The only thing we have to fear is fear itself …2.0

By: Devoe Park, Associate Editor, Press Corp 

Last week it was reported by Townhall.com that The California Interscholastic Federation notified school districts across the state that they ”feared” the “USA” chant used at sporting and school  events would be use  in a derogatory manner and therefore should be banned. No society should live in fear of expressing their enthusiasm for their roots. Nor should they suppress their patriotism out of fear of offending.

Perhaps the greatest secular words spoken about fear from came from Franklin Roosevelt in his inaugural address …………. “The Only thing we have to fear is itself”.  At the time we were in in the height of the Great Depression. By saying this he was telling the American people that their fear was making things worse. He goes on to say, “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. These very words can be applied to the climate of issues that began with the Great Recession of 2007 and are going on in 2017.

This is indeed something as individuals that come from different cultures and as Americans are called to embrace and teach in present day. We as Americans are not called to fear and censor. It takes action not select suppression of freedom of speech to stop bullying. Too much time is wasted on being afraid. We cannot erase past transgressions we can only learn and grow forward.

 There are distinct roles of administrators of government from the role of parents. Frankly these administrators need to step up on creating effective curriculum that teaches the history both the good and the bad. A chant of U-S-A  can be and is a reminder of our victory and triumph over suppression past, and future. We are a society which continues to evolve from our transgressions and committed to healing the wounds and uniting all who chosen to assimilate freely as American citizens. Yes there have been atrocities not only in American society but in all human cultures. If wasn’t for the courage of those such as i.e. Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, Martin Luther history would have not evolved. They refused to live in fear and freely spoke up and fought against the wrongs. They were not afraid  to speak freely.

We all live in the UNITED States some born here and some who have chosen to be here. United in that unlike others we the people have chosen (not government) the freedoms to choose differently from our past and not censor it. For a society that has embraced inclusion and unity we need to embrace that we are American and Community not victims of a dictatorship or puppets who are forced to rely on government. Regardless whether one is God fearing or atheist in a community there is indeed u-n-i-t-y. Unity to teach the freedom to chant USA and to teach about the history including the good and the bad. Furthermore it takes a community not government to teach the next generation the difference about wrongness of such things that have occurred in history and to not repeat it.