Fear

Many years ago I recall a discussion in a high school classroom with a friend about the controls that one is subjected to in society. To me the paramount factor was fear. The fear of loss is ingrained in one’s personality as one expects from birth such elements of life as warmth and comfort which includes food and being taken care of which later translates into love.

Later, the need for comfort is affected by the feeling of pain. A child learns early that discomfort and pain are not nice and will cry to have these taken care of by a protector or a guardian. The mother is the key person to provide those basic necessities to the infant. Later other humans assist and a feeling of trust is developed.

Fear of discipline comes early at home and later outside the home, and in particular within organizations within which the child participates. These external authorities to the home are increased and intensified through the school years.

There is the fear of being criticized before ones peers, the fear of being punished for improper activities which would include not doing whatever was expected by the school’s authorities. Then, the fear of the police which can be intensified through comic books, stories, film, TV and sometimes through actual contact.

Fear of failure has caused many individuals to avoid participating in activities for example, some students early in their schooling were unwilling to read in school before others as they were subjected to ridicule. Some were actually traumatized. A few teachers even frightened some students to the point of they would lose control of their feeling and understanding of what was going on. Some would actually faint. These early fears would cause blockages in the individual’s development. In fact, some Americans are illiterate as a result of these early schooling experiences.

After schooling came employment. For some individuals finding that first job and keeping that job was difficult. Then the fear of survival in the workplace developed. The need for money was there. The fear of not having enough money for survival became a controlling factor.

Then, the ever present state would dominate the person’s existence. The welfare system, the judicial system, the religious system and other systems all served to control the individual. To break any rules and regulations could result in punishment. Fear of potential punishment had a strong controlling influence on the individual.

My conclusion at that time was that we were all controlled by fear. We were all influenced by war and fighting the enemy. At home we had air raid practices and air raid shelters for there was a fear of an enemy attack using aircraft. Later missiles were included and national defense was strongly oriented towards protection from these potential intrusions.

Now, additional legislation for the protection of our way of living has been introduced; we have different measures of “security." North America needs to be protected not just from any external attack but from the internal. Now, not only is there the fear of some nation doing something to jeopardize our peace and security, we are faced with the possibility of some groups or individuals doing something that would cause physical harm to our society.

We can’t get away from these fears. What is most disturbing is the reduction of freedoms that we have. Big brother is ever watching. Incarceration now is possible if one is suspect, with the withholding of former legal entitlements for contact with the “outside." We do not even know what all of these are. Some organizations are questioning these new laws, their interpretation and their execution.

There is a lingering fear of the American military and other agencies of government that have unquestioned power and control. Homeland security covers so much that our older freedoms are in jeopardy.

We have lived in fear, and fears are increasing. How will American society adapt to these new fears?