It's the most beautiful thing humans can do, not giving into fear. What I've seen coming out of Paris reassures me that the people know and believe this with all their hearts. Their examples of grace and perseverance have been awe-inspiring. Lessons I wish we had learned here, for ourselves, and for everyone we dragged (and continue to drag) into the mindless whirlpool of our fear. Thankfully, there were some sane minds who wrote clarifying books in the ensuing years, and I have wished that the people here who need to read them the most would do so, and take heed from their wisdom. Two that have stood out, which I've clung to, are The Terror Dream by Susan Faludi and the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. Those books delineate in great relief the long-ago origins of American fear; that distinct, uniquely American fear which was not born on 9/11, but which we allowed to beget our explosive, destructive orgy of fear since. But as vital as those books are, they were only cold comfort, and we are still not paying attention. If only we had behaved as Paris is behaving now. I hope that one day soon we may finally figure that out.
_________________ Trying not to fuck shit up, since 1969
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