Halloween, and what is REALLY scary

I get a lot of email. Most is about Macs, but at times, I get email about political topics due mostly to many of the hot-topic blog posts here at MyMac.com. Not every MyMac writer shares the same political viewpoint. Some vary wildly, from the far left to the far right. Some don’t even think of their own viewpoint as being left or right, and most see themselves as middle of the road, with only slight leanings one way or the other. The truth of the matter is, we all have leanings in all directions.

What is not in dispute, however, are facts. Or are they? People throw facts around as if they were, well, facts, when in reality they may not be. If a fact is presented on a conservative website that contradicts the facts on a liberal website, which “fact” do you believe? They can both show scientific evidence one way or another to prove the facts presented. So when is a fact a fact, and who do you believe?

To me, these are scary times to live in. Not because of terrorists, which are a real threat that needs to be dealt with, but from those in power in America that are using this real threat to both grab more power for themselves and their respective political organizations, and suspend many of the freedoms that make America great all in the name of protecting us. And the fact that most Americans seem to be okay with it.

It scares me that lunatics get nuclear weapons, and the official policy is one of silence. We can’t seem to trust a foreign run company to monitor the delivery of imports into our nations ports, but we trust foreign nations to talk sense into the lunatics who are trying and succeeding in getting nuclear weapons?

One of the founding aspects of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness is the right to confront those who accuse you of a crime, and the right to defend yourself. But recent legislation, backed by both Republicans and Democrats alike, have given the authority of suspending habeas corpus to the President. And least you think this is just concerning the treatment of “terrorist prisoners” in U.S. custody, you really should read the law. That is scary.

It also scares me that people think the divide between left and right in America is greater than it has ever been, but that’s not true. The left and right have always been divided in the political arena. The only real difference now is that we all have a forum to have our voices heard. (The internet) Our viewpoints may be louder now, but they are no more divisive than they were 100 years ago.

The lies in political ads, from both parties, is frightening. They are, I am sad to say, are more vicious than I remember them ever being. Even when something has proven to be false, the ads continue to run, and the opposing party continues to argue the minutia of the truth of these ads.

The struggle to gain or hold power has always caused the worst in human nature. Combine that with actual threats to your homeland, and you have a potential for abuse that is more scary than anything else. Those in power who use fear to strip rights from those they are supposedly elected to represent are, in the long term, more of a threat to America than the enemies they purport to fight and oppose.

So when/if you take your kids out trick ‘or treating tonight, and see all the depictions of ghosts and goblins, remember, the real boggy man or woman usually don’t come at your with sharp teeth and an ax, but with a smile and a bumper sticker.