how to create fear, and other tales

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I feel safe. I have always felt safe. A few extremist mad men won't change that. Extremist mad men {and occasionally women, let's not be sexist here} have always been around since the very beginning of time. Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Heathen, Humanist, Pagan, Mayan, Druid. Regardless of the faith or belief they hide behind, they are there ... people with extreme views and murderous intent, people who are vulnerable or open to new ways of thinking, youngsters who are easily groomed through both reward and fear ... history is saturated with them. I grew up with the IRA and the threat of bombing being a near-daily news feature. My grandparents knuckled down and got on with life during WWII, living in the unknown, gas masks around their necks, bombs tearing their friends and family and homes apart, their food rationed. I may be embellishing. I may not. But British people do not live in fear. We may get knocked down {poor choice of words given the circumstances, apologies} but we will always get up again. We dust ourselves off, we grieve, and then we get on with Life, because we have to. Because we always have. The world is a great big scary place. Nowhere is safe, even our own homes. So, you may be able to imagine my horror yesterday when a tutor told students he was locking the door, and the door would remain locked whenever it wasn't in use. Because yes, let's incite more fear and feelings of hatred in highly-charged, emotionally crippled, hormonal seventeen year olds. Let's tell them that they're not safe in College. Let's turn them into quivering wrecks. *sigh* {I was with the same tutor and class later in the day, and he didn't do it again ... maybe one of his colleagues had a word.}