History is nothing if not a great teacher. It was former president Franklin D. Roosevelt, during his first inaugural address and entering office three years deep into the Great Depression who provided an unparalleled way to address fear during turbulent times. Delivered ninety years ago, it feels remarkably applicable today as well.
“This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
And yet, here in this nation — another day, another mass shooting. Another day of fear.
Another day, another demand from the people for gun reform and another day where our voices are dismissed.
Another day, another claim by one group to be the party of responsibility — of law and order. Another day when those claims are nothing less than spit in the faces of those who have lost loved ones to the ungodly gun violence that plagues this nation.
Another day, more finger-pointing and blame-shifting for the lack of true bipartisanship and problem-solving.
Almost two-thirds of this nation — both Republicans and Democrats — have called for bans on assault weapons, and without fail, we are dismissed. And our loved ones continue to be slaughtered. A government of the people, by the people and for the people divided and conquered by our own elected officials.
And that is fully on the American people.
All of us.
For allowing ourselves to fall prey to the politics of fear. For deliberately swallowing a daily dose of fear-mongering rhetoric instead of demanding solutions. We allow our elected officials and face-less voices on social media to divide us on every topic imaginable using fear. That paralyzing fear has us fully retreated from believing we can work together for the common good and require sane legislation from our elected officials.
The majority want gun reform and a ban on assault weapons. Rather than allowing fear to defeat us, could we not use the one thing politicians are truly afraid of to save our society — a fully united people with a deaf ear to useless fear-mongering?
