I am afraid my mom will die alone in her house, because she’s 90 and lives alone. I am afraid I will outlive my retirement savings. I am afraid for the planet and global warming. I am afraid of all the nukes. I am afraid that constantly being online will scramble people’s brains. I am afraid that because of ticks and Lyme and equine encephalitis, that tomorrow’s kids won’t be able to love nature the way I did. I am afraid that all the tigers will die, and they’re so lovely. I am afraid that fentanyl will become too cheap and common to stop in any way. I am afraid of arthritis. I am afraid of a retreat from science and reason. I am afraid that there will only be the very rich and the very poor. I am afraid that my mom will trip and fall and be in pain for a long time. I am afraid some woman I love will be raped.
I am not afraid that I will need to defend myself or home with a gun. I am not afraid I will need to rescue the nation from “tyranny.” It’s easier and less scary to believe in either one of those things than it is to be afraid of the stuff I am scared of. I think to a large extent gun owners transfer their fears to something simpler and easier because complicated and scary isn’t simple or easy.
Adam Novitt
Northampton