Cowardice writ large

Why do we as a nation accept events like the Iraq war and possible conflict with Iran as necessary while sadly shaking our heads at events like the conflict in Darfur and other areas of Africa and accepting them as just the way life goes? Why do we shudder in horror at the prospect of paying $5 a gallon for gas while gladly paying $12 a gallon for water--a necessity of life that runs freely from our tap. Why are people so willing to believe any nonsense they hear about Obama and Muslims without finding out facts?

Fear.

Fear of what will happen when things change. Fear of the unknown. And I don't mean the good change; the change that is sold to us by professional marketers. Like the fact that all of our TVs are going to be obsolete in another 8 months. That kind of change is good--it's progress. It's something that will benefit powerful people and so they have a vested interest in making people excited for the change. But if you think that your life is going to be improved in any way because we all have to have a digital converter box for our TVs, well, enjoy your water.

Home of the Brave? Nope. We as a society have lost our collective faith in our ability to innovate, adapt, survive. And it is clear why. We are bombarded with messages everyday that tell us to be afraid of everything from the environment and our food, to lite-brite signs on the Boston highways and lipsticks on airline flights. We have become a nation of cowards, crippled at the prospect of having to face a life where our saftey is not guarenteed. And if our notion of security is not met 100%, then it cannot be the result of an accident--a series of events which result in an outcome beyond anyone's control--someone must be to blame.

We are afriad of changing the way we live to account for new information, new technologies, new paradigms.

If this fear only affected our personal lives that would merely be sad; it is unfortunate that the best of life is not yet to come but instead the future holds a fightening uncertainty. But this cowardice becomes sinful when it causes us to work and fight to preserve "foolish consistencies" at the expense of others.

Which is not to suggest that all change is good. Over the last 50 years we have exposed the world to a slew of manmade chemicals which are destroying us. We could not understand the consequences of our actions then, given the information we had. But at the same time, we need to stop living in fear. Ask yourself why you feel a thing is right or wrong and check to see that your reasons a grounded in fact, logic, reality.

And then, be brave.

When presented with a choice that may mean you will have to take a risk where the possible outcome might benefit a greater number of people, be brave. Be brave and make the right choice, whatever that is, because it is the right choice

When it comes time to vote for Universal Healthcare; be brave.
When it comes time to vote for energy policy that will mean smaller cars; be brave.
When it comes time to vote for tax policy that will ask those with more to do more (and don't bother with the beer analogy--it doesn't work); be brave.
And, when it comes time to vote for a person--man or woman--with different skin tone, who may have a unique name, who may have a different cultural background, who may even practice a different religion; be brave and make your choice the right one, not just the safe one.