To Defeat Your Enemy~~Know Yourself
A Poetic Representation of Our Reality
Post 9/11 America…
We came together, Patriotism reigned, the energy was palpable
Strength and unity bound us in ways seldom felt
Partisan politics set aside and laws passed
However…
The bond that brought us together needs THE Antagonist
Al Qaeda…The Taliban…Saddam Hussein…And Iraq
The Near East isn’t so near…
We need to feel it in our hands, to smell it in our noses, to hear it in our ears
The Muslim, The Mexican, The Sikh…
they all look the same…they’re different from us…they are THEM…
Hatred abounds and violence is up…
See Something, Say Something~~about those that are different!
American Liberties Lost…
The Patriot Act, Loss of Privacy for Improved Intelligence, Guantanamo,
Enhanced InTERRORgation Techniques.
But we’re better now…Really?
Affective Responses~~Risk Perceptions~~Beliefs About the Threat~~Avoidance Behavior~~Change in Risk Perception Over Time~~Elevation in Risk Perception~~Duration of Elevated Risk Perception~~Change in Baseline Risk Perception~~Return Time to Baseline Risk Perception
But have we returned…
Hate crimes are still up
Movie screenings set to release, then snatched away and hidden
Like the dog that tucks his tail and hides under the chair
…FEAR…FEAR…FEAR…
Primitive reactions abound while cool heads are buried
Terrorism fatigue settling in…
Increasing fiscal constraints...
Perception is reality~~A narrative crafted by the Media
When does this end?
