It was the cutest bear that ambled past that afternoon, in the same place where I always sat with my morning coffee at my daughter’s holiday home in the Poconos mountains.
She screamed while I simply watched.
“What are you frightened of?” I asked. “It looks so cuddly.”
Fortunately, the bear did not hear me. Or perhaps it did, and decided it had already eaten breakfast.
It was later, while looking at pictures of wild bears, that I saw an open mouth filled with terrifying teeth. Then I noticed the claws. They were not the sort used for gently scratching someone’s back. They could remove the back altogether.
I recoiled. Had we been so close to such an animal?
My problem was the word “teddy.” Teddy bears had slept beside my children. They had been hugged, kissed and taken on holidays. One had even undergone emergency surgery when its stuffing came out.
But the bear outside was not Teddy.
It was terror wearing fur.
And suddenly I thought of the soft, cuddly words used by political leaders. They amble into our homes through television screens, smiling sweetly, while we sip our morning coffee.
“Equality!” they say.
What a lovely word. Soft fur. Round ears. Very cuddly.
Then the mouth opens, and we discover that equality means everyone is equal, but some must prove their loyalty before being treated equally.
“Development!” they cry.
Another teddy bear arrives. We hug it happily until we realise that development may mean a magnificent highway to the airport, but a pothole outside our house large enough to accommodate the Poconos bear.
“Security!” they whisper.
We feel safe until we discover that security means they may look into our phones, listen to our conversations and perhaps soon ask why we ordered chicken curry on a fasting day.
“National interest!” they roar gently.
It sounds patriotic and comforting. But sometimes its claws appear whenever a citizen asks an uncomfortable question.
Then there is “unity.”
Ah, what a beautiful teddy bear. Everyone together. One people. One nation. One voice.
Unfortunately, the one voice is often theirs, while the rest of us are expected to move our lips silently.
Words can be soft while intentions are savage. A smile can hide teeth. A slogan can conceal claws. A promise can amble harmlessly past us until it suddenly turns.
The bear in the Poconos was honest. It never claimed to be a teddy.
Perhaps that is why, looking back, I trust it more..!bobsbanter@gmail.com