AS I SEE IT Bob Connor

Fear Factor

"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itselfCnameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." - Inaugural speech of Franklin D. Roosevelt, March 4, 1933.

Fear is a normal human emotional reaction - it is a built-in survival mechanism with which we are all equipped. Even babies possess the survival instincts necessary to respond to a sense of danger. Fear involves the mind and body. It serves a protective purpose to signal danger and prepare us to deal with it. But, when does it become a phobia?

We experience fear whenever we sense danger or when we're confronted with something new or unknown that seems potentially dangerous. Fear can be brief - like when lightening strikes near. This is often over soon when you realize that you have not been harmed. But, some fear can last longer and feel more intense.

We have social fears - like the fear of being embarrassed or rejected or fear of failing. Or we may have global fears such as a fear of terrorism, war, or violence. These fears may be so intangible that we have them and are influenced by them without even knowing that we have them or that we are influenced by them.

Fear is a is usually described as a reaction to an actual danger signal which involves physical and mental tension that helps you to protect yourself from something that is actually happening or a situation that you find yourself in.

Anxiety is very similar to fear but is different in that there isn't usually anything actually happening right then. There is an anticipation of future danger or something bad that could happen - there is no clear and present danger now.

Fear and anxiety can be a positive force that can motivate us to work harder, study harder, prepare more thoroughly in order to avoid a perceived possibility of danger - danger of not having sufficient income or of failing a test or not being successful in projects that you undertake. However, intense and unreasonable fear and anxiety (phobia) can lead to illegal drug use, alcoholism, and, in the extreme, suicide as attempts to escape fear and anxiety.

There is a Fear Factor involved in most of the issues that on the national agenda. Here is a poll conducted in May, 2007 by CNN on the issues that the respondents ranked as important in their choice for president in the coming election.

“How important will each of the following issues be to your vote for President next year? Will it be

-- extremely important, very important, moderately important, or not that important?

In examining these issues, we can see that there is a certain amount of fear of various kinds imbedded in each one. For example, the issue of “terrorism” is packed with a fear factor. By all accounts and polls, it was a big issue in the presidential election of 2004 and will be an issue in the coming presidential election. There is at least one candidate for president in the coming election who is making his response to the 9/11 incident his major qualification for the job.

Terrorism is certainly a threat which must be dealt with – but how much of a threat is it to each of us? What is the probability that one of us will be the victim of a terrorist attack? How does that compare with the probability that one of us will be directly affected by one of the other major issues?

A healthy fear or apprehension is a good thing that can motivate us to do better – to achieve more or avoid dangers. But, a consuming fear can paralyze us and cause us to make wrong judgments or fail to address other issues. In the extreme, a consuming fear becomes paranoia.

Some candidates for public office run as one-issue candidates while many voters, in confusion over the complex and baffling issues of the day, consciously or unconsciously simplify their voting decisions by boiling the issues down to the candidates’ position on a single issue. But, isn’t it better to look at the whole picture? Isn’t it better to look at their positions on all major issues and their qualifications for the office they seek and their ability to deal with the all of the issues? Isn’t that a more responsible way to cast your vote?

This is a critical presidential election coming up next year. The results – both in the presidential race and the races for the House and Senate - will chart the course for our country for, perhaps, the next 8 years. Let’s resolve to take a look at the whole package of each candidate and let us each cast our votes for the persons who each of us considers – not out of fear - but from sober, reasoned reflection are the best persons to lead us.