Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things by Glassner - Essay Example

Lecturer: The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things The American society is often bombarded by various issues, statements, news, talk, gossip etc. that often substitute facts with scenarios. As the master of terror, Alfred Hitchcock would put it – there exists no terror in the bang, only in its anticipation, fear mongers in the United States, have perfected the art of depicting would-be disasters as potential disasters waiting to happen. The media is one of the primary catalysts for this fear through the use of TV Shows, News coverage and the social media. The following are various scenarios that have replaced real issues/ facts that Americans should be really worried about. The is the ever present alert over road use, with different journalists and media personalities portraying a damaging image of the United States road usage. Fears are sold through the media, as there is more coverage with millions of Americans being informed on a constant basis. Percentage figures are often used to show the dramatic increase in road carnage; with the media, print, television and radio carrying out thousands of stories about road carnage. The media is an essential asset in the society. This is clearly brought out in the book. Journalists and reporters have a role to play in the society. When they report erroneous and issues that have no facts, they can destroy the society especially through incitation (Glassner 20). The actual truth is that, road rage and its resultant carnage is on a very slow increase; this measurable in terms of years. The Pygmalion effect takes root, when more talk about road rage may result in the likely classification of incidents as accidents by police officers, reporters and insurance agents. Markedly has the increase been in the categorization of new dangers that lack out there, ready to do harm to the American public – from carjackers, home invasion robbers, kidnappers to deranged postal workers. Rather than confronting the society’s disturbing outcomes, the public engages, on a constant basis, in discussions that are centered on troubled individuals (Glassner 70). Campuses and schools are also new trouble areas where all manner of ills occur. Killer kids, is often used to refer to the children responsible for any eventual fatalities; the public not taking into account a number of factors such as socialization, mental disorders among others that may have contributed largely to the violence witnessed. A few incidences, in which students engage in violent actions, which often end in fatalities, are often overstated in the media and also among the surrounding communities. Gun control laws instead of gaining more support, often are received with criticism; this due to the fact that a majority of the public do feel safe when they are armed. This not only exacerbates the issue, but also entails an increase in the quantity of weapons available to the public (Glassner 45). America’s health care system is top notch, with life expectancy having doubled. The US is able to both control and cure diseases now more than ever before, but tales abound as to the exceptional numbers of Americans who die from different complications; this supported by statistics that are often biased or completely wrong. American males, especially of African-American descent are often considered as criminals, with their White counterparts being considered as potential mass murderers; this after the wake of the Oklahoma bombing. Another aspect that is often exaggerated is on day-care workers, the clergy and pre-school teachers who supposedly sexually assault children. The different regulations that prohibit physical contact between the above and children may have aided in these fears. These fears have necessitated resource wastage on lengthy investigations and trials to expensive surveillance equipment that is to be used so as to curb any incident. The result has been that the American criminal justice system overheads have almost reached the $100 billion annually, monies that would have been better utilized in domestic spending such as antipoverty programs and child welfare (Glassner 120). It is profitable, to some quarters, to continue blowing dangers out of proportion; this for ratings, profits, votes and donations, as espoused by various remarks from journalists, marketers, politicians and advocacy groups. The term – War on Terror, is an example where the trend that continues unabated, only adds in fuelling more fear and panic among the general populace. There has been a shift in direction – with the terrorist replacing the local villain as epitomized by the media and politicians, the presentation of victims as persons with expertise, misdirection, and the treatment of isolated incidences as trends – all applied successfully (Glassner 160). Social stratification also brings out fear, with the poor being portrayed as both unsympathetic and threatening; this instead of dealing with issues that lead to the widening gap between the rich and poor. There is the correlation between poor people and crime that often adds to the existing fear. The youth are often publicized as facing various challenges that are responsible for their various actions or acts of violence. Different but faulty diagnosis and resultant cures are often callous, with little to no statistical backing. Mothers also have not escaped the fear mongering cycle, with the term – monster moms being presented about the few cases in which females have been the perpetrators of acts of violence. The converse is true, since mothers are often caring and the homemakers in society (Glassner 120). In conclusion, misdirection, coupled with flawed statistics continues to fuel the fear and panic in the American society. The Media, political class, and law enforcement agencies and their various actions and utterances only add to the fear, with unknown and unverified illnesses taking centre stage. Different fictional issues, such as the Martian invasion among others also add to the increase in the public’s overall fear. Americans are therefore losing a great deal in terms of stunted economic enhancement, psychological disturbances, policy formulation and enactment among others due to the created and/ or perceived fear. The author has clearly brought the issues that existed in America especially issues dealing with politics, media, law enforcement. The author has also talked about the healthcare system that was present in America including its benefits and pitfalls. Work cited Glassner, By Barry. The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things. New York, NY: Basic Books, 1999. Print. Read More