"NOTHING TO FEAR, BUT..."

Felt compelled to comment on the climate of unease that pervades these days. Financial gurus are all over the airwaves, pleading for cool heads in the face of bank failures, stock market decline and mortgage crisis. I couldn't agree more that facts, not fear, should be guiding the country through difficult times. The irony is to watch representatives and "friends" of the administration scrambling to reassure us that it's not that bad or all in our minds. I remember during the 2004 campaign I thought John Kerry had finally hit the right note when he declared he wanted to be the candidate of "hope, not fear". A recurring theme of the Bush administration has been to promote fear; the Axis of Evil, the Mushroom Cloud, gay marriage that would undermine the social fabric of America, the color coded Threat Alerts (Keep your duct tape close at hand!) etc. - all aimed at keeping Americans in line, on board and uncritical. You can't have it both ways Washington; prey on people's fears and then expect calm and rational thought to prevail when it suits your needs. It is unsettling to hear reports of a run on a major bank or the impending failure of corporations held to be invincible giants of the economy. America has weathered many threats in the past and I am confident that eventually things will stabilize. Truth is this could be a golden opportunity if we have the good sense to take advantage of it. This is the time to grab our elected leaders by the scruff of the neck, demand they act responsibly, forget about partisan posturing and do what needs to be done to secure the future of our country: develop a sound energy plan; exercise prudent oversight where it is needed; use restraint and common sense in fiscal matters. The one valid fear is that we might fail to hold our leaders accountable for the mess they have made of things.