WHAT'S YOUR WAR?
Christina Ralls
In Opposition of the Mind Killer (War Against Fear)
Mixed Media
2010
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.”
- Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear, from Frank Herbert’s Dune
Fear stops us. It prevents us from communicating with each other. It scares us into being stagnant and not taking action. Fear distances us and devastates our communities. It is a recurring impetus for warfare, violence, and isolation.
A history of fear shapes urban landscapes like Baltimore. The ominous feeling of doom during the Cold War, our highway defense system, the concept of the military–industrial complex, white-flight and migration to suburbia, terrorism, the list goes on and on… all these things have molded who we are today. Fear influences the way we interact with each other. It’s a disgrace when “loitering” on stoops, what was once considered (and still is to many) a neighborhood pastime, has been prohibited in leases because it causes “trouble.” It’s a shame when people don’t even make eye contact with each other when they walk by. It’s terrible that we have set imaginary boundaries between each other because of a fear of the unknown.
We must take risks to build relationships, cultivate ideas, and create. I challenge you to be brave, overcome fear, and learn to live and embrace every action and reaction. I declare war on fear.