Are you living in fear?

Today, on The Russ Parr Morning Show, the people poll question was about living in fear. A woman had called in last week on the show and stated that she is afraid of black people. She basically stated that she clutches her purse whenever she is in the presence of them or locks her car doors if she pulls up next to a black male. This was the basis for the people poll discussion. So I am asking you, my readers, are you living in fear?

This, in my opinion, isn’t a black, white, or blue race issue. This is an American citizen issue. Many people today are living in fear? Why is this? I have to be honest. I live in a neighborhood close to a college campus. I am sometimes nervous when I am walking around the neighborhood at night. There have been reports of break ins and assaults in my neighborhood, so I try to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I have never had anything strange or seen anything strange in my neighborhood, but there is something in the back of my head that says you have to be ready just in case. I really don’t have any reason to be fearful. I wouldn’t live in my neighborhood if I didn’t think it was safe. So why am I living in fear then?

I watch The View everyday when I get home from work and they have talked about living in fear a couple of times. The outspoken liberal co-host Rosie O’Donnell feels like the Bush administration has been polarizing the American people with the fear of terrorism and that’s one of the reasons she feels that we are living in fear. She feels that it isn’t healthy for us to live in fear and that we should live our lives to the fullest and quit worrying about terrorism. On the other end, conservative co-host Elisabeth Hasselback says that its okay for us to live in fear because it keeps us, basically, on guard and ready for any attacks that could possibly happen in the future. Hasselback doesn’t mind if some of our civil liberties get taken away in order to be safe.

Well here’s my opinion on the subject. I hate living in fear and I have to agree with Rosie O’Donnell.(I bet that is a surprise!) We need to quit living in fear and live our lives. We can keep worrying about whether or not we are going to be attacked. Life is too short to focus on the small things. With that said, I am disappointed in myself that I have been living in fear myself. I think I can be aware of my surrounding and not focus so much on if someone is going to jump out the bushes and attack me. I’m not saying that I won’t be aware of my surrounding. I will, but I’m not going to let it consume me when I am walking around the neighborhood.

Americans need to stop living in fear! The Bush administration has definitely added to this. They have continually drilled in our head that the country is on code red or orange alert, but yet nothing has happened. Supposedly, terrorism is on the rise. According to a report released a couple of months ago, terrorism has increased by 25%. Why are we being fed all this? How long are these scare tactics going to take place? The Bush administration and Republicans are preaching fear to the American people because they feel like they think they are going to get political gain out of it.

Also, if you watch the news, all you see is crime. From robberies to murders, we are continually being fed that we live in a scary society. It’s like all that goes on in America crime. I doubt this is the case. We need to see more positive things on the news. That’s why I just read the newspaper, because I can pick and choose what I want to read about. Somebody needs to do an all positive news broadcast everyday. It would be nice to come home and just be able to sit back and hear about the wonderful things that are going on in America. There aren’t just negative things happening in our society. There is good in America and your neighborhood, so the news needs to quit feeding us the negative stuff.

Quit living in fear!!! I am America’s Nightmare…