Americans are running scared.

AuthorKreyche, Gerald F.

AS KIDS, we were afraid of the dark at the top of the stairs. There might be a bogeyman lurking there or under our bed. Preachers made us cower by promising hellfire for our transgressions. Kids are scared of retribution if they refuse to join a gang, and parents are worried their offspring might get into drugs.

Young adults are afraid of sexual liaisons that could result in death-dealing AIDS for a few moments of pleasure. Others fear they might be the victims of a drive-by shooting. Indeed, the latest statistics show that, for the first time in the nation's history, crime predominantly is random. With the spate of disgruntled employee crimes against their bosses, one-third of postal workers fear violence in the workplace. The danger to those who run all-night stores and gas stations hardly is imaginary, as these are considered pushovers by young criminals. Carjacking has caused those who drive late at night to feel no compunction at running red lights so as not to have to stop and wait at an intersection.

At Christmastime, parents hear warnings about giving dangerous toys. Sharp edges could injure youngsters, as might swallowing a small part or creating a chemical combination with a science set that could blow up the house.

Much of this concern has been brought about by the media's focusing undue attention on almost every worrisome aspect of life. Viewers see a busy executive on the TV screen with symptoms that mimic stomach cancer (or hemorrhoids, chest pains, etc. , then is relieved to find that he only needs an antacid.

There are brand new scares that have been thrust upon the scene. One is hantavirus, previously thought to be limited to the Southwest, that now is found across the nation. The droppings of deer mice seem to be one cause, and that announcement provoked a run on mousetraps. The latter have become as scarce as the disease.

A second fright has been triggered by news of the flesh-cating bacteria-caused necrotizing fasciitis. When attention first was drawn to this disease, people were told that it was extremely rare. Yet, like reports of flying saucers, we seem to read about a new case every day, each one closer to home.

Women are scared by contradictory reports about breast cancer. Some say self-exams aren't efficacious since, by the time a tumor gets large enough to feel, it already is too late. Others maintain that women under 40 shouldn't bother with mammograms; this, in turn, is decried by other researchers...

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