I’m old, seen a lot, moved 26 times while in the military but I have never lived in fear and still don’t. But I do believe tens of millions of Americans today are doing just that, living in fear.
Fear: An unpleasant emotion caused by a belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
To illustrate what I believe many Americans are living with today are a series of statements and thoughts that could be attributed to many of you out there.
I lived in (fill in the blank) for years and then moved to the suburbs. I was recently back in town and found myself fearful as I walked the streets.
There is so much hatred and violence in America, I find myself being very careful what I say in public. Violent revenge seems so commonplace today. I’m often afraid for my physical safety.
I’m tired of being unjustifiably lumped into a large category and falsely accused of being a racist. Like most Americans I have opinions on the subject of racism. But I find myself reluctant to speak up or speak out because I don’t want to:
- End up in a heated argument
- Lose a friend
- Be publicly castigated for having an opinion
- All of the above
I am a registered republican and will probably vote for President Trump in November but I will not put a Trump sign in my yard and live in fear that (fill in the blank). Drive around with a Trump bumper sticker? Are you kidding, and get keyed in the parking lot, or worse? No way!
I sounded off the other day on Facebook about (fill in the blank) and got so much negative reaction. I’m afraid it may come back to haunt me:
- In my current job
- For promotion consideration
- In future job interviews
- All of the above
I use to enjoy getting together with friends wherein we would usually end up having a lively debate about politics. I can’t do that now for fear of ending the friendship.
I am a college student, a conservative, and a member of the campus Republican Club. I have always believed in speaking out about what I believe and politics in particular. But now I can’t. I am constantly verbally abused and fearful of physical attacks. I also have to keep my mouth shut during classroom discussions for fear of getting a grade lower than I deserve from my left wing/socialist professor.
I’m being considered for a big promotion at work but, like a lot of us, I did some stupid things in high school and college that I’m not proud of. But these days there are no statutes of limitations on insensitive remakes or immature actions. I’m afraid they will be dredged up and ruin my opportunities for advancement.
I’m proud to be an American, consider myself to be a patriot and for years have daily flown the stars and stripes outside our home. Because of hateful remarks and threatening emails, I have chosen to take the flag down. I fear for the safety of my family.
A friend of mine asked me the other day why I don’t wear my MAGA hat any more. Are you kidding me? Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats are getting verbally and physically assaulted all over the country.
I am most afraid that the Trump hatred is breaking up my family. My brothers continue to refer to President Trump as a racist. I have spent hours on line researching and I could not find any factual substantiating information leading to conclusions that President Trump is, in fact, a racist. Quit to the contrary, here is some of what I did find:
-Jesse Jackson publicly applauded Trump’s “will to make things better” for underserved communities. Jackson also thanked Trump for meeting with him in 1984 and in 1988 when he ran for president at a time when the United States would’ve found the idea of a black president laughable.
-Donald Trump, pictured with Muhammad Ali and civil rights activist Rosa Parks, receiving the Ellis Island Award in 1986 for contributing to the conditions of inner-city black youths.
-Jesse Jackson thanks Donald Trump for contributing millions to inner city charities including the Rainbow Coalition.
-Then there is the photo of Donald Trump, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton at the launching of Rainbow Coalition’s Wall Street Project, 1996.
Question, do any of the above scenarios apply to you? Uhuh, I figured they would. Is this what we have become as a nation? Are our most basic and sacred constitutional rights being denied to us?
Shouldn’t we expect that all reasonably-minded leaders, republicans and democrats alike, should be equally appalled that so many Americans are living in fear while ignorant thugs and well-financed anarchists burn loot and murder in our neighborhoods thereby destroying the livelihood of thousands of hard-working small businessmen and women?
There is debate about who said it, but whomever it was, they were correct; “America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
Our nation, with legions of hate mongers daily preaching to the masses, is on a tenuous path right now; a path with no goodness.
Marvin L. Covault, Lt Gen US Army, retired, is the author of VISION TO EXECUTION, a book for leaders, a columnist for THE PILOT, an national-award winning local newspaper in Southern Pines, NC and the author of a blog www.WETHEPEOPLESPEAKING.com