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'Girl power': Women ran farms in early-day Southern Oregon Emergency services, May 10 Art in Bloom in downtown Medford Emergency services, May 9 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, May 10 Emergency services, May 9 Jackson County deputies searching for wanted man after pursuit Medford man sentenced in machete attack Suspect in OSP meth stop will face federal charges Politics and Elections Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline opponents rally in Medford BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Freddie Gray's death Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Medford School Board, Position 6: Curt Ankerberg vs. Janet Lightheart Education Medford schools still filling admin roles Appeals court rules against Central Point schools on bus outsourcing Hedrick principal to take helm at North Medford High School More kindergartners vaccinated in 2015 Elementary students honor local police officers Environment Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Crater Lake may soon have China connection State waives college placement tests for students who hit high marks Stopping fire in its tracks Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline opponents rally in Medford State News Remains of soldier killed in 1951 to be buried in Roseburg Obama makes pitch on trade deal at Nike: 'Just do it' Forecast for 2015 predicts busy wildfire season Cheers and protest signs greet President Obama in Oregon Oregon Senate OKs bill banning 'conversion therapy' Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries Dorothy Evans Helen Nadine Sankey Dickie Miles Hayes Nita Day Layne Alan Battenfield Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Braaten races to win at Speedway Johnson stays long, wins late at Kansas South settles for SWC split with GP North sweeps GP, remains tied atop SWC OSU tosses second straight shutout Varsity 541 College Sports OSU tosses second straight shutout Maguin steals the show Trio of Raiders shine as CC meet opens Beavers' Moore shuts out Utah, 3-0 Oregon clinches share of Pac-12 title Pro Sports Braaten races to win at Speedway Grizzlies take series lead over Warriors Borchers, Valeri score, Timbers beat Impact Pierce's buzzer-beater lifts Wiz past Hawks Kirk nudges in front at Players Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Wilson delivers in return of local boxing Palmer breezes to second straight men’s title Business Latest Stories People in Business Business briefs: Avista, Mcintosh, BOLI Blog: 1-800-Flowers.com SEC filing provides peek into Harry & David revenue and cost figures Blog: Mom is Our Hero! Ride & Drive: 2015 BMW 428i Gran Coupe Real Estate News Single-family home sales take off Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option New home in an old house Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house People In Business People in Business Transportation Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Lithia Motors nets $40.7 million in first quarter Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Business briefs Medford airport's record run continues Agriculture 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house Opinion Latest Our View: Mental health funding should be a priority Letters to the Editor, May 10 Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers George Will: The gospel according to Huckabee Dana Milbank: A performance by Lindsey and the Jets Editorials Our View: Mental health funding should be a priority Other Views: Court ruling means PERS reform is dead Our View: Could self-serve ban be on the way out? Our View: Cheers and jeers Our View: Set firm deadlines on blighted houses Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 10 Letters to the Editor, May 8 Letters to the Editor, May 7 Letters to the Editor, May 6 Letters to the Editor, May 5 Columns Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers George Will: The gospel according to Huckabee Dana Milbank: A performance by Lindsey and the Jets Charles Krauthammer: Free Willy! Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s important election – in royal political context Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers Guest Opinion: Child poverty and the Schneider Children’s Center Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Guest Opinion: This Earth Day, we celebrate the Northwest Forest Plan Lifestyle Latest stories Sorcerer-historians and hunted boats New Arrivals Adopt a pet: Meet Edna One-derful once-blooming roses Mom's lemon meringue pie still feeds me Food Community blog: Sorry, Mom, there's more than one beef stroganoff Community blog: Teatime is anytime when recipes brew new dishes Eat your greens (tea, that is) Season Stepp: Make some cheesecake mousse-filled strawberries Page H. Onorato: Baked potato soup is comfort in a bowl Home and Garden One-derful once-blooming roses Breathe easier with whole-house air purification Dear Monty: Water rights of property owners Paul Rogers: ‘Living’ mulches a healthy alternative to bark Heirloom tomatoes bring ageless flavor Health Community blog: Don't Fall for This Part 2 Health Watch: Easy tips to drink more water throughout the day New cardiac rehab center opens at Asante RRMC Community blog: You and Me at 83... Search on for new medical provider for Butte Falls, Prospect clinics Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 8 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Milestones and Achievements Bukair-Hinkle Wedding: Stephanie Anne Obad and Mark Douglass Schmor Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Drones helping create unique wedding photos Pick your favorite wedding flowers Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom 5 picks for live entertainment Live Music in Local Clubs Peter Rowan, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Rootsfest Dancing People Company presents 'Salon Series' Theater REVIEW: Randall Theatre's 'Little Shop of Horrors' a rollicking good time REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Some Oregon Shakespeare Festival crew members seek to unionize Randall Theatre stages 'Little Shop of Horrors' 'Much Ado' at SOU Music Live Music in Local Clubs Peter Rowan, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Rootsfest The Farr Side: Mumford & Sons’ latest is full-on rock Tina Malia at SOU Music Hall in Ashland Earthquake benefit for Nepal Community Events 5 things to see at Art in Bloom Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at OSF's Black Swan in Ashland Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Master Gardener Spring Fair at The Expo Movies Movie review: ‘Hot Pursuit’ is a hot mess George Miller returns to his ‘Mad Max’ roots Tom Hardy adapts to life as Mad Max Victor D. Infante: ‘Avengers’ begs the questions, ‘Why superheroes, and why now?’ Movie review: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ has a lot going on Dining Restaurant inspections: May 10, 2015 Wood-fired pies at Peace of Pizza Trium is a classic example of a boutique winery Restaurant inspections, May 3, 2015 Taqueria Picaro offers casual Mexican cuisine Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Sorcerer-historians and hunted boats ... Our View: Mental health funding should be a priority ... Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers ... Sorcerer-historians and hunted boats ... Our View: Mental health funding should be a priority ... Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers ... James Jackson: Who's driving your fear? By James Jackson More Content Now MailTribune.com By James Jackson More Content Now Posted May. 8, 2015 @ 7:37 am Updated May 8, 2015 at 10:54 AM By James Jackson More Content Now Posted May. 8, 2015 @ 7:37 am Updated May 8, 2015 at 10:54 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt This sentence spoken by President Roosevelt at his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933, was in direct response to the fear gripping the nation during the Great Depression. The message, however, transcends time and is as relevant today as it was nearly 100 years ago. Fear is a beast, and when fed, becomes a driving force all its own. So who is driving your fear? Of course, we all have our little irrational fears. I have two. One is of clowns. I don’t care what kind of clown it is and how happy it looks. You won’t get me within 5 feet of one and, if you do, it won’t be a very comfortable situation. The other is of anything swimming in the water with teeth, specifically sharks. My philosophy is my evolutionary ancestors crawled out of the oceans millions of years ago and I have no desire to crawl back into it. Sharks, barracudas, and gar are not waltzing into my home on land, so I’m not walking into theirs. It’s a mutual respect for space that we have going on and I’m happy with it. These little fears aside, there are other bigger fears that we truly need to worry about. For many decades, nuclear annihilation was a legitimate fear, and still is to a degree. Our rapidly changing climate is another. These certainly aren’t the only legitimate fears, and they are extreme examples on a large scale. The question we have to ask ourselves is why we are afraid when reason says there is no imminent threat to us. The bigger question is who is making us afraid and what they conceivably gain from it. The two biggest beneficiaries to fear are politics and profit. Forgive me while I over-generalize to a degree, here, because not all politicians and businesses use these tactics. But there are enough examples for us to say they aren’t isolated practices. Election year politics loves fear. “Be careful … ISIS is comin’ to get ya! If you vote for that other guy or that other party, those terrorists will flock across that Mexico border and blow up your church and tear up your American flag!” Let’s set aside the fact that there is no real evidence this is happening (and I seriously doubt anyone is interested in trying to navigate through the drug cartel battlegrounds of northern Mexico). Also foreign terrorists have traditionally shown an interest in symbolic targets in large American cities. And yet, small town America buying into that fear will watch the woods outside its back door for gangs of roving Middle Easterners because a politician, party, or media outlet has the irrational fear whipped up for their own personal benefit. Most American acts of terrorism have been carried out by white, homegrown, Christian right Americans (at least within the last 50 years) but that reality doesn’t buy votes or sell fear. No, it’s the foreigners, and by God, we’re gonna protect you from them (for a price or a vote). Oh, and let’s not forget those hordes of criminals out there. Never mind that crime rates are at historic lows and have been for years. If you listen to the politicians, we’re sinking into a pit of crime ridden immoral behavior not seen since Al Capone and his buddies were shooting up the country during Prohibition. Not true, but they’ll play into that fear. And if you vote for them, they’ll fix this straw man problem. The media plays into this as well. After all, nothing sells like a juicy crime story or what could happen to you. Tune in tonight at 6 or buy our next edition! Let’s not lay this all in the lap of the dirty world of politics, though. After all, playing into fear is a hallmark of the political world from time immemorial and will be long after our generations are gone. Fear is profitable. Just in the past few months I can rattle off a few good ads I’ve seen or read that attempt to drive right to the heart of your fears. Of course, they will sell you comfort from that fear. I saw a commercial for a cable company wanting to sell you its landline service. We all know the days of landlines are on their last legs. More and more people have replaced their landlines with cell phones. Rural areas have a very legitimate concern when it comes to cell signals, but as telecom companies steadily increase their signal coverage, those concerns are diminishing. So why should you buy a landline? Because there might be an emergency and you might die. At least that’s what the company is trying to scare you into believing. If you don’t have that landline, and your cell signal is spotty, then you could die. But guess what? If you buy their product, you’ll be just fine. Alarm companies will make you think people are just waiting in the bushes to break into your house. Buy their product and you’re safe! Are you elderly? You might fall down so buy this product and you won’t have to be afraid to fall anymore! Oh, and you might be able to get it free because they can manipulate Medicaid/Medicare and have the government pay them for you. Don’t like the president? Guess what? He’s coming for your guns. You better buy as many guns as you can right now so you can be a one-man army fighting off tyranny! Oh, wait, what? They didn’t come for your guns … well they will. You should buy this brand new model we have so you can be your own (insert random 1980’s action hero). Not using our medical service or our ambulances? Better be careful. If you use those other guys, you might die. You must take action now to ensure it’s us that receives your money. Don’t wait … your life hangs in the balance. I’m not saying we can overcome fear. Every living creature fears. We’ll never rise above real fear. But we have to learn how to fear the things that are truly a danger. Not the random events that we can do nothing about (regardless of how many persons/business say you can pay them to stop it). Not manufactured fears that only exist for the benefit of organizations. And certainly not fears that consume our lives to the detriment of our mental well being and the happiness of our short time on this planet. Except with clowns. Everyone should be afraid of them. Everyone. Contact James Jackson at [email protected]. By James Jackson More Content Now MailTribune.com By James Jackson More Content Now Posted May. 8, 2015 @ 7:37 am Updated May 8, 2015 at 10:54 AM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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