The psychology of fear

[PurgedVoter]

Imagine this, you wake up, your clothing is ready for you. It fits, it is neat, it is pressed, and you have spares kept for you in case of any odd event. If you have an issue, you just mention it. It gets fixed. Your breakfast is ready, and so is your paper. People seriously listen to you, and your advisers are careful how they disagree with you. A normal day for a candidate. You do have several strong pressures on you.

You really have to be careful what you say, or how you enjoy yourself. You don't have a moment to scratch yourself. Last time you scratched your face, Fox was all over you. You have to talk smoothly and easily even though every word will be dissected endlessly.

There is however someone that will argue with you. Someone that will tell you what to do. That person has a gun, and he is your guard. These guards become very visible to you after a while. You see them in the crowd, They change their dress, sneak in with the photographers, move in toward suspicious people, or even people with babies reaching into their bag for a bottle. They tell you when it is safe for you to move. They get there before you get there. They leave after you leave. As you watch, and as you duck when they say duck, you begin to enter into their world.

In their world, anyone can be a killer. You just hope you spot them in time. In their world, if you don't have your gun ready at the right moment, if you didn't tackle the right man, you failed. These folk are your authorities, and they are trained to violate the civil liberties of every press agent, protester, and person in a bulky coat. Lots of large bags out there. Lots of stalkers, thank goodness you have guards.

You learn to negotiate with them, they would keep you in a concrete bunker if they had their way. If you are aware of civil right history, and you probably are, then you also fear they might not be on your side. This give you a lot of extra reasons to be paranoid.

With all the extra pressures, and all the fear present, it become easy to begin to identify with you captors. Sorry, I meant to say security guards, it just feels like that some times. Not really a healthy environment. Not only do you have the danger that the Sword of Damocles represented, you have the actual sword, right there dangling by a string. Did you ever see where the guards were called away in the McGruder film?

Scary stuff this is. Terrorists are scary, but then the folk in the crowd are pretty scary, and ^$&^$&*@$, sorry did you just see that bald, tattoo covered, young man reach for something. Yea, it scared me too.

Maybe having someone listen to phone calls is not such a bad idea after all.

This is a psychological pressure that can really effect you in times of stress. I hope you can take a deep breath every now and then and remember your vision and your heart. It really matters.

[islandmkl]

1. are you saying, "You have to think to yourself that these people will either take a bullet for you..

or duck."??

It is a basic response that probably not one of us would possess...the ability to perform a job that BY ITS NATURE and DEFINITION involves our own injury or death as the fundamental outcome.

Preservation may have an over-riding psychological effect versus fear-motivated responses...which we require those Secret Service agents to ignore.

Sometimes it is hard for those of us who are to the left in this society to have faith that someone with the psychological makeup and discipline to 'take a bullet' would protect a 'liberal' or 'progressive' etc...this ignores what those people hold dear to themselves...

the safety and protection of their ward.

[PurgedVoter]

2. I think a lot of us possess the instinct to protect others.

When others are threatened there are always those that will risk themselves for others. I positively do not think that conservatives own that response either.

When a person takes the risk of offending their job, spending their time off and resources, to protest the war, that shows a serious commitment to protecting others and defending what is right. When a person puts chains on to save a tree, or stands beside their fellow workers in a line, they show a deep love for their fellow man. They show a willingness to nonviolently protest against the evils that conservatives propagate.

It does meet with the agenda of the owners of the conservative label to label liberals as weak. It does not take great strength to be conservative however. Great strength is shown by those who defend others at the cost of themselves. Young men often die bravely defending ideals and those that they love. These days, conservatives sadly can only see gray when it profits them to, and can never see the colors. Black and white thinking may work out ok for a foot soldier, but it really hurts when planning.

How sad that these young men, do not realize that the leader who preaches no negotiation, and says, "Bring it on." While cowering behind more and more guards, has nothing in common with the decency that drives them.

How sad that billions on defense, and not a care for these young mens later lives or current safety allows conservatives to steal from those young men's families, futures and fortunes.

My worry about the secret service, would be, who has been put in charge of it? Who is put in charge of protecting a liberal or progressive? Are they going to look at the personal files and choose the best protection for a Republican, or for someone who honestly represents the people of this nation? If Bush or Cheney had anything to do with the position, I really doubt they would tolerate a true patriot.