ion to the need for expensive security? How much insurance do you really need? Most people in those and other businesses don’t sell by fear, but it is something to be aware of.

Another way of looking at this issue is how we would talk to our children about fear. As adults, we are continually bombarded with the horrors of our world through our media. If your child were to see some of this news and ask us about it, wouldn’t we try to put it in perspective for

Fear - A distressing emotion aroused by an impending pain, danger, evil, etc., or by the illusion of such - The Random House Dictionary

How big of a role does fear play in your life? Maybe you actually think about something fearful, but what does fear do to you without any conscious thought?

I have been pondering these questions recently because I hear the fear in so many people’s voices. Wherever I go and talk with folks, I run into unexpected emotion about terrorism, unfamiliar religions, school safety, child molesters, etc. My response to these emotionally charged thoughts is to wonder why people are so afraid.

An example of my confusion is how the FBI statistics for many years showed that violent crime was going down nationwide, yet there seemed to be a belief throughout the land that it was going up. Then there are the constant stories of crimes against children. Given the number of children in the United States, what are the odds of something happening to your child? There have been different religions and belief systems as far back as we can look. Can the relatively small handful of extremists really make us afraid of a religion or a people as a whole?

Why is there so much fear? THE MEDIA. But what do we predominately experience on TV and publications? My wife and I like the writing on shows like Law & Order, but we have been wondering where the good dramatic shows have gone that don’t highlight blood and violence. Then there are the news broadcasts. It would be hard not to be upset and a bit afraid after listening to them. Many folks have the news on all day. Is the news a balanced reflection of what is happening in our world? Would people watch it if it were?

Fear sells. Bad news certainly gets a lot of advertisers. That is a basic sales strategy for many things. How many burglaries are there really, in relation to the need for expensive security? How much insurance do you really need? Most people in those and other businesses don’t sell by fear, but it is something to be aware of.

Another way of looking at this issue is how we would talk to our children about fear. As adults, we are continually bombarded with the horrors of our world through our media. If your child were to see some of this news and ask us about it, wouldn’t we try to put it in perspective for

bout terrorism, unfamiliar religions, school safety, child molesters, etc. My response to these emotionally charged thoughts is to wonder why people are so afraid.

An example of my confusion is how the FBI statistics for many years showed that violent crime was going down nationwide, yet there seemed to be a belief throughout the land that it was going up. Then there are the constant stories of crimes against children. Given the number of children in the United States, what are the odds of something happening to your child? There have been different religions and belief systems as far back as we can look. Can the relatively small handful of extremists really make us afraid of a religion or a people as a whole?

Why is there so much fear? THE MEDIA. But what do we predominately experience on TV and publications? My wife and I like the writing on shows like Law & Order, but we have been wondering where the good dramatic shows have gone that don’t highlight blood and violence. Then there are the news broadcasts. It would be hard not to be upset and a bit afraid after listening to them. Many folks have the news on all day. Is the news a balanced reflection of what is happening in our world? Would people watch it if it were?

Fear sells. Bad news certainly gets a lot of advertisers. That is a basic sales strategy for many things. How many burglaries are there really, in relation to the need for expensive security? How much insurance do you really need? Most people in those and other businesses don’t sell by fear, but it is something to be aware of.

Another way of looking at this issue is how we would talk to our children about fear. As adults, we are continually bombarded with the horrors of our world through our media. If your child were to see some of this news and ask us about it, wouldn’t we try to put it in perspective for

d States, what are the odds of something happening to your child? There have been different religions and belief systems as far back as we can look. Can the relatively small handful of extremists really make us afraid of a religion or a people as a whole?

Why is there so much fear? THE MEDIA. But what do we predominately experience on TV and publications? My wife and I like the writing on shows like Law & Order, but we have been wondering where the good dramatic shows have gone that don’t highlight blood and violence. Then there are the news broadcasts. It would be hard not to be upset and a bit afraid after listening to them. Many folks have the news on all day. Is the news a balanced reflection of what is happening in our world? Would people watch it if it were?

Fear sells. Bad news certainly gets a lot of advertisers. That is a basic sales strategy for many things. How many burglaries are there really, in relation to the need for expensive security? How much insurance do you really need? Most people in those and other businesses don’t sell by fear, but it is something to be aware of.

Another way of looking at this issue is how we would talk to our children about fear. As adults, we are continually bombarded with the horrors of our world through our media. If your child were to see some of this news and ask us about it, wouldn’t we try to put it in perspective for

tic shows have gone that don’t highlight blood and violence. Then there are the news broadcasts. It would be hard not to be upset and a bit afraid after listening to them. Many folks have the news on all day. Is the news a balanced reflection of what is happening in our world? Would people watch it if it were?

Fear sells. Bad news certainly gets a lot of advertisers. That is a basic sales strategy for many things. How many burglaries are there really, in relation to the need for expensive security? How much insurance do you really need? Most people in those and other businesses don’t sell by fear, but it is something to be aware of.

Another way of looking at this issue is how we would talk to our children about fear. As adults, we are continually bombarded with the horrors of our world through our media. If your child were to see some of this news and ask us about it, wouldn’t we try to put it in perspective for

ion to the need for expensive security? How much insurance do you really need? Most people in those and other businesses don’t sell by fear, but it is something to be aware of.

Another way of looking at this issue is how we would talk to our children about fear. As adults, we are continually bombarded with the horrors of our world through our media. If your child were to see some of this news and ask us about it, wouldn’t we try to put it in perspective for them? Wouldn’t we say, “That has never happened around here, so you don’t need to be afraid” or “That will probably never happen to us, so you don’t need to worry about it.” We are telling them the truth. Of course we need to educate them on safety issues and to be aware of their surroundings, but we don’t need to let them be unrealistically scared.

Fear can hold us back from engaging in life. It can color our view of the world in flashing red lights. It can fill us with anger. It can hold us hostage better than any terrorist can. My parents told me to drive carefully and I have told my children to do the same. The Sergeant on the TV show Hill Street Blues used to say, “Be careful out there” when he would send his police out on the streets. He didn’t say, “Be afraid, be very afraid.”

My wife and I are going to start looking around at other TV programs.