In a book written in 1983 about a man who died in 1965 who spoke of fear in 1916 – there is a thought that is simple, prescient, and amplified in the world of 2012. The book is The Last Lion by William Manchester. The man is Winston Churchill.
When Churchill was warned of the negative consequences of befriending someone who thought differently, he said: “I am afraid only of people who cannot think.”
Outside our borders today we have large groups with radical religious beliefs violently exercising a “heckler’s veto.”
Inside our stable democracy we have large groups of well-meaning voters who will choose our next president based on thoughts gathered from talk radio or Comedy Central.
The common denominator seems to be selective hearing to reinforce existing beliefs. Are any of these people willing or able to think?
Today, more than ever, there is reason to be afraid of people who cannot think.
The Paceline 
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