Opinion: Paranoia has destroyed local community
By Gabriel Bell
My work, with this newspaper and otherwise, often brings me to local residential neighborhoods.
With alarming frequency, these neighborhoods are gripped with an irrational level of paranoia. Rarely are the citizens of these neighborhoods seen out and about. More often, they hide inside behind their drawn windowshades, fearing the unlikely possibility of another human darkening their doorsteps.
Doorbell cameras adorn every stoop. They chirp, whistle, or call out “you are being recorded!” as I walk by, a cold reminder that though I see no life, it exists, watching me with suspicion and derision. On occasion, a brave soul, often having followed me hundreds of feet, will demand I immediately leave, knowing nothing of me or why I am there. They simply cannot bear the thought of another, unknown person existing so nearby.
Lost old men are ridiculed on Facebook and Nextdoor for approaching a neighbor for help. Children are maligned for playing on the sidewalks. Bright ‘welcome’ signs hang alongside posters that threaten instant death if any dare approach.
The Bible teaches that we should love our neighbors. Our society now teaches us to fear them. Go outside. Talk to your fellow man. The paranoid disease of one’s own mind is far more dangerous than any stranger.