Everyone has fears that they have developed over the course of their lifetime. Our fears determine our behaviour and contribute to us being who we are.
As a self-confessed control freak, I have a fear of losing control of my environment and future. I detest unnecessary obstacles that might hinder my ultimate goal. I get pretty anxious when I feel that sense of control being compromised.
That is an example of a normal self-imposed fear. Some people are afraid of failure, some of success. Some have a fear of poverty, some a fear of being alone, some a fear of being disliked, or loved or a fear of not being loved. The list goes on.
I would call all of these pretty normal fears that we can choose to deal with or not, depending on whether or not we want to change or lives to any extent.
The nasty fears are those imposed on us by others. By our employers, our religions, family members, or Governments.
Since 9/11 and thanks to Tony Blair and George Bush we have allowed ourselves to be controlled by fear. I think here in Canada we have a healthier perspective of what is going on, only because we haven't been a direct target of Al-Queda or whatever other Boogie Men are thought to be out there.
Airports are being shut down because of the smallest breach of a security policy. Racial Profiling is now an accepted practise, billions of dollars that would serve many other more worthy projects are being directed towards more Security.
Governments now have what they consider to be a valid reason to spy on their citizens.
Arrests are being made without charges or without bail applications. Civil rights, that have taken thousands of years to establish, are being destroyed within one generation.
But that's not the scary part. The shocking aspect of all of this is that we are happily allowing this to happen. In almost every poll inquiring about this subject, the majority of citizens are willing to give up their freedoms for the sake of what they perceive as Security.
Almost 4000 people died at the World Trade Centre attack. In 2005 42,636 people died in automobile accidents in the US, that's in one year!
So why isn't there a widespread movement to ban cars or limit their speed to 15 mph?
I remember when I lived in the east and we would see New Hampshire licence plates, it caught my attention because their motto at the time was " Live Free or Die". I thought that was a bit extreme but whatever.
Apparently that's not the case anymore.
As Frank D. Roosevelt said: "The Only Thing We Have To Fear is Fear Itself"
