Parenting in an Age of Fear
I used to experience the occasional horrible events of terrorism and gun violence without a strong personal reaction of fear. After September 11, 2001, I was greatly saddened, I was worried about the potential for war, and I had some immediate concern about whether or not Houston, where I was living, would be a target if there were still attacks to come. I felt concern for the Muslim community in Houston where I was living and in my hometown area of Detroit. But I didn't hesitate to fly on a plane when the opportunity next arose. I responded by hosting events on Islam at our church. I didn't experience fear at a visceral level, just sadness, as I recall. I didn't experience fear after the Oklahoma City bombing, either. With school shootings, I didn't experience fear after Columbine or Virginia Tech or any of the school shootings in between. After Sandy Hook, I heard a lot of people talking about fear, and a lot of people talking about how this doesn't incre