“There is a remarkable and palpable fear abroad in this land-not a fear of terrorism, but a fear of speaking up, a fear of being labeled as ‘different’ or as a ‘troublemaker.’ People will lean over and whisper their opinions, if they think they are anti-Establishment, as though someone might be listening. People write me after some of my columns run, praising me for my ‘courage,’ though why it should be perceived as requiring courage to merely write something in America is beyond me. The worst thing is that every time someone says she or he is afraid, or acts afraid to speak or write what she or he is thinking, five more acquaintances become equally scared and silenced. The corollary, though, is that each time someone forgets or ignores or rejects that fear, five people gain courage the do the same thing.” (08/28/08)