The Politics of Fear

       

          There’s not enough space in a blog to properly comment on Ken Burns' (PBS) series on the Roosevelts, so may I just say, it moved me. Not sure which moved me more actually, Ken Burns remarkable talents or FDRs amazing life and story, but suffice it to say I have been thinking a lot about this man ever since.

            No doubt we all remember that famous line, spoken at his first inaugural, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression…our nation at her lowest.  We memorized it in grade school; we're well familiar with the footage. I was poised and waiting to hear it in the context of the story that held my grip and --there it was: 

                      “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself…” 

( Sadly, this clip of historic brilliance was followed by some critic who basically called the line a throw away, saying it made no sense...that it wasn’t that great a line, etc, and I’m thinking “I’m sorry. What was your name again?”)

            In truth, it was a line great then; and it is a needed line today. Not only was the line great, the entire speech was great. It was hopeful, it was uplifting. It was downright spiritual, embodying a  leadership sorely lacking today.

To be clear, this is not a commentary on Democrats vs Republicans, for here of late I'm finding most people draw their lines less between Rs and Ds, more between “us” vs. “them”. Still the observation hits home more than ever as I watch newscast after fearful newscast ranging from ISIS threats to Ebola outbreaks and with every other usual fear still packed in between. (Typical for this time of year being  flu season’s upon us, artic blasts returning and a stock market way over inflated...backed by nothing but our belief that we can keep stretching it.)

It may make for heavy turnouts come November elections, but that is not because we are for anything, but because Americans are notorious for getting out the vote when there’s something (or someone) to be against. So add to this mix the mud-slinging ads, the latest antidepressant ads and everything else that silently poisons our minds into thinking there is precious little (if any) hope and you start to understand why the America is losing her sleep as well as her dream.

While it is clear why FDR’s quote is so memorable, what we tend to forget are the words that came after...Words not just spoken, but lived up to. FDR did restore hope and he did show great leadership by helping Americans regain faith in themselves as the only hope for our future. In the rest of his speech are some of the most inspirational words ever uttered by a president (or a preacher or a philosopher for that matter)...I personally long for a leader who would dare remind of us this today:

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of the creative effort… These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto, but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.”

No Pain Like Betrayal (On Unwanted Emotions)

            Not to be all glass half empty, but not everyday comes with glee. There are disappointments …fears…sadnesses. Face it, life is hard. Here of late seems everywhere I turn someone is going through something major, which makes me wonder just what’s about to happen. I feel like those elephants before the tsunami…You know, the ones that headed inland about a week before it hit, guided by something inside that kept them alive...?

Fortunately (or maybe not) we Americans are a blues-dodgin’ bunch. You gotta admit, we have more ways to avoid our feelings than Carter’s got little liver pills.  One glimpse of the evening news will catch you up on the latest anti-depressants (like we don’t need these just to watch the evening news). Alcohol consumption is on the rise. Clearly pot use is hot and happening.

If altering chemicals is not your thing, there are mental tricks to help you avoid those less than fun emotions. We can zombie out in front of the TV, watching shows so mindless they have to nudge us to laugh…or shows so traumatic we come away feeling better by comparison. Then there’s the good ol internet. We can catch up, stalk or scroll the night away, losing hours on end for having electronically reached out, in poor substitution for what real life relationships bring.

And if acting out to avoid your woes is your preference, why you can shop your way through them, eat your way around them…grab a movie and remove yourself from reality entirely for a couple of hours, only to find when you snap back, well, there you are again. Whatever you hoped to avoid is waiting right there for you…just like you left it. Only now you’re a tad bit broker if not a tad bit guiltier for having thought you could dodge the problem in the first place.

Far be it from me to psychologize, but anymore I’m beginning to wonder if we aren’t damaging ourselves with all these avoidance techniques. Sure, who doesn’t want to be happy, happy, happy all the time, but is this realistic? Isn’t the proper response to a hurt or a betrayal supposed to be pain? It’s not like God just gave us one mood to be in, so why do we Americans work so hard to stick with this one mood all the time?

I liken feelings to colors ~ sure we all love cheery yellows and bright reds, but how flat would life’s masterpieces be if there were no darker hues to deepen the effect?

I’ve got a friend who likens feelings to house guests. He says they’re supposed to come, then leave…that our true being lies beneath these moods, that we are merely the host…the observer. Some guests we like better than others so we let them stay longer. Others are not so fun, but even when dealing with one we don’t like, give it time. It will pass.

But as a people…as a country, have we messed with our feelings so much, that we forgot what they’re here for? Thanks to Hollywood have we bought the lie... drunk the Kool-aid? We’ve convinced ourselves that up and perky and happy is the only mood worth having and all the others need to exit stage left, and if they don’t exit on their own, well, we can run ‘em off with any of the afore mentioned techniques. Since happy’s the only one worth keeping, we panic when an unfamiliar one creeps in. We live in mortal fear it’s going to stay too long, so we race for that drink, that drug, that mindless activity to chase it away rather than processing the gift that guest was here to bring.

I’m as guilty as the next person for being rude to these unwanted house guests. No one loves the sadness that comes with betrayal or the emptiness that comes from loss. But as we age…as we start losing those we love….as we get wiser to the fact that yes, life can be hard and yes, people will let you down, perhaps the proper response to those less than desirable feelings is to invite them in…sit with them a spell. Do what country folk do when new neighbors move in. . . get to know them.

I don't know. Just a thought...