Inside Samhain is the night when the old man dies Old God and the Goddess mourns him deeply in the next six weeks. The popular image of her as the witch stirring her cauldron Halloween derives from the Celtic belief that all dead souls should return to his cauldron of life, death and rebirth, reincarnation.
Despite the efforts of the Christian Church for the Saturday or seasonal festival recoverable from him in a day of celebration and prayer for the Saints (All Hallows Evebefore All Saints is still one of the most sacred days of Catholicism), it was the tradition and practice of Samhain popular and the church was forced to it as a night diabolize "Cooking with evil spirits."
Masters of cultural mix, said that the church that evil spirits were banned, only the sound of church bells of All Saints. Although terrorism has nothing to do with this pagan festival, Samhain was the idea of a night of unbridled evil desire to keep the collectiveMind.
The impact of this unfortunate misinterpretation is that a great opportunity to reflect on life and death, the endless cycle of seasons and, finally, to combat and overcome what we fear, has lost. Halloween has become a very commercial holiday, second only to Christmas in decoration and candy sale and a celebration of the macabre, what to fear rejection by conservative religious groups or to unleash their unbridled abandonment of those happyVersions of the dogs of hell.
Very few people seem to have the opportunity presents Halloween on our fears, what is interesting to take the face - or perhaps understandable --- America seems to be one of the scariest places on Earth did. According to a New York Times poll in 2006, almost half of Americans feel "somewhat uneasy or in danger." Than five years ago, said that 39% of Americans feel less secure today, while 14% said they feel safer.
Although there is no apparentNo precise numbers, the TV turn on almost any time, and it is clear that there was an increase in recent years the number of crimes and the crime dramas of communication. We show that, as most wanted to remember that violent criminals are loose in the city was awarded the America's venerable; concern CSI solve murders dramatic in at least three states, 20/20, in prime time and 48 hours with their social reporter there feels great to welfare, fraud,Crooks and criminals of every variety and terrible slasher film, cable, just in our homes, and advanced computer graphics with the best blood-letting to bring everyone home.
In the early 1990s there has been a dramatic increase in the perception of crime as the most important problem facing the country - 52% of Americans in 1994, feeling that the crime was a major concern. Based on 1978-1998 data, the results suggest that this was "great distress" during a television news networkFear as a terror to the real world of crime up. The news alone accounted for almost four times as much variance in the public perception of crime as our most important task that did the actual crime, which - believe it or not - are in fact disappeared in the last fifteen years.
Yes - down: For the history of 10 years, from 1996 to 2005, the FBI reports that violent crime has fallen almost 18%. Murder of 15% in 2005 compared to the same period 1996th, robberyThe offenses decreased by 22%. In addition, vehicle theft has fallen by more than 11% in 2005 compared to 1996.
So just what are we so afraid? If you are able to avoid the fear of crime, the modern media, some other concerns for you: How to die in a plane crash? As cancer by ... Well, anything? Races virulent superbugs resistant to all known antibiotics? Food safety? Organ trade? Killer bees? When the child is kidnapped? Hooked on drugs? Or search for a razorBlade in their Halloween candy? Lead in toys?
For what it's worth the razor blade Halloween never happens, and most of those other concerns are exaggerated, too. Barry Glassner, author of The Culture of Fear (Basic Books, 2000), calls this "pseudo danger" and says that the media, advertisers, politicians and various companies and organizations to live by them and the money (or votes, which ultimately translates to money) that bring your fears. Pseudo Dangers Glassner suggests,to avoid facing an opportunity for us with problems head. Rather than face - or perhaps more accurately, because of our inability to tackle - poverty, we fear the criminals to create poverty. Our inability to address the issues of foreign policy that makes us afraid of terrorism.
"In almost all contemporary American fear," Glassner says, "rather than to address deficiencies of concern in society, the public debate focuses on the disturbed individuals."
Our fearsbut often much worse than our reality.
According to John Meuller, Woody Hayes is President of the National Security Policy and a professor of political science at Ohio State University, suffer from a false sense of national insecurity.
"By 2001," he writes, "much less the Americans have been killed in any grouping of years by all forms of international terrorism, killed by lightning, and there was almost none of those terrorist deaths in the United States. Even with the September 11 included in the count, the number of Americans from international terrorism since the end of 1960 killed (when the State Department began counting) is about the same number of Americans killed in the same period by lightning, accident causing deer or severe allergic reaction to peanuts. "
Also note that the transport Meuller researchers at the University of Michigan calculated as "An American can be killed in a non-stop> Low cost is approximately one (crashed into account in the September 11) from 13 million euro. In order to achieve this same level of risk when driving on America's safest roads - rural roads - would have had to move miles away to just 11.2 ".
The guide is, in fact, one of the most dangerous things we do, and yet most of us are willing to accept this risk. Author Bruce Schneier in Beyond Fear (Springer, second edition 2006), observes that "In America, the cars cause 40 000Deaths per year, corresponding to a full 727 accidents every day and a half - 225 total in a year. As a society we must say that indeed the risk of dying in a car accident that is the benefits of urban driving. But if the same every year 40,000 people died in a fire accident instead of 727 traffic accidents, you can be sure there would be significant changes in systems of passengers. Similarly, some studies have shown that both drivers and passengers in SUVs ratherdie in accidents than those in small cars, but one of the most important outlets for SUVs is that the owner makes you feel more confident. "
Many of our fears, in recent times, including children - all for fear that the fear * of * them. Investigations have shown that parental abduction list of concerns for the tops of their children. But the biggest question of safety for children is a simple basic measures of protection in homes and public places. The risk of abduction by aliens is incredibly small - under1% of the nation more than 64 million children are abducted by non-family members, and in fact returned. A much smaller number died.
And the kids like the Columbine killers? They are not statistically almost nonexistent. 80% of counties in our nation's young people never experience a murder.
But things are even worse? "There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know," said Harry Truman.
"A new army of 6 million people mobilized against us an army ofOffenders. juvenile delinquency has increased at an alarming rate, and eat in the heart of America, "a juvenile court judge has said - in 1946.
There are predators in the street, hordes of teenagers and pre-teens running wild in the streets, gnawing at the foundations of society, "said a commentator - in the 19th Century. In 1850 in New York alone there were over 200 wars gang fought mainly by young people.
The youngest American ever executed for murder12. He killed the child in their care - in 1786.
As we so afraid? Our fears, Glassner suggests, be careful and repeated by all to create fear, often justified by manipulating words, facts, news, or data sources in order to induce certain personal behaviors, governmental actions or policies (a home or abroad wants power) to keep people who consume or elect some politicians to divert public attention from social issues considered most urgent,Poverty, social security, unemployment, crime or pollution. The most common techniques for social haunting include:
The careful selection and omission of news (some relevant facts are presented and some do not) (noting that the number one problem teachers face in 1940 and says chewing gum, and in 1990, pregnancy, suicide and abuse drug, a distorted national Center for Education Statistics survey with principals, teachers do not ask for crime -when in fact, teachers today local problems of parent apathy and lack of textbooks in demand as their main problem)
Distortion of statistics or numbers (statement each year 800,000 children are missing, but these statistics do not make sense to pause)
Processing of individual events in social epidemics, (going "postal" is not a post-epidemic service - the profession remains one of the safest)
Corruption and distortion of words or terms according to specific goals;
Stigmatization of minorities, particularly when related to criminal acts or demeaning behavior;
Generalization of the complex and diverse;
Causal inversion (turning in a cause an effect or vice versa).
None of this is to suggest that we should be careful or not aware or concerned thatactive in taking care of ourselves or our children, and under the usual precautions for the health and safety. But simple things like wearing seat belts and hand washing will protect more than refusing to talk to strangers or take a gun.
"To fear is one thing," author Katherine Paterson, I loved Jacob says (HarperTrophy, 1990) wrote. "To let fear grab the tail and swing you around is another."
Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell, English philosopherLogical, social critic and essayist, was established in 1950, when still remember him with all sorts of concerns about availability, there are two ways of dealing with anxiety:
"... One is to reduce the external threat, and the other is to cultivate the stoic resistance. The latter may increase, unless immediate action is required by our thoughts away from the cause of anxiety . The conquest of fear. Fear Of much importance is degrading in itself, easily becomes an obsession, thegenerates hatred of what is to be feared, and will head over to excesses of cruelty. "
were "not afraid", Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys (Delta, 2000) (which was made in the movie October Sky), has on his experiences growing up brave and strong communities in Coalwood, West Virginia, cities the death threat was constant, but the fear was not. He said that residents Coalwood, four-point approach of courage that you put in something like a series ofMantra:
We are proud of who I am
We stand for what we believe
We keep our families together
We trust in God, but count on us
Hickam says something profoundly Buddhist in the first months of his book. He says that despite the evils of our society that we live largely under compassionate, kind and optimistic people who seek to do good. "As an American," he says, in a lineThe Dalai Lama with pride: "They have the duty to be happy. It says right there in our Declaration of Independence, we have given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness So God do your duty. Learn how to be lucky and remember: you can not be happy if you are concerned stop. "
Senator. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that takes less poetically: "Take the elevator damn damn fly on the plane, calculate the probability of harm from a terrorist, it is likely that, as a washed up!the sea by a tidal wave. Suck it up, for crying out loud. You almost certainly will do. And what to do in the unlikely event you are not, really, to spend your last days cowering behind plastic sheets and duct tape? This is no life worth living? "
The fear, Hickam says is largely a habit.
"The habit of fear and terror," he writes, "can be compared to a chronic disease. Some of us are so used to it, we do not even know we are infected. A symptomthis disease is that walking around with hunched shoulders and drag a heavy foot at a time. We are scared to get up in the morning to ensure that only terrible things happen when we do. We never say anything good about something, and that includes us. We do not want to look our way. We feel persecuted us. We are envious of others and to conquer the world is full of malice. In fact, we think the world is a terrible place. We moan and complain. Finally, we lose ourFamily and friends. We are, unfortunately, attractions, and we do not even know why. Worse, the illness is contagious we have. Innocent people we encounter are likely to capture the fear and terror in us, even our children. We know that something is wrong, but we do not know how to be healed. "
One way to get rid of this infection, says Hickam, the "stand up straight .... and be proud of who you are." To do this, he says, you need to know who you are and how you connected to your familyand your community. This includes talking to family members, community members - and sharing their stories to your children and other family members. Not to be afraid of something bigger than yourself, to be connected, says Hickam.
The habit of fear and terror caused by shyness, says Hickam, a tendency to avoid confrontation, especially in defense of our views. That is probably not so big problem for us - we have many opinions and throw them in a simpleAmazon.de. But as it would be "out there"? "If, as if what we think is important not to act, is the same as to believe * that * is not important," Hickam says. "An attitude like this can squeeze the right to life of all."
One of the best ways to overcome this aspect of the anxiety and fear, he says, is "to take for those who can not take for themselves."
"There's always someone to help you. How do you fear when you are backing off of someone else in a dangerous world needs?Sometimes, just as brave and bold enough for you. "
But there's more to it than he pretends, to do so. Hickam says that you should also teach that person to decide for themselves, too, so that he maintain his dignity. Hickam warns that standing up for what you believe does not mean that every time you feel offended, you should go out with a loud, obnoxious behavior. Standing up for what you believe has nothing to do with violent or offensive to because ofsome perceived oppression. This attitude AHS to have to do with a quiet determination to explain his opinion, and heard. To be effective, must also be respectful and loyal. ... The most effective way that is stationary, the way non-violent, quiet but firm. "
We can keep our families together is actually one of the most difficult for courage Hickam is observed, but a necessity for survival. "It Works, intact, functioning family, only a haven of love, but alsofills the cracks of his personality. If a member of the family is weak, another stronger. A cohesive group is always stronger than one person, no matter how clever he is, or how many muscles he AHS or anything else. The family can be a shield against the world, and also the launch pad for a better life. "
And finally, says Hickam trust God, but to get him a safe way to fear. "The people of Coalwood were against relying on God when ever they need help,"He recalls. "First, it is considered rude. God had a lot of things to worry about, after all, even without everything they have in the way of a particular person. The way people in town have seen, God has already had this available with most of what they needed to get a scratch, including their own common sense. "Above all, said their prayers are reserved for you.
While others ponder why bad things happen to good people often put something Hickamas it says even more surprising: "Why, in a universe and a world where everything has to work hard to survive just did what we thought of as decent and well integrated in our souls with each other, why is it that we long for goodness, honesty and Search? strive to be honest, even when evil much easier, how evil is the desire to destroy and hurt others, it is not the driving force of our species and our world and our universe ? Some great goodness is out there, and it is here. E 'everywhere. "
There are two parts, says Hickam, "the spiritual and the other physical. Both are important. The design of the human body and mind, reflecting the great truth. We the spirit all around us and trust us. But we we have our hands and minds, our families safe and build a better world. "
A world in which we are afraid not to.
"We are not afraid."
Say it slowly and enjoy, says Hickam, as we like the world andany time. This holy time of the year honors the timeless change our lives, and offers us the rare opportunity to look death in the face and sent a wink and a nod.
"There is no reason for life or the fear of what might be the way forward," Hickam says. "Every hour, every day, I remember all those who came before you, representing all those who are straight and proud. No matter how dangerous the times, always with you ..."
Bertrand Russell would agree."We want to focus on our own feet and look honestly at the world," he said. "- I made good, its bad facts, its beauties and its ugliness; see the world as it is and is not afraid to conquer the world of intelligence, not just slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from him. . ... We should get up and see the world right in the face. We should be the best we can do to the world, and if it is not as good as us, after all, it will be even betterwhat these others have been doing all these years. A good world needs knowledge, kindness and courage, did not need a repentant said nostalgia for the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words long ago by ignorant men. He needs a bold vision and a free intelligence. There must be hope for the future, not looking back all the time on a past that is dead, we trust much of the future that our intelligence can create will be exceeded. "
As Samhainremember, death is not the end but a transition, a time to rejoice we turn a new beginning, when there are new, like the wheel of the year they were born and so on.
And there is nothing to fear.
No comments:
Post a Comment