We're warned not to do things that will attract robbers while we Christmas shop.
We're given tips on how not to be low-hanging fruit for various criminals, from pickpockets to human traffickers, when we travel or go do things in crowds.
We women are warned not to go certain places alone, especially at night.
But nowadays, going to concerts, running in races, riding subways, pursuing our studies at school, tackling our duties at our workplaces and even attending church can make us targets of those using guns, bombs, poisons or even vehicles as weapons.
Stories of those who were attacked, injured and killed while doing all of the above are coming at us in quick succession. We're now reeling over the shooting near Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, which took place during a country music concert, when we never really got over the church shootings near Nashville, Tenn., and in Charleston, S.C. We're still grieving and shaking our heads over the nightclub shootings in Orlando, Fla., and Little Rock; the bombing at the Boston Marathon; the vehicle-ramming attacks in London; Barcelona; Nice, France; and Charlottesville, Va.
And it's impossible to predict where the next attack will come from.
A fact sheet posted June 8 by New Jersey's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, "New Propaganda Emphasizes Attacks at Large Gatherings," warned that Al-Qaeda and ISIS encouraged attacks in the United States during the summer. Trumpeted the headline of a Sept. 27, 2016, Washington Times story online: "Homegrown terrorists to target concerts, sporting events." And there is the assailant who is simply referred to as the "lone gunman," who kills for reasons not known to us ... perhaps not even known to him.
Seems like yesterday that things like this happened only in places like, well, Beirut.
It's easy to wonder if such tragedies will turn us all into hermits. Will we become our best friend's spouse -- who, grumbles our friend, can't be persuaded to leave the house and go have some fun? Will we become that other friend who we can never get to go to concerts or festivals with us because she hates crowds? Will we end up barred in our homes, where we can order food, clothes and other needs/wants; be entertained; get our exercise; and, in many cases, even work for a living ... disregarding the possibility that we could still become victims of home invasions, computer hackings and identity theft?
I, for one, hope not. In this hour our worst enemy can be our own fear.
My fear is that our fear will keep us from -- to use a phrase I mention every so often here -- stopping to smell the roses. My fear is that fear will keep us from taking walks in the park, hiking a trail, cozying up under the stars to hear a band play, strolling our favorite mall, shopping center or retail promenade. My fear is that our fear will make us prisoners in our own minds; turn us into that isolated TV- or movie-trope character but with none of the guru-like wisdom or crazy-but-clever one-liners.
Franklin D. Roosevelt is known for that famous statement in his first inaugural address: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." It's so much more than a clever-sounding quote. It's something to take to heart, despite the times. If we become paranoid hermits, the devil will have won. We will have pawned our quality of life for the diaphanous "loan" of safety ... a loan we may never go back and pay off.
Sure, it's always good to follow the safety tips: Let people know where you are. Be aware of your surroundings. Be aware (within reason) of anomalies in the neighborhood: strange cars, strange people, stuff that should be there that isn't, stuff that shouldn't be there but is. Don't be so much a creature of habit. Have your car keys ready. Listen to your gut. Look confident. And, to those who are so inclined, say a prayer of protection for you and yours.
But the best way to pay our respects to those who died in all the aforementioned tragedies, and avoid being the ultimate victims, is not to let fear victimize us.
Don't fear the email:
hwilliams@arkansasonline.com
Style on 10/08/2017