Below is a piece I had published today in the
Lawrence Journal World. The italicized lines were edited out of the print edition.
Since 9/11, I have seen the explosion of fear spread across the United States. I have seen fear permeate all aspects of America. Fear now dominates our way of life.
I have seen college students afraid of protesting for fear of their names being added to terrorist watch lists. I have seen college professors targeted as aiding the enemy by people fearful of their students learning about anything that may challenge the status quo.
I have seen a Republican majority in both houses of Congress label dissent "un-American" for fear of having to engage in open debate about the War on Terror. I have seen Democratic minorities in both houses of Congress neglect to provide their Constitutional duty to check and balance the majority for fear of being called "unpatriotic." I have seen the President of the United States taunt terrorists to "bring it on" for fear of appearing weak.
I have seen most major media outlets fail to ask simple, important questions for fear of losing their access to politicians, who then become unaccountable to their constituents.
I have seen Jews fear for Israel, Christians fear for Jesus and Muslims fear for Allah, all afraid that someone else is trying to destroy their ways of life.
This fear has thus far translated into the inability of the two major political parties to agree on anything. This fear has translated into the inability of the strongest, most well funded military in world history to capture Osama bin Laden. This fear has translated into a warrantless wiretapping program, declared illegal by a federal court and defended only by the invocation of a "state secrets" privilege. This fear has translated into a $7 trillion national deficit, built in part by fighting an unsuccessful war. This fear has led to a desire to build a wall along the Mexican border and forbids deodorant to be brought on airplanes. This fear has led our President to proclaim that he has a plan to win the war in Iraq but also that the next President will have to make the decision to bring the troops home.
The last time fear like this ransacked America was during the Cold War. But long after the Soviet Union fell and democracy proclaimed victory, communist Cuba remains 90 miles off the coast of Florida. How did democracy win if communism remains? Democracy won when Americans overcame their irrational fears.
Fear is a tool of political convenience. It is the last resort of desperate politicians who have the same questions about how to ensure the safety and security of the country as everybody else. Fear prevents the asking of these questions and permits the answers to remain secret, under the guise of national security. Fear inhibits transparency in government. Instead of opening dialogues with people of all viewpoints, the cornerstone of any democracy, fear permits a powerful minority to silence debate among an overwhelming majority.