Friday was another uneventful day as O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members continued their work and continued to feed television broadcasts to viewers around the country. It was hard to describe the plethora of information that was being imparted. Each hour brought something new to the screen, as discussions covered a broad range of topics. Some O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members held round-table discussions about how to add more political parties to America's political system, eliminating the stranglehold now enjoyed by the Republicans and Democrats, neither of which truly represented the people anymore. There was lively oration on how to quell the hubris and avarice that all-too-often infects those with power, wealth and status.
One interesting "program" that had been played multiple times over the past few weeks had been the result of a question from a 15-year-old Oklahoma girl who called in to ask, "Why are we afraid of terrorists?" A rhetorical reply had been formulated, then broadcast:
"We're afraid of terrorists for the same reasons they're afraid of us; for the same reasons white people are afraid of black people; for the same reasons Christians are afraid of Muslims; for the same reasons rich people are afraid of poor people; for the same reasons a young, beautiful high school girl is afraid of her not-so-beautiful classmate; for the same reasons big, powerful nations with weapons of mass destruction don't want smaller nations to have their own nuclear weapons of mass destruction; for the same reasons George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were afraid of their own shadows; for the same reasons a scientific community which believes in evolution is afraid of a religious community which believes in creationism; for the same reasons we'd all be scared out of our wits if this planet was ever attacked by a more advanced, superior civilization of extra-terrestrials with the intelligence and technologies to travel billions of light years to reach Earth.
So we learn to bully others; avoid those who aren't like us; deman those whom we don't consider to be our 'equals'; and fight to protect ourselves by whom we feel threatened. It's all a matter of trust. We don't trust terrorists, they don't trust us. We'd rather live with restricitons upon our own personal freedoms than risk living with risk.
We're afraid of our own shortcomings and flaws. Whatever it is (that we believe makes us superior to others) also causes us to be afraid of those we consider inferior. Instead of trying to reach a commonality and come to understand that we're all really a lot more 'equal' than we care to admit, we allow our fears to fester into hatred, bigotry, jealousy and war.
Hatred begets hatred. Bigotry begets bigotry. Jealouy begets jealousy. War begets war.
We fear the unknown.......be afraid....be VERY afraid."
The fifteen minute program had become one of the more popular O.U.T.R.A.G.E. segments as noted psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors joined in the discussion, offering their professional explanations as to this phenomena. Perhaps Dr. Joyce Brothers explained it most succinctly when she joined the forum. "Many middle-aged men have become financially successful, often through nothing more than the luck of the draw. As their success escalates, some of these multi-millionaires and billionaires can't get rid of one nagging question in the back of their minds. 'Why ME?' Their success - and the reason for it - becomes an evil obsession, particularly among men who have inherited great wealth without ever really doing anything to earn it. While most deal with it rationally, and find useful or productive outlets, some men fear that they'll be 'found out' - that someday people will recognize that they are nothing special, nothing even noteworthy. This inner fear drives some men to extreme, dangerous, reckless behavior, which ultimately destroys their lives. Many turn to addictions, such as alcohol, drugs, sex or gambling. Others try a bravado approach, such as driving high-powered race cars, flying, or mountain-climbing. Sadly, some also mire themselves in pedophilia or the seamy world of transvestites. Why do you think rich men are willing to pay $2,500 for a 'golden shower'? They want to be humiliated, as a means of expressing regret for the circumstances of their financial success. Few people deal with 'instant' wealth well; few people can deal with wealth that was bestowed upon them without working for it. While women deal with it better by lavishing fur coats, expensive vacations, jewelry and clothes on themselves, they, too, can be dramatically disaffected by wealth the didn't earn. They take on numerous young lovers - gigolos, if you will - as they desperately search for 'true love'. Paris Hilton is a notable example of such excess. Two years ago she publicly announced a 'sabbatical' from sex, only to be discovered with a ring of young boys she kept in her New York mansion as virtual sex slaves, available to her at her whimsical bidding. It's this kind of excess that the members of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. believe has led to the descent of American civility, morality and purpose."
Indeed, that was one of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. objectives: to bring American citizens back to the reality of decency and respect.
There was still much healing to be done.