I find, as we have entered October, that I have felt scared on a daily basis. My personal fear meter is on high alert, and it has nothing to do with Halloween. While I’m sure the daily news on the financial crisis helps set the tone for my fear to build, much like good background music in a slasher movie, it is not the ultimate source.
Instead, I am afraid for our country, afraid of what is happening in the Presidential race. Afraid for what each new day will bring…. afraid of the hatred, distrust, stereotypes, innuendo, and what may result in the end from what I perceive is a building acceptance of xenophobia and racism.
Much has been made of Representative John Lewis’s comparison of the McCain/Palin campaign and George Wallace. Generally speaking, most people commenting on the comparison have generally tried to downplay the remarks. I will not do that – so you might prefer to stop reading here if you thought Lewis was way out of bounds.
On September 11, 2001 – our country suffered immeasurable loss at the hands of terrorists. Much like the bombing of Pearl Harbor or the Kennedy Assassination, 9/11/01 stands indelibly etched in the minds of nearly all citizens. We remember where we were, how we heard, who we called, what we feared, and how we mourned. From the dust on 9/11, we came together as Americans. Yet as we gathered ourselves and began to put one foot in front of the other, we clutched tight to an important memento -fear itself.
Partially encourage by a President who used the concept of fear to win his campaign four years later, partly attributable to necessarily increased security measures at transportation hubs and the color coded alert system, and partly due to human nature – we began to turn a wary eye on anyone different.
Foreigners, especially those “appearing to be” from the Middle East, were no longer tourists or visitors, but suspects. Even those citizens living among us who held different religious beliefs or cultural backgrounds were subject to our heightened fear and discrimination.
Post 9/11, the word “terrorist” is itself, a bomb. Applied to describe a potential suspect, and now Presidential candidate, it has the ability to explode in a way that pre-9/11 could never have happened.
The United States stands on a precipice today. Our nation is suffering from a nearly catastrophic financial crisis. We are at war. We have an abysmally rated leader. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring – financially or politically. Most citizens can relate to a feeling of tension, fear and worry for the future. We peer over the edge – and all we see is a foggy abyss, and all that we feel is fear and uncertainty.
Linking a Presidential candidate to terrorism in this environment is not only irresponsible, it is terribly dangerous. Shouts of “Off with his head!” ”Terrorist!” and ”Kill Him!” – are a direct result of the actions of the McCain campaign. McCain is certainly not Wallace, but the remarks being made by supporters, the party, and his running mate – attempting to distort the view of Obama and paint him as a ”terrorist” are certainly irresponsible, and absolutely dangerous.
I fear for our Muslim citizens. I fear for our African American citizens. Daily, we see some attempt to demonize these two groups. Implicit in the use of Obama’s middle name to link him to the Muslim faith is the idea that all Muslims are terrorists. Comments such as “it is no surprise” that Colin Powell endorsed Obama are an attempt to fan the flames of racism. I wonder what it feels like to walk the streets of the United States as a member of one of these minority groups today. To hear the hatred brewing just below the surface of public remarks by prominent candidates, and know that they are an attempt to demonize the group of people to which you belong… to link you, and those like you, to the events of 9/11 – or to suggest that you know only your color and judge all candidates along visual lines…. or that you are simply a product of an affirmative action age? I can only imagine that my own fear cannot compare to what others may legitimately feel.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and it’s just around the corner. Normally, I enjoy a good scare. But I’ve lost my appetite for the fun this year. I’m too scared to relax and enjoy it – we’ve got some real demons brewing in the hatred today – and I’m not sure they won’t come and gobble us all up.
