The Afraid Brigade
Recently I attended a graduation commencement for Eastern Washington University at the Spokane Arena. One of my dear family members presevered through all manner of adversity to get her Bachelor's degree, and I was super elated to be there to celebrate her special moment.
However, as we arrived at the arena, I noticed something. A feature of our existence that has been growing like a metastasizing tumor, especially over the last couple decades.
The spirit of fear rules our behavior.
Or at least it appears so.
As soon as we exited the car, people of authority began telling us what we had to do. Where to line up, what we could and couldn't do, if you had a purse it had to be see through, and heaven help you if you dared to possess a pocket knife. It felt as if we were livestock and we couldn't be trusted to make rational, voluntary decisions.
I don't need the State to tell me to how to conduct myself. I am a fully free individual, completely and willingly responsible for my choices, and it just bristled my guard hairs more than a touch to be surrounded by so many passive souls.
Souls who have ceded so much of their autonomy in the name of fear.
Being scared is a state that we all experience. It's 100% okay to be scared. It's horrible to be (and stay afraid).
I have spent far too much of my life afraid. Afraid that I will get in trouble. Afraid that I will cause harm. Afraid of what will happen if I act.
Fear was my master.
Here lately though, I have found myself murmuring Be not afraid every time I examine my state and acknowledge that I am letting fear rule my choices, my state of being.
For as Florence Nightingale once said when being faced with the But it's impossible brigade, "But it must be done."
The beautiful, wonderful people in my country have embraced a culture of fear. We let the State bleed away our freedom in the name of safety. We act as if we don't have the capacity to be together in groups without being told what to do by someone of authority. We have isolated ourselves into echo chamber tribal groups as a means to insulate us from scary people, and worst of all, at least to me, we are letting fear, being afraid, keep us from acting.
I have neglected my calling and purpose for far too long because I was afraid. No more will I languish under Fear's paralyzing chains.
You don't need permission to act. Do it anyway.
Pocket knives? I know they watch for that at Fairchild AFB air shows, but a graduation?
I may or may not habitually disregard "laws" regarding what I can carry.
We all went through metal detectors and TSA Lite ™️ security to get in the door. I vacillated between mirthful amused curiosity and annoyed rural heathen while in attendance.
I would leave. I can't stomach complying with police state intrusion and infantilizing "for your protection" nonsense. They are doing to our travel and gatherings what the neo-Puritans are doing to our libraries.
I too am getting rather fatigued of the “I’m here to save you” and “It’s for your own (or the greater) good” brigade.
Alas ... our so-called institution of higher education have become institution of social engineering and smaller senses of self. It is troubling. You know how I love learning and my time at UNI was some of the best times of my life, but I am not sure I want Minime attending. Like our states, we will also have to rebuilt our schools. The autodidacts are fortunate.
The college president spoke of “unity” quite frequently in her speech. Much of that so-called unity seems to be born of coercion rather than voluntary reasoned choice.
My eldest heads to Uni in two months, even though our state is not quite as poisoned as others, there’s still a lot of poison in the educrat-ran well, but I have hope that all our kids will shine brightly through all that😊
There are some strong young out there; may they call the emperor on his bare ass. LOL
Behold! The moon!! 😆
Haha
I found Waldo! Just like I said, there's always one looking at the camera 😄
The fear will only increase because countries are growing in size, so there's more room for mayhem. In my recent post about the Italian festival, I didn't mention the large trucks that had been placed strategically at the entrances to act as barriers. This was unthinkable just a decade or so ago, but now it's common. Large barriers are placed to prevent nutjobs from hurting people. But as you also suggest, there are those who will take advantage of our insecurities to take away our liberties and push their social engineering agendas. Interesting times we live in.
You are so right! 😆 (That particular one was staring at me every time I looked that way lol lol!)
I understand the response to some degree because there are so many people behaving badly, it just makes me sad and more than a bit annoyed. I remember when I could go with my dad to the airport, walk right up to the plane door without going through a lick of security, and hug him goodbye/hang out til he boarded, etc. I've always hated being punished or inconvenienced for other's ill behavior though, so I am probably more than a bit touchy about it. And nostalgic.
You are so right twice, it truly is interesting times that we live in.
At least the lens looker at'ers remain the same 😁
I live downtown, and the stuff I see would make you raise an eyebrow or two. It's wild being in the social frontier. Hopefully the problems can be concentrated and not expanded, but looking at the way Seattle and Portland have gone, I'm not so sure how long we can hold out. There is plenty of good here, so we still have chance so long as we do the right thing and properly manage our city. Rant over :)
I do wonder how many times I've looked at someone's camera as they took a shot. hah. Next time, I'll look over my shoulder and go full duck-face.
It really is getting annoying out there. You can't take a purse into a baseball game or a Broadway show unless it is see-through or some miniscule size. And despite all the rules and regulations, people determined to wreak havoc find a way to do it.
You said it most succinctly. Sometimes I wish there was a community I could dwell in that was full of people who didn't need to be nannied, but I am probably just waxing poetic because I am tired and cranky right now lol!
Thank you too!!!!