Letters: Reader afraid of what’s coming

I am afraid, very afraid.

I am afraid of all the people I talk to who don’t want to talk about politics. I am afraid of all those who delete any political emails.

I am afraid of all the people who don’t know who holds what office or what they are doing.

I am afraid of the people who are trusting and don’t want to vote or get involved.

I am afraid of the people who don’t understand the likelihood of their grandchildren working in a Chinese-style rice field for life.

I am afraid of those who do not watch the news and stay informed. I am afraid of those who trust politicians and vote a party ticket, regardless of the character of the individual.

I am afraid of all the people who think everything will work out all right, who have never seen a bankrupt nation and think that it can’t happen here.

I am afraid of all the goofy foreign philosophies and savage religions permeating our schools and the minds of young people.

I am afraid of all the young people who don’t know the difference between change and improvement. I am afraid of all those who have not learned the importance of loyalty to your nation and its traditions and beliefs.

I am afraid, not for me, I am 75 and it no longer matters; but for all the younger people who will wake up one day wondering what happened.

PATRICK HUGHES

quality and business consultant

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by Triple - 23/05/2012

Beabea,  Agreed fear is a barrier to rational thought, hyper-partisanship can also lead to irrational ranting, case in point, this very discussion thread.  The author may resemble Chicken-Little, but his one valid fear (IMO), his mention of a bankrupt nation.  I know your opinion of austerity in the current economy, however, borrowing 40% of every dollar spent is not a road map for success.   Eventually change will come, proactive probably better than reactive.

2) Comment by Being_Stupid - 23/05/2012

Be not afraid.

3) Comment by gofigger - 23/05/2012

@DMJ - you must be as perfect as that old man that always comments on Vitter.

4) Comment by DMJ - 23/05/2012

Anyone else think of Vitter when they read "I am afraid of those who trust politicians and vote a party ticket, regardless of the character of the individual."? Usually, when politicians (of both parties) disgrace themselves, they go away...or at least don't run for elected office again. Just goes to show you, in Louisiana, all you need is an R next to your name, even if you're running against someone who voted against the Affordable Car Act, against Cap and Trade and was a vocal critic of the deep water drilling moratorium. Ahh...Louisiana...

5) Comment by beabea - 22/05/2012

The challenges of these times demand people who seek out facts, whatever they may be, and then apply critical thought and rational analysis to what they learn. That is very hard to do when one lives in a state of fear.

6) Comment by gofigger - 22/05/2012

Mr. Hughes speaks with great wisdom. We should all be concerned with politics and governmental affairs for neither are your true friends. As another wise man said "keep your friends close and your enemies closer".

7) Comment by twinkie1cat - 22/05/2012

Jobo: They have to find some way to justify their attitudes because Jesus is standing right there in front of them, they claim to belong to him and yet they are still conservative, homophobic, racist, classist, sexist anti-immigration, bellicose and just plain greedy. Their attitude reminds me of the rich, young ruler who wanted to follow Jesus but still make money his god. I think the conservative church today would asassinate Jesus all over again.

8) Comment by twinkie1cat - 22/05/2012

Yall, there is nothing irrational about Mr. Hughes fears. He is looking at reality and is concerned. Learn from history or you will be forced to repeat it. For Elderly Man: I totally agree about the calls from Vitter. If they can rake John Edwards over the coals, why not that pervert. Conservatives need to keep their curtains closed and use an alias. And then he dares come out against gay rights! Hypocrite! Foreign philosophies and savage religions include among their worst Louisiana Family Forum and cult churches like Bethany where they kick people out for disagreeing with the pastor's theological interpretations.

9) Comment by jobo - 22/05/2012

I don't know, some interpretations of Judeo-Christian religion are pretty savage, such as the one that the Right has developed to reconcile being selfish (i.e., Objectivism, Randism, whatever you want to call it) and the teachings of Jesus.

10) Comment by twinkie1cat - 22/05/2012

You are right to be afraid because some people WANT to stay ignorant . Politicians know that and will take advantage of people who would vote for Hitler if he said he was pro-life and join whatever mega-church entertained them with fun music and a loud, homophobic preacher. They don't want to consider what Louisiana will be like when only those who can pay can get a decent education for their children at some for-profit run charter school or a religious school whose purpose is evangelism into their narrow, bigoted, politicized substitute for faith, and when the poor are dying in the streets for lack of medical care. Actually, Mr. Hughes it does still matter for you because senior citizens are one of the main groups the conservatives are attacking. If you are healthy you may be around for another 20 years. With the efforts to privatize Medicaid and Medicare, Jindal firing the head of Senior Services for disagreeing with his efforts to steal the funding for services and the recent attempts to destroy CATS and leave people who can't drive without transportation so they will be forced into for-profit nursing homes, seniors are in the gun sites. So keep voting, keep advocating and make people aware of what is going on. If they see you online they cannot dismiss you if they don't realize you are a senior citizen. Even our good president is making a mistake by courting the youth vote so hard. Seniors vote and we are not all a bunch of close minded conservatives. We are the hippies too.

11) Comment by InPVille - 22/05/2012

Given limited time, energy and ability to change the problems of your environment, if you think it is profitable to tilt at windmills, knock yourself out.

12) Comment by UrbanModerate - 22/05/2012

Yes, @DMJ. Sounds like someone has a bit of a superiority complex.

13) Comment by DMJ - 22/05/2012

I'm afraid of all the old people who still want us to fight the Cold war and Richard Nixon's culture wars over and over. Also, anyone else weirded out by the "foreign philosophies and savage religions" bit?

14) Comment by CountryBoysCanSurvive - 22/05/2012

2 em..send him a picture of you naked, the calls will stop.

15) Comment by InPVille - 22/05/2012

I realized long ago that change is the only constant. Change is a split between improvement and decline with the respective ratios changing from time to time. Adopt an attitude of "Whatever happens, I can deal with it" beats the heck out of worrying.

16) Comment by dday198 - 22/05/2012

i'm afraid of those that hang on and believe every word of right-wing or left- wing media and consume nothing more than one side of what's going on in this country. i'm afraid of super packs forcing our children into working in those rice fields

17) Comment by Elderly Man - 22/05/2012

I am disgusted with receiving recurring telephone calls from the detestable Senator David Vitter. I do not like the filthy man calling my house.

18) Comment by beabea - 22/05/2012

I'm afraid of people like Mr. Hughes, who react out of irrational fears.