I Am Not Scared

[McCamy Taylor]

This morning, the woman at whose house I was staying woke me with the news that terrorists had been arrested for plotting to blow up chemical bombs on airline planes. "Aren't you scared?" she asked in a panic. My first, honest response was "No." I turned on the TV and learned a little bit more, and I was even less afraid. After reading some more on-line I discovered that these muslims in London had been under police observation for almost 8 months, but the authorities chose to label them an immediate danger now. Now, just as Tony Blair is facing the biggest political crisis of his career. Now, as the Republican Congress faces near certain defeat this fall. Now, when Joe Lieberman's primary loss has signalled to the Democratic Party the direction the the American people want it to go.

I am disgusted that our administration copies strategies straight out of Hitler's how-to book, "Mein Kemp". I am bemused that they attempted this exercise in scripted terrorism fantasy just days after the video/dvd release of the movie version of Alan Moore's "V for Vendetta." I am saddened that my friends who do not have time to follow the news as I do still get frightened whenever law enforcement officials here and in Great Britain pull a rabbit out of a hat and call it a Muslim Terrorist Rabbit. But I am not scared.


Think about what fear does to people. It makes them weak. It paralyzes them. It clouds their judgement. Sometimes it makes them act out violently in misguided self defense that ends up doing more harm than good--lynch mob mentality. Why would any political leader want his or her citizens to be weak? Bill Clinton thwarted a major millenium terrorist plot quietly, without a lot of fuss. He got us through Waco, too, and the first World Trade Center bombing with our sanity intact and our safety pretty well intact, too. We were strong. We were not afraid.

Now we have these failed businessmen from Texas who issue terror warnings whenever their polls number get low or they need a political distraction. And they do not limit their fear mongering to us. Bush-Cheney have taken their act on the road, invading other countries (Afghanistan, Iraq), attempting to topple the government of other countries (Venezuela, Iran), applauding the bombing and destruction of other countries (Lebanon) and supporting dictators who act for all the world like terrorists towards their own people (too many to list). It is no wonder that world terrorist activity is up. The terrorists are scared too. Convinced that the US could launch a nuclear armegeddon at any moment (Bush publically announded his desire to use nukes against Iran), these guys probably think they have nothing to lose.

Here is an exercise. Go back in time to 1930. Select one :

A. "The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders . . . All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism."

-HERMANN GOERING

B. "This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

-FDR 1st Inauguration Address

Wow. If asked to choose, I guess I would have to go with plan B. Anyone who opts for Plan A may think that they are getting a bargain, but the supporters they have gathered will be weak willed and full of fear. When their leaders fall, they will quickly desert and denounce them. Their military is going to be overextended fighting endless wars. Their economy will be bankrupt from military expenditures.

Fear is a registered trade mark of the RNC.

I am not scared.

:hi: