FEAR MONGER?

H. Bosch's representation of Medieval brain surgery.Perhaps a cure for mongered fear. 

The anniversary of New York's 911 horror reminds me each year: Our country was psychologically healthier before that incident. Now, like other lame survivors of mass trauma around the world, we have succumbed to weepy protestations of hurt feelings and imagined transgressions. With the growth of masses, so trauma also grows ... and the social-political repercussions which accompany it.

I have been called a fear monger on my digital neighborhood message board several times in the last year. For those who are unfamiliar with the "monger" moniker, it refers to a vocal peddler in a street market. Fishmongers are British icons.

I do not intentionally monger fear. The accusation has come from men, apparently of a certain age, in response to any critical or scientific reference I have made concerning environmental pollution when adding my two cents to a posted discussion. For example, I cited the known fact that 5G wireless signals will increase environmental radiation. "You're fear mongering!" cried one stalwart. 

I find it interesting that women on this message board are not susceptible to my fear mongering in the least. In fact, they are fiercer than I in pointing out pollution issues in our community. And, most interesting to me, they are never accused of fear mongering. This leads me to hypothesize in two ways: (1) The apparently straight men on the message board are scared shitless of women, or (2) My crossing gender lines by being frank about science and pollution is seen as an anxiety-provoking betrayal of the fraternal masses. 

Is The Land of Stupid a predominantly male province? I think not. I am exposed daily to enough gum-chewing drivel from females in my vicinity to dispel that notion immediately. However, among the educated and literate participants of the neighborhood board I frequent, the men seem to corner hysteria and voluntary ignorance.

Maybe this is a symptom of our new cultural role reversal between men and women? Women are becoming the outspoken amazons of social justice while men are becoming the cowardly cuckolds who serve those newly inflated female egos, egged on by major media propaganda. 

Being in the uncommitted middle of those time-worn gender battles is never new to me as a gay man. But I am somewhat baffled by its infecting the communication on a bourgeois message board of a wealthy suburban community. The thought of a retired wealthy straight man being traumatized by my comments on noise pollution or environmental radiation is rather startling, if not also quite amusing. 

In any case, I intend to hone my skills as a fear monger. It is the least I can do for the environment.