LETTER: Fear distorts elections, COVID-19, refugees

To the editor:

Fear — an emotion experienced in the mind.

Fear has the power to inhibit one’s rational thinking. It may be politically and culturally manipulated to persuade others of ideas that otherwise should be widely rejected. It also can dissuade people from idea that would otherwise be widely supported. Our world today is full of examples of fear being used to influence our thinking and divide us.

We value that our elections are secure. Yet people have been manipulated into believing there is widespread voter fraud. We also value honesty. However, fear of election fraud has been publicized, though the research has shown this is not true.

The Centers for Disease Control’s latest recommendation is that masks be worn in areas of the county where COVID-19 has spiked to concerning levels. However, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, Sen. Ron Johnson says it’s “time to reclaim liberty and end this state of fear.” He questions if masks “do more harm than good.” Research has shown clearly that masks reduce COVID-19 spread. So, fear has been used to stir emotions and make people think that masks are bad for their health.

Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy is being used as a temporary home to Afghan immigrants who have been rescued from a dangerous country. We should be having empathy for these individuals and do all we can do to help them. However, there is already the spreading of fear that these people haven’t been vetted thoroughly and are therefore dangerous. We should have trust that the process that is in place will function to keep Wisconsinites safe.

We need to be aware that we are being manipulated by some of what is said on Facebook or on conservative media. Misinformation (information that is inaccurate) and disinformation (false information that is meant to deceive) can cause fear. We need to be aware of situations where the emotion of fear is being generated for a certain outcome. We should be wary of politicians who use incorrect information to spread fear.

Richard J. Hansen, Wittenberg

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