Boo!

So I am watching this cable news show this morning (the one with the host who allegedly lost an intern under very Chappaquiddick like circumstances) and they were going on and on about

how America has become afraid of Isis and terrorism.

 Make no mistake, the press has been complicit in spreading this narrative, because nothing says money like ratings, and nothing says ratings like sensationalized news stories that make us fearful.  

Of course the aforementioned host was blaming the president. "He is too cool. Americans want action, they want true leadership." Harold Ford, still upset that he didn't become Obama before Obama came along, actually said that we should bring back the NSA surveillance program that spied on American citizens. And the beat goes on. Some folks want to bring back torture, some want boots on the ground, and some, like a certain presidential candidate, would ban those of the Muslim faith from our country all together.

This fear, of course, is reflected in all the latest polls, and in the behavior of Americans who are rushing to gun shops in droves.  Donald trump would like to thank you all, because without your fear and panic he would not be leading the field of republican presidential candidates. I mean just look at him, if anyone can stare down those evil Isis dudes in black, it's Donald.

All of this fear and angst is nothing new to black folks in certain parts of America. I guarantee you that the last thing some poor mother in the hood is thinking about is Isis blowing up her neighborhood while she is waiting in line at the grocery store. Real terror for these poor folks is not having enough money to buy food, or getting put out on the street with their child because they can't afford to pay the rent. At that moment their landlord is Isis.

Sadly, terror is nothing new to us; we live  with terror every day. We worry about getting shot by the police, getting shot by some young buck who thinks that life is a rap video, and just being beaten down every day by the terror that is institutional racism.

"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."

~Bertrand Russell~

Well then there are a lot of folks running around who are just not very wise.

*Pic from Wikimedia.org