Once upon a time, virtually all Americans could agree with the finish of the above quote from FDR. Fear itself was what we needed to be afraid of. Nowadays, in our polarized nation, what we fear depends on our political viewpoint.
For those of us with a grip on reality and a respect for science, the Covid 19 pandemic is something to fear. More than 140,000 of our fellow citizens have died from the disease in the past 5 months and nearly 1,000 of us increase the count every day. The US government strategy is to let the virus rip through the population at least until a reliable vaccine becomes available and ignore the damage being done to citizens and the economy. I fear both the coronavirus and the policies of this administration.
Meanwhile, in the Faux News bubble inhabited by tRump supporters the fear is that mobs of "anarchists and looters" are taking over our cities and defacing and ruining our "beautiful monuments". The administration's response is to dispatch a federal police force of camo outfitted goons who have violated the civil rights of protestors exercising their first amendment rights. Personally, I fear the use of a police force with no loyalty but to the president*. That way lies dictatorship. But many, if not most tRump fans, the prospect of a few "dirty hippies" getting their heads bashed is something to be relished.
The coming election presents a stark choice between fears. Let' pray we make the right one.
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