I read an article the other day about how in a single generation, the activities of children have completely changed. Seemingly, the reason that kids are all a bunch of fatties these days is because all they do is watch TV, play video games, and surf the internet. (The irony that these are also the only things that I do is not lost on me. )The article went on to speculate as to a few of the causes, like media being interesting than real life etc., but the one that really blew my mind is that some parents are afraid to let their children leave the house. One mother was quoted as saying “I would never let my kids go to the park, that’s where the kidnappers and pedophiles are.”

Oh my sweet lord, has it really come to this?

I don’t know what screwed up parks this lady is frequenting, but I’d suggest taking a look around. I’ve been to a lot of parks, and I’m yet to be raped, killed, robbed, stabbed, shot, yelled at, or talked to. Am I just lucky? Did I miss all of the warning signs? I think not. Let me go out on a limb here and say something: There is no more crime today than there was 50 years ago.

Obviously there are more criminal acts perpetrated, but I would be willing to bet that, per capita, not much has changed. What has changed is that media. With television, the internet, movies, and newspapers all screaming “THE WORLD IS A DANGEROUS PLACE” it can be pretty hard to ignore. Do you want to know what is extremely dangerous? Driving your car. There is one traffic related fatality every day in Alberta, not to mention countless injuries. Every time you step into the car you are putting your life at risk. If you’re going to be afraid of anything, be afraid of driving. Do you want to know something else that’s extremely dangerous? The flu. Yup, your everyday garden variety flu kills kids and old people like they’re going out of style. Do you want to know what didn’t really kill many people? SARS and West Nile. When West Nile was rearing its ugly head I’d often hear people say stuff like “you can’t go out anymore, what with West Nile and all.” To these people I would often ask “what is West Nile? What are the symptoms? What can happen?” Nine times out of then, they can’t really answer. Sure, SARS was freaky and all, I personally got a little caught up with that one, but at the end of the day it didn’t really do all that much damage. If you want damage, look no further than the plague. Now that disease kicked some ass.

I would like to point out to the world that yes, you are afraid. All of this propaganda about terrorism, and orange alerts is just a facade. There is no threat. People are terrified of terrorists. I have absolutely no idea why. Last year in America I’m pretty sure that zero of 350 million people died of terrorism. Frankly, I like those odds. Yet, due to the overwhelmingly imminent threat of impending doom that only terrorism can offer, the Patriot Act has been permanently established to protect the freedom of the American people. How do they intend to protect the freedom of the people by harshly limiting it? Sure you’re free, unless you do something that seems “terroristy”. Then your ass is off to Guantanimo, beeotch.

I would rather risk the terrorists than live under the constant repression of fear and paranoia. You’re not actually free to live if you’re afraid to leave you home. Do you want to live you life? Then do as I do. First, boycott the news. The news preys on fear and sensationalism and has very little to do with reality. Second. take a trip. Go some place warm and sunny, and be sure to fly there. Third, let your fat kids play outside. They’ll be fine, and if, God forbid, something terrible does happen, at least your fat kid will have lived at some point in their lives.

I refuse to subject myself to living under the thumb of fear. I will do what I want to do, I will think what I want to think, and I will say what I want to say. That is freedom. An odd quote from an odd source, but in the cheesy movie The American President there is a point where Michael Douglas says:

“You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil who is standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the ‘land of the free’? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the ‘land of the free.’”

That is freedom. People seem to have lost track of that.