“Let’s talk Food, Fear and Safety”

What is going on? First terror alerts about Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Hamas, war, school shootings, and now the food? What do have the ability to do? Instill FEAR! Is there a conspiracy to increase fear in our society? Sometimes I think so. Is it all a coincidence? Will the latest scare about food cause further reduction of civil liberties? What freedoms will we give up now to ensure our safety?

I received an e-mail last week that included a powerpoint presentation. It read, “Can’t eat beef… mad cow disease, Can’t eat chicken… bird flu, Can’t eat eggs… salmonella, Can’t eat pork trichinosis, (I didn’t know what the heck it was until a physician friend of mine told me that it is a parasite found in pigs that can cause severe muscular pain and fever in humans).

Can’t eat fruits and vegetables … insecticides and herbicides. So what can you eat? Chocolate is what the presentation concluded and that I should forward the e-mail or risk OBESITY, yet another (fear) for some people. It was meant as a joke, and quite funny I must add, it stuck with me. It told me one thing that fear is becoming an increasing part of our nation.

Just a couple of weeks ago we had the spinach crisis, last week carrot scare and just this morning lettuce may be dangerous. In my opinion safety is a perceived notion concocted by people who seek to control the masses and their movement. Homeland Security can no more protect me or you than the local police.
Yes, we must have government and police to maintain order, but to blindly put faith in these mediums is naïve. They cannot guarantee safety, if they could there would be no rapes happening every 5 minutes, no abductions, and no murders?

As it relates to food, there are some things beyond our control as it relates to nature, and we are subjected to test, which may in some cases lead to deaths. However, FEAR is not an option. When we see so many reports bombarding us with negative images that instill fear, I remembered an acronym that I learned sometime ago that is perfect for this post. FEAR = F alse, E vidence, A ppearing,R eal. I can’t help but wonder if what we are hearing is all truth or if we/media have been presented with something false to further instill fear within this society.

Fear can have two affect, cause a person to become paralyzed or cause a person to move with haste to avoid the perceived danger. Sure we can create methods in which to secure and prepare people but realistically the promises to ensure safety are futile. We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled into believing safety is sure in every situation.

George Orwell was once quoted as saying… "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

The truth in my opinion is no one is completely safe. Katrina proved this just by her violent destruction of New Orleans and the some 3,000 or so lives that perished. Those who put there complete faith and devotion in the human protections is already asleep. Only God has this power. There is a season for everything. There is no escaping death. So go on eat your chicken, eat your beef, eat your pork and your veggies!
Peace, Vanessa