Saturday, October 31, 2009
In this fearful society.
We're all under suspicion these days. For being unstable. Or terrorists. Or perverts. We live in a society of fear. It's too bad. Didn't used to be that way. When I go to the airport, I am searched. Even have to take off my shoes for fear that a bomb might be concealed in the soles. My bags are x-rayed. I go through metal detectors. Even grandma walking with a cane is frisked. Can't be too safe. When trick or treaters go door to door on Halloween night, they more often than not are accompanied by parents. Just to play it safe. I'm under suspicion. Even on this blog. Sometimes, for being satirical. For joking. Joshing. Poking fun. Because, hey, maybe I'm serious. And I am. Sometimes. And sometimes not. But hey, we've gotta play it safe. You never know. I might be Jack the Ripper. I've lived my 74 years. Never been in trouble with the law. Maybe one or two misdemeanors. Speeding. Or an illegal left turn. But that's about it. I've served my country. In the army. Albeit, I've never seen battle action. Thank gawd. Really, I've been an upstanding citizen. Sure, I mouth off. Always have. As a newspaper reporter. A writer. I'm opinionated. And that puts me under suspicion. To be feared. To be watched. But it wouldn't matter even if I kept my big mouth shut. I'd be under suspicion for being silent. For looking sneaky. Or maybe looking like an Arab. Or because of slanty eyes. Yes, we can't be too safe. Too cautious. We Americans. Everybody is a suspect. You never know. It's even safe to check under our beds at night. Somebody may be hiding there. Waiting to do us harm. In this fearful society. --Jim Broede
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9 comments:
Good Lord. No reason to fear me. My life is an open book. If I did something wrong, it'd be chronicled. On the Internet. For everybody to read. I googled my name tonight. And came up with 7,610 items. About me. My gawd. Even I am surprised. I came across stuff I had published in 1962. With a picture of me when I was 26. Almost 50 years ago. I have no secrets any more. --Jim
If you google Jim Broede, you get results including those for JIM and for BROEDE. If you google "Jim Broede" you get 24.
If anyone who was intending to do harm wore a sign on their chest, stating the warning, we would have no fears. As it is, we don't even know our neighbors anymore.
Blame those that create the fear, not those that feel it.
A few minutes ago I googled "Jim Broede" and got 4,370 results. Then I googled Jim Broede minus the quotation marks and got 7,610 results. --Jim
I'm blaming fearful people for their fear. They have a choice. They don't have to be fearful. They choose to be fearful. They play into the hands of the terrorists. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Wasn't that President Roosevelt's famous quote? Probably just as true today as it was then. --Jim
We Americans have become scaredy cats. --Jim
Yes, we have become so scared that we have surrendered some of our basic freedoms. Almost as if some of us would rather be safe than free. --Jim
Broede's Broodings said...
"A few minutes ago I googled "Jim Broede" and got 4,370 results."
The first page has a glitch. Go to the second and third. There are 24 entries. Again, the 7,610 are not all about you. They are also about "Jims" and "Broedes". There are 24 about Jim Broede. 24. Count.
I see, that you choose to see an emotion in someone else, that would, in your mind, make them less or weaker than you. If not for the fear, we would not protect ourselves from those who would see us all murdered. I would rather slip off my shoes, than be seated next to an idiot with disaster in mind. I wonder why you think that any "feeling" other than your far-fetched happy-all-the-time atitude. Makes me believe that you cannot face reality, and cannot handle any other emotion, yourself. So, you pretend to be happy all the time. Good thing you are on your own, and you can afford to live this fantasy.
For all I know, you could be on a laptop in an asylum somewhere. For all I know, you may not even be "Jim Broede".
These people, who killed so many innocent American citizens, strap explosives to their OWN pregnant women, and send them off, to kill their OWN citizens. We should not fear this? We would be idiots to NOT fear them, and in the process, put measures in effect, that will offer some protection. WE are not "scaredy cats". If we had done nothing post 9/11, we would have already had many more mass killings by the terrorists. YES, terrorists. They are terrorists AND criminals.
I see this fear as more of a caution, not a negative, unrealistic phobia, as you seem to see it. But then, you are a negative thinker, no matter what you prefess. It shows in all of your writing. Think positive!
1. freedom of press
2. freedom of petition
3. freedom of religion
4. freedom of speech
5. assemble peaceably
I do not see where any of these have been given up.
I would rather be safe, than sorry.
You epitomize exactly what I'm talking about. Thank you for providing an example. --Jim
You are welcome, and so do you.
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