Message to the fearful, “I cannot, and will not, follow you.” We’ve been hearing a lot about the word “terrorist” in recent editorials, often in the context of alarming, and secret forces among us.

Many of the letters to the editor have been authored by people who appear unnaturally fearful of suffering a great loss of freedoms and rights. I have no inclination to give into the cancer of “fear” that grips so many recent authors of commentaries and editorial letters.

For example, one author challenged the reader to search and find the “bloody facts” about wolves attacking humans. The author stepped over the line of reason when he over-dramatically painted a picture of loved ones being ripped apart by wolves and bleeding to death. Did he mean to instill terror in the hearts of all rural folks just to make his point? If he did, he failed before he began, because his tactic was to use the issue of wolves, with embellished hysteria, to convince readers that everybody except those who think like him is unenlightened.

There are plenty of legitimate considerations to raise (against plans to reintroduce predators where we have established ranching) without resorting to fanning the flames of anti-(fill in the blank) movements against good Americans.

Give me reasoned thoughts, unveil all your hidden truths, find information that will be helpful to deal with the challenge at hand. The moment I read emotional “hype,” the author loses me. He is too fearful to be trusted.

Give me confidence that I can follow honest men and women of integrity, not some anonymous Three-S Club of “shoot, shovel and shut up.” I cannot accept that. No one should accept that.

Another author of a letter to the editor claimed, “America today is a conquered nation.” I do not accept that. I see my family, friends and neighbors going about their lives with dignity and reasonable success. They work and sweat and give to those around them. I am proud of them. They are not slaves to fear of some “invisible” force undermining their lives. They are not slaves to fears as expressed by at least three recent writers to the Eagle.

Take heart and recognize that, among us here in Grant County and throughout the country, there are decent people effectively protecting our American values, including Christian values.

When we see abuses of power that seep into human institutions – including our churches, schools and governments – it is our responsibility to speak out. That does not make any one of these groups or individuals evil, nor the enemy; they are just people with flaws, just like us. We should not fear them, we should be reaching out to them.

Vague warnings of doom appeal to dispirited people.

In response to those who would use fear as a tactic to polarize people, I would say that a “little intimidation” is as objectionable as a “little terrorism.”

The wolf at our door that we all should fear is the lack of faith that good people will prevail.

In the end, if we do nothing more than focus on saving our own souls and loving our neighbors as ourselves, God’s will shall prevail, not human agendas.

If we just focus on being Christians who reach out and give, and love our neighbors and even our perceived enemies, we will be far more effective at preserving the values we cherish.

K. Scheurer

Ritter