November 24, 2015 by David K. Sutton
Conservatives Sow A Special Kind Of Fear
Liberal or conservative, rich or poor, black or white, religious or not, all people have irrational fears, but it is the conservative who sows the most special kind of fear.
Some people have an aberrant fear of spiders, while others might have an unreasonable reaction to clowns. Maybe we all fear death, but some of us might fear it just a bit too much.
But, it is conservatives who have an incoherent, sometimes delirious reaction to the “other” in society. And in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, it is the “other” who becomes the subject of dubious logic and fallacious accusations, as we’ve seen with the conservative reaction to innocent Syrian refugees.
And that’s because there is no better nurturer of the seed of fear than a frightened conservative. They will care for that seed, water it, fertilize it, maybe even love it. They will be there when it sprouts, stay by its side as it flourishes. They will raise it, shape it, tend to it, until it becomes the embodiment of what they most hate, having grown to become an invasive full-size fear tree, offering no resemblance to the seed from which it came.
Photo by Pacheco via Flickr
It is only after the fear tree firmly establishes roots where otherwise rational people can justify discrimination, oppression, even brutality in a forsaken endeavor to quell the anxiety. But, it is now too late, as the crusade to prune the unruly branches leads only to further despair, allowing continued and escalated rationalization of savage and callous tactics once thought impossible.
But, the fear tree has a weakness. It requires immense resources to thrive. Only a canopy of reasonable and logical thought is capable of depriving the fear tree of suspicion, angst, and panic, the nutrients so vital to its survival.
Eradication of the fear tree is possible, but it requires the calmness that comes from a level head, offering room for things like contemplation, consideration and sound judgment. And yes, a little sunlight wouldn’t hurt.
Intolerance • News • Politics