beside you than poor, no?
Americans love to believe they can beat the odds. They pay millions of dollars every week to TV evangelists in an effort to get to heaven, even though God only saved 8 people the last time he destroyed the world. But ask the guy on the street if he's heading to the city whose streets are paved with gold when he dies, why yessireebob. No doubt about it.
Or how about reelecting the same politicians over and over again even though they take all our tax dollars and after funneling them into the wallets of Fat Cats, they produce another 200,000 minimum wage jobs and we cheer about the great job they're doing. Talk about beating the odds!!
So yeah - let's spend billions of dollars to offset the chance that a terrorist might someday, oneday, blow up a bus in your community. We can protect the skyscrapers. We can protect our nuclear plants. But it's pretty hard to protect one damn bus somewhere, somehow. Let's give up our hard fought freedoms. Let's put cameras up everyone's butts so we can see what's going on behind us. Let's allow our fear of death to totally rule our lives - which is exactly what the terrorists are trying to do. And they don't even have to blow themselves up to accomplish it.
When was the last death caused by terrorists in America? 2001? Did we know it was coming? Yes. Did we do anything to stop it? No. Will we know it's coming if it happens again? Yes. Will we be able to stop it? No.
But Marcia, you say, what if they hit us with a dirty bomb? Or nerve gas? Or, or some kind of disease spreading spray? Or reruns of reality TV shows 24/7??
Hey, doesn't King George tell you there's nothing to worry about? He's sending your children off to die and be maimed in Iraq. Better there than here, no? He's funneling billions of dollars into Fat Cat corporations all across America to keep you safe. He's checking your library cards, searching your home, gathering more information on you than even you are aware of - all to keep you safe.
And if you see the flash oneday, bend over; grab your ankles; and kiss your butt good-by. It's a good day to die.
