Why is this country divided and angry?
Conservatives’ fear of change grew when a black president was elected. They saw that the number of non-white Americans is steadily growing and that white men may eventually lose some of their power.
Religious fundamentalists fear atheists and all “different” religions.
Fearful Americans obsess about other people’s private relationships. They’re afraid of independent modern women. They fear abortion because it gives women the opportunity that men have always had — the option of not being tied down to pregnancy, birth and lifetime responsibility for a child. Freedom, in a word.
They fear science, especially evolution. They fear the idea of global warming because if humans can affect the climate then perhaps this world may not be entirely controlled by God.
Because they’re scared of criminals, they buy guns and create “concealed carry” laws.
They fear their own government, forgetting that they created it with their votes.
Because they fear other countries, they want to spend too much on the military and start wars.
All this metastasized fear has allowed Donald Trump to emerge as a presidential candidate. Fear has encouraged racism, intolerance, bullying and violence.
How can those fears be allayed? Logical reasoning doesn’t work because those fears are largely irrational.
Change is happening now. It has always happened, and no one can stop it. People can fight change or accept reality and diversity and move calmly forward.
The voting public should demand that politicians stop their childish behavior and start working together.
Ellen Field, New Gloucester
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