Fear can be alleviated by hope at this time in lives

At this time in our nation’s history, we have much to fear.

Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. It can be real or imagined. This “loss of control” may cause us to panic.

Hope, however, is always possible when we begin to look at the whole picture positively and begin to believe something good could happen.

We need hope right now.

The coronavirus has caused many of us to fear for our lives or those we care about. A vaccine will bring us hope for a better tomorrow. The fact that the Biden administration will follow the science and has a detailed plan for distribution should alleviate some of our fears.

Because our children have had virtual classes, we may fear our country’s youth are not receiving the schooling that they need to make their future’s successful. Again, there is hope that Congress can come up with relief for school districts who are struggling to make their staff and school’s environment safe.

Fear can also come from the news we hear on television or social media. Our democracy is being challenged by doubt that some of the 150 million ballots cast in the November election were fraudulent. Despite these claims by our current president, there is the hope that our constitution is working and our elections were free from fraud.

Intelligence reports we hear from agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement sources can also cause fear. According to John Cohn, a former DHS counterterrorism professional, “the most significant terror related threat facing the United States today comes from violent extremists who are motivated by white supremacy and other far-radical right ideological causes.”

We all remember the hypersensitive emotions caused by George Floyd’s death by police last summer. This incident led to non-violent protests all over the world. For too long, beginning with the shooting of an innocent Black youth named Trayvon Martin in 2012, minorities were being killed by law enforcement and people were fed up. Those who believe that Black and brown Americans deserve to be treated fairly feel motivated and use their First Amendment right of free speech to rise up and show their support.

Unfortunately, United States-based violent extremists have capitalized on the increased social and political tensions in 2020. They have tried to exploit the “social grievances” driving lawful protests with their actions. The Black Lives Matter movement has been overshadowed by far-right extremists known for hate speech and conspiracy theories. Groups like the Proud Boys, who are known for racist statements, have emerged on the scene.

White supremacists believe that white people are superior to people of other races and that white people should dominate people of other races. The DHS and the FBI have stated that these domestic white supremacist groups pose the greatest threat of terrorist attacks in the United States of America. Though Donald Trump will not condemn these white supremacist groups, he has instead tried to label any left-leaning demonstrators as Antifa.

There are small groups who call themselves Antifa. They are, for the most part, a broad group of individuals with no central leadership. They have political beliefs that lean toward the left but do not conform to the Democratic platform. Many members support oppressed populations and protest the amassing of wealth by corporations and elites. Some have been known to employ radical or militant tactics to get out their messages. The DHS has not identified these groups as terrorists.

It has been hard to determine which groups or individuals instigated the violence and looting that occurred in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha. We, as Americans and human beings, cannot look away from the oppression of minority populations with a blind eye.

In a Joe Biden administration, police departments would not be defunded. Instead, there is hope that they could be funded and reformed in such a manner where the role of the police is public safety and law enforcement rather than trying to force the police into the role of social workers, mental health specialists and youth counselors.

President-elect Biden says he will work for social and racial justice. There is a ray of hope that reforms will take place. We need community programs which address the grievances of marginalized groups. This would help reduce the tensions that exist between the police and the communities where they work.

Joe Biden brings us a feeling of hope. He wants us to open our hearts and heal this country. Eighty million voters, the highest popular vote ever, have faith that our nation can be made whole again.

The majority of the people in this country want to believe that we can be the United States of America once again.

The Christmas holiday is filled with feelings of love and peace. It is a time when we are encouraged to dream again, to respect one another again and, by the grace of God, to begin to heal. May the holiday season bring you hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Jan Koch is a Shawano resident and the chairwoman for the Shawano County Democratic Party.