ANXIETY SOCIETY

The horrific events of September 11, 2001 turned America into a nation steeped in fear and uncertainty, however, our culture developed into an anxiety society long before the day of terrorist carnage.

In less than three decades America was transformed into a superficial society of extremes and selfish interests replete with political rancor, social aggression, failed education, incompetent government, legal anarchy, hyper-commercialism, shallow entertainment and obsessive news media.

Indeed, the recession was well underway before the attack on America pushed the economy over the edge. Only now can we clearly see that the bubble burst simply because the bloated technology revolution, stockmarket madness, mind-numbing greed and instant gratification created a mythical need for speed that resulted in a fraudulent search for utopia and profound stress.

America has been assaulted by selfish interests and battered by the failures of good intentions, enough. Alas, it's tragic that it takes something like this horror to jerk society into the delicate reality around us. And now that our humanity, purpose, common sense and patriotism rises to face life as it really is, perhaps it's time to re-examine ourselves and put our house in order.

Surely, we must defend ourselves and make America safe, but while doing so, we should take truth, family, community, education and democracy off the back shelves, where they've been neglected -- spoiling -- far too long, and move them to the front of our lives.

If we don't come to reasonable terms with ourselves and our place in the world, a protracted war with terrorism, exacerbated by media-driven chaos, will undoubtedly make things even worse.

Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
The Direct Democracy Center