Conspiracies - A Different Kind of Love Story

I was in grad school the first time I met a Young Earth Creationist.

Sitting in an empty classroom, transliterating a Chaucer text from Middle English to modern, I was interrupted by the arrival of a much younger classmate. Mallory’s eyes gleamed with fire as she told me about a program she’d just attended. Talking non-stop in an increasingly angry and loud voice, Mallory railed against the idiocy of those who couldn’t see the “truth” as she offered “factual evidence” that the world was only six thousand years old.

In the passing decades, as I have met other Mallorys with other beliefs and other evidence, I have wondered why she and so many others swallow such stories with pure conviction? What makes us so eager to believe tales far outside traditionally accepted beliefs, beliefs beyond the pale, beyond the norm?

And there are many such tales, many so-called conspiracy theories. Some seem fairly innocuous – alien invaders, Bigfoot, a faked moon landing – innocuous since believing or not believing them doesn’t have much effect on others.

Unfortunately, conspiracy theories and beliefs about racial, religious, or political issues can turn ugly in a heartbeat and give rise to rapidly spreading disinformation that does have serious consequences. This post is not meant to expose these theories or judge those who believe them.

This post explores my original question. Why? Why are so many Americans increasingly ripe for the harvest?

In large part, I think we can blame the glut of information, misinformation, and disinformation bombarding us on a daily basis. Words matter, and many of the words used in daily news broadcasts are inflammatory. They are meant to rile us up, to anger and divide us, simply to keep us coming back for more.

All news is curated, carefully chosen for a specific audience. If we rely only on one network, we are getting only one side of the story. If we choose to get our news from an online source or, even worse, social media, we are getting information based on what we’ve read in the past.

The overload of information, combined with divisive opinions, foreign interference, and outright lies makes us distrustful of the news. And we should be, but the effect of this distrust is fear.

I’ve always said that I write to make sense of the world. In part, I think that’s what is going on here. We are creating stories to help us make sense of a world we see spinning out of control.

Now, some of you may say, “but I didn’t make this up.” Well, maybe not, but someone did. Someone deliberately created a narrative people claim as their own because of fear. We are afraid of losing control. Losing our position in society, our way of life, our influence, and our freedom to do as we please.

If the world is spinning out of control, who’s to blame? How can we protect ourselves? It’s perfectly natural to want to feel in control. To batten down the hatches to feel secure in our beliefs and our environment. We find others with similar fears, similar beliefs. That, in turn, fuels both our belief and a sense of superiority. We know the truth. Those who don’t become the enemy.

Again, it’s perfectly human to want to belong. To feel we’re on the right path. But it’s entirely possible that we’re not.

I truly believe that most Americans are sick of the enmity, the chaos, the political squabbles, the fake news, the name calling, and the lying. Most of us just want to be left alone to get on with our lives – tackling little projects around the house, growing a few tomatoes, enjoying the small things in life – walks with the grandchildren, sharing a sunset, worshiping at the church of our choice.

We want our government leaders to keep our streets safe, our taxes low, and our freedom intact, but sometimes we don’t realize that’s what the other side wants too.

To truly protect ourselves, we must be willing to engage with the other side. Talk to our neighbors, move past the fear and listen to other voices, find some common ground among those with a different take. Accept differences. Be a careful consumer of the news. Change the channel. Stay informed, stay sane. Continue to stand up for our beliefs, but validate the facts. Change the narrative.

I am not suggesting we bury our heads in the sand. Far from it. The fight is not over; the battle not won.

If we love our country and the freedom it espouses, if we truly believe Liberty and Justice is the American Way, then let’s act like it.

Stand up against tyranny. Stand together until Freedom truly is for ALL.