I'm beginning to think the terrorists won on 9/11!

For the most part, I've learned not to fear. I can worry, I can become concerned...certainly...but it takes quite alot to make me truly afraid after everythng. I'm not callouse, I prefer to get a grasp on the reality of something before jumping, and in a crisis I prefer to stay level and take appropriate actions. To quote the Dune series: Fear is the mind-killer. Very few good things come from fear. Not wisdom, certainly. For a long time, I've had to remind people: STOP IT. You're not thinking clearly. Take a breath, step back. Can this be confirmed? What is the truly best course of action based on the information we have? Financial fears are always the worst to resist. Hopefully this will all help people think more. But we shouldn't let fear take us over. Your point's a good one though. Terrorists are basically guys who aspire to be the boogyman. The worst thing we could do is to give in to fear in all aspects of our lives.

These fears hit me hardest at work, since I'm a teacher. The schools have changed radically, and it's all based on fear. I never dreamed public schools would make kids wear uniforms and photo ID's around their necks for easy identification. I have several guest speakers each year, and it's become a major hurdle to get them in. Forms have to be filled out way in advance and background checks run. When they get there, they're photographed and they have to wear their photo ID's as long as they're in the building. They're escorted to the classroom by security before they can talk to the kids. I bring in representatives from colleges and organizations that give scholarships, since I teach high school seniors, and their materials are subject to search. The kids don't get all the little goodies they used to get because they're not allowed in. Where it hurts the most is when kids of Middle Eastern descent tell me they're constantly stopped and searched by security, even when they become well known to the guards, just in case ... We're about 93% hispanic, and a lot of the kids look like they could be Middle Eastern, when they're actually from the Caribbean, South America or Central America. They're stopped and searched, too. It's hard to get them to accept that it's done for their safety, especially since I think it's gone way overboard! I wish we were able to turn back the calendar, so we could have our America back!

I can only speak for myself but the fear of financial security is very, very real to me, I am retired, on a fixed income, but I had a small IRA account which took me years of squirreling every penny into my 401K account. In one week most of it is gone. I am just so upset but more than that I am disgusted that the people who are responsible for my loss show no remorse but have millions of dollars safely tucked away. You can bet they got all their own money out before the roof fell in. I do not know what the future holds but my fear is still real as it looks pretty bleak. The powers that be say it will be many years before we even get close to what we once had and how many senior citizens will even live that long!!!

I rarely ever fear anything for long. I worry sometimes, but that's rare, too. I always ask myself, "Can I do anything about it?" If the answer is no, then I let it go. If the answer is yes, then I do what I can right away to fix the situation. There are wonderful quotes about fear: Franklin Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Dale Carnegie said, "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Bertrand Russell said, "Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." Rosa Parks said, "I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear." A lot of fears in the U.S. are not warranted. It does us as much good to think that everything will be ok as it does to think it will not.