Fear is the anticipation, perception or sensation of danger, known or unknown. It is a survival instinct rooted in the prehistoric genetic code of all biological life in one form or another, back not so long ago really, when survival was all our brains were programmed for or even had to think about. The problem is that the kinds of dangers that most humans face these days are not physical in nature, but instead based on perceived dangers to cultural, social and or psychological states of being. As a result, the instinct to sense fear and hence to act based on this sense of danger is removed from its initial, instinctual purpose.
Combine this with the current American culture of over dependence on and attachment to physical possessions, abundance and mass media technologies, and you end up with a citizenry ripe to be ruled by fear. In turn, fear comes to be expressed as a shared group emotion rather than an individual one. It is in these times that civil liberties, individual expression and peace become endangered. A sort of "group-think" based on fear (and often then morphing into a perception of "us versus them" hatred) then arises.
Similar events occurred with the fall of the ancient Greek and Roman democratic institutions. Corruption, decadence, fear of losing those possessions and comforts, and political manipulation of these fears by individual monied interests resulted in a voluntary, systematic dismantling of the very democratic institutions their societies were built on. These first, great democratic institutions then evolved into autocratic and or dictatorial systems and which are embodied in the still popular histories of the Roman Emperors (after all, which would you rather read about – the exploits of mythic heroism and sacrifice in war or a recounting of the dry debates of a representative legislature).
And I guess that last bit feeds into another reasoning for our current situation: peace, democracy and the resulting slow pace of societal change are at root boring. We all have some residual violent instincts within us that must be fed every once in a while, like a dog that has to chew a bone to quell the instinctual desire to hunt and kill, whether through individual or collective action. And today here in the US, this collective hatred and intolerance is more and more of a social/cultural bent – i.e., the right-wing exclusionary drives to ban gay marriage, evolution and abortion (and anything else that isn't mentioned in the bible or the NRA handbook), the seemingly endless wars on terrorism and drugs, and the left-wing's outright hatred for Bush and co. (and I am solidly in on this latter one although I hope not as vehemently and as based in pure hatred as others!).
In this respect, I have some hope. History is cyclical and so this intense period of hatred and intolerance is due to go away eventually (and more quickly if everyone lends a hand to change our leadership!). It takes a collective effort to change things on such a grand scale and collective action begins with individual action, whether that takes the form of peaceful protests, volunteering, writing a letter to the editor, or just talking calmly and intelligently with those around you about these issues.
On a personal note: I see fear as such a massively pervasive factor in the transgender world. There are thousands and thousands of people out there living in such pure terror of expressing their true selves that in a sense they are really no longer living. I know, because until last year I was one of those people! I can't tell you how utterly freeing and exhilarating it is to walk out of such a deeply fear-inhibited closet and for once be able to breathe fresh air and be who I really am (for me some of the time that's a miniskirt and heels wearing vixen who likes to go out dancing, drinking, showing off, and teasing the occasional admirer!).
It's never too late to begin removing the fear from your life and start living as your true self! It is only then that we as a society can do the same...
