Fear itself

Two stories make me angry about the way we operate certain things in this country, and point out why fear accomplishes little.

In the middle of this column, the writer points out that Air New Zealand is avoiding the US on its Auckland-London run. Why? Even if a passenger isn't leaving the airport, he has to be run through the bureaucratic ringer. Not a good introduction to America. So instead of landing in Los Angeles, it's calling on Vancouver, BC, instead.

And in this short piece, passengers are held at JFK border control, not knowing that the international passengers are being put through extra questioning before being allowed in. Again, another lovely welcome.

We seem to be doing everything possible to discourage people from coming to the US. The residue of 9/11 still lingers. We're scared of allowing someone who wants to do ill into the country. We've been hurt, badly, but our reaction has left many cold about a place they had been warm to. We seemed to have forgotten who we are, and what makes us attractive to the rest of the world. The picture they see is not of open arms, but fear of the unknown, the other. We can overcome this, by remembering who we are, remembering the better part of ourselves.