Let's pull the plug on fear
In the universe of thin lines, the one separating unfounded fear and prudent caution isn't really thin at all.
The distance between them is packed with facts.
On the side of unfounded fear are ulterior motives. Individuals with agendas - political, religious, and other forms of personal gain - initiate or perpetuate their forms of terror, but oddly, they are never referred to as terrorists.
Also on unfounded fear's side are at least somewhat noble elements of human nature - the desire to warn others of potential danger. The problem is that before issuing warnings and perpetuating or even exacerbating unfounded fear, one has to willingly accept others' distorted realities; distortions nurtured by the absence of facts. And then we're back to motives and agendas.
A couple years ago, fearmongering took the form of an alleged Chinese invasion. Southern Idaho, don't you know, had been targeted as a home-away-from-home for Chinese hordes to sink their Communist meathooks into our promised land. It never happened, not because stout Idahoans were aptly warned, but because there was no such plot in the first place. The pursuit and exposure of facts by media still went widely ignored by those who figured they would benefit from the spread of anti-Chinese sentiment.
In the recently concluded session of the Idaho Legislature, fearmongering took insidious forms both small and large. The not-so-threatening Giant Salamander, which a student suggested be named the state amphibian, grew poisonous teeth in the eyes of several legislators who argued that the designation would fling open Idaho's doors to federal overreach with endangered species. Fact-finding neutered most of the fear tactics, and no thanks to Rep. Kathy Sims and Rep. Ron Mendive - Rep. Vito Barbieri was conspicuously absent - the Giant Salamander wobbled its way into Idaho lore.
On a larger scale, the tempest over Sharia law and federal overreach lurking in the shadows of legislation on child-support management illustrates just how far fearmongering can go, and how wrong it can be. The state's most respected legal experts - those in Attorney General Lawrence Wasden's office - quickly and precisely debunked the baseless concerns. The people who deal with the affected programs and procedures every single day - professionals in the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare - rationally explained what the legislation does, and what it does not do. Yet in the presence of all that fact, fiction did just enough damage to temporarily derail the train.
Part of the responsibility of citizenship is to show healthy skepticism for alarming allegations. The minute you react to information with any sense of fear, check your emotions at the door and do your due diligence. Reject hysteria; seek facts. In complex matters that are outside your ability to satisfactorily dig out the facts, find experts - those with reputable backgrounds who have nothing to gain from their conclusions.
In short, stop listening to the fearmongers. And for God's sake, stop electing them.