Let’s slow down with fear rhetoric

To the editor:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” FDR uttered those famous words as part of his first inaugural address in 1933. I think that these words apply today.

I took a neutral position during the recent election because I felt strongly that neither candidate was worthy of the office. I am also convinced that the media was complicit in perpetrating erroneous information and/or outright lies concerning both candidates. I consider this the root cause for a great deal of the post-election hysteria now occurring.

I am writing this in response to two recent letters that reflected an inordinate level of unwarranted fear. With respect to the letters, I quote the Bard, “me thinks thou protests over much.”

All of this fear-mongering will have a needless effect on our children. I will start by stating that when you, as a parent, tell your children that there is someone in a position to harm them, like a boogeyman lurking under their bed, you have created an unwholesome and lasting fear that will haunt that child for a long time.

I continue to wonder what facts, if any, are being utilized to support some of the accusations attributed to the successful candidate. Many generic terms are being loosely used to describe him, but they often lack specific TRUTHFUL facts to back them up. Terms like terrorist, hateful, racist, bigot, sexist, xenophobe, jingoist, misogynist, homophobe, pathological liar, prejudicial, etc. I think, it is absolutely essential, that when any of the preceding terms are used to describe an individual that they be supported by an actual documented fact, not just vague hearsay.

I understand that the subject of some of the recent “fears” concern trying to respond to the 10 million or 11 million illegal immigrants that flooded into our country. We must bear in mind that these people violated our laws and may be legally prosecuted. They were also fully aware of this fact when they attempted to circumvent the law. I further understand that the present plan is to locate and deport only that portion of the illegal immigrants that have committed crimes of a felonious nature. The fate of the remainder is yet to be determined.

Again, I reiterate stop with the “mix of horror and fear” and “feelings of dread, anger and grief.” The sky is not falling.

F.M. McGinnis, Captain USN-Retired

Bainbridge Island