As a child I grew up fearing discipline from my dad. That fear of paying the consequences of my actions kept me on the right path, and trained me to be a good person.
In 1985 I was in an automobile accident that nearly killed me - one that left me in a comatose condition for a long time - one that I should not have survived. Fearing another possibility of such an episode in my life, I have been a loyal wearer of seatbelts ever since. I chose to wear a seatbelt because of my life experiences, which filled me with fear when I encountered that storm of life.
Having humble beginnings, I have worked very hard in my life for fear that I may be someday poor again should I not work so hard. I have found success, and continue to maintain that success out of fear of living in poverty again someday.
Once, when I was conducting fielding practice for my baseball team I knocked a ball out of the air with the baseball bat I was holding, and the ball ricocheted off the bat and into my eye, knocking me out cold for a moment. Out of fear of that happening again, I don't knock balls out of the air with my bat anymore.
Fear of separation from God led me to Him, and the acceptance of Christ as my savior.
Fear, like most things in life, can have a positive impact in our lives. We learn from fear. We grow because of fear. We strive because of fear.
But, like many other things in life that can have positive affects on our lives, fear can be wielded like a sword, and used to cause harm, and even control the actions of people.
Hitler used fear to control his nation and wage war against the world. Stalin used fear to control his people, and keep them in line. Many agendas in today's society uses fear to herd the people into a corner, forcing them to bow down and give concessions to the agenda.
I normally don't scare easy.
Something I have learned over the many years of my life, though it took a long while to pound it into my thick skull, is that there are people out there willing to use scare tactics to get their point across. I receive hate e-mail (ironically calling me a "hater," no less) constantly. These radical members of the liberal left call me every name in the book, and a few names that have yet to grace its pages. I am crucified by these people for being a follower of Jesus Christ, for calling homosexuality a perversion, and for declaring Islam to be a political ideology (rather than religion) of hate and violence.
Certain members of the liberal left have made it plain and clear that they do not like the fact that I say what I think, have an optimistic view of America should we choose to move in the direction set forth by our fore-fathers, and call it as I see it when it comes to the Democratic Party's Marxist Agenda.
I realize that individual idiots do not always represent a whole group. Nonetheless, notes delivered to my doorstep referencing my blog and radio show with threatening messages toward me and my wife, broken windows, black markers applied to my conservative and Christian bumper stickers, prank calls (on my show and at home) recommending I receive gay activities up my south end, and comments that I am guilty of "hate crimes," are only coming from the left side of the political spectrum. And if you go to You Tube and enter Political Pistachio in the search window, below the top video (which is X-Dhimmi Deb's fantastic video of my position on the Second Amendment) is a whole line of Muslim Videos (with Political Pistachio Radio in the description).
It is fair to say I have made my share of political enemies.
But when threats are hand delivered to my home, it makes me a little skittish.
The authorities claim that the attack is nothing more than a prank, or a minor case of harassment.
Looking back on the situation, if I made any mistakes, it was shutting everything down like I did. I allowed those that wish to silence me to do exactly that. They got to me. They got my goat, as my dad would say. They pushed my buttons, and filled me with fear. Not fear for myself, but fear for the safety of those that I love.
The power of fear was used against me, hoping to silence me.
Mrs. Pistachio, my lovely wife, told me to practice what I preach, rather than be silenced at the first sign of a threat. "They want to scare you into silence," she said. "They wish to bully you into submission."
Now, patrols have increased in my neighborhood, the security system has been updated, and a surveillance system has been ordered.
And Political Pistachio has returned - with a fire burning hotter than before.
Rather than be silenced, I have been reminded the reason that I blog and host my radio show.
Thank you, anonymous attacker, whoever you are, for reminding me that the world is full of idiots like you.
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