Sunday night I watched Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine over on Hulu.
The documentary takes a broad look at America’s obsession with guns and the fear that’s strangling our country.
I was really intrigued by Moore’s interview with Marilyn Manson, who was often blamed for the shootings in Columbine.
“I’m a poster boy for fear. I represent what everyone’s afraid of…
(The media) turn it into fear, because then you’re watching television, you’re watching the news, you’re being pumped full of fear — there’s floods, there’s AIDS, there’s murder. Cut to commercial. Buy the Acura, buy the Colgate, if you have bad breath they’re not going to talk to you. If you have pimples, the girl’s not going to f*ck you. And it’s just this campaign of fear, and consumption, and that’s what I think it’s all based on, the whole idea of ‘keep everyone afraid, and they’ll consume.” – Marilyn Manson
I’m just thinking quickly about the things we’ve been trained to fear just by watching the nightly news along with the commercials (depending on who’s spinning the story)…
- Obama-care
- Socialism
- Lack of health-care
- Our current (or previous) health care system
- Erectile dysfunction
- Big business
- Government takeovers
- Frequent urination
- Hair loss
- Osama bin Laden
- Muslims
- Immigrants
- Foreign attacks
- Homosexuals
- Liberals
- Right-wing conservatives
- Vehicles built by Toyota
- Black males
- Teenagers
- Urban youth
- The Religious Right
- Bad prescription medicine
- Unemployment
- Further economic catastrophe
And the list could go on and on…
Have you ever stopped to notice, that as soon as we buy into one or more of these fears, those perpetrating the fear always have a solution we can buy into.
Whether it’s a miracle drug, a new toy to help us keep up with the Jones’, the latest hand gun or assault rifle, a high-tech home security system, a vehicle that’s rated #1 in safety features, a political party or ideology or a religious affiliation — we’re all consuming things based on our fears.
But imagine if rather than buying into our fears we started turning the tables and said enough is enough…
Imagine if we refused to be led astray by our fears…
Imagine if we stopped fearing rejection or hurt from others…
Imagine if we started turning strangers into friends and began sharing life with others…
Imagine if we stopped seeing us vs. them and started including the outsiders and started building a new “us” and a new “we”…
Imagine.
How different would your outlook on life be? How different would your attitude towards your family be? Or your neighbors? Or others in your city and community?
What would it take for you to break the cycle of fear in your life?
Yes, you are on to something about the fear thing. I am reading a book that has some interesting thoughts on fear but mainly it focuses on the difference between Power and Force. The title of the book is Power vs. Force.
Bottom line, it you can overcome being manipulated by fear, it will enable you to live on a new and more enpowering level.
I'll have to check the book out.
I wonder why we give into fear so easily…
You'd think we (believers in Christ) would quit worrying about any of the above.