Willful Innocents

An author who was being interviewed on a local radio station used a term to describe the emotional state of those who believe, contrary to the vast and mounting evidence to the contrary, that the Bush administration is behaving ethically and doing the right thing. The term he used was "willful innocence." His use of the term suggests that these people just don't want to believe that their leaders are uncaring and unethical to their very core. They believe in their leaders because they desperately want to believe. They overlook evidence, they overlook facts, they overlook the mounting tide of irrefutable information...they ignore it all. They will themselves into a deep naiveté because they are afraid of confronting reality.

These are the willful innocents who won't confront their leaders because...they are leaders. They won't question their authority or their rectitude because...they are leaders. In my opinion, these willful innocents are, in some respects, deeply frightened and utterly without self-esteem. And they allow themselves to be used to further the agendas of people who would just as soon drop them from helicopters with bags of rocks tied to their bodies as say "good morning" to them.

I have never had any use for these people, but at least now I have a term to describe them. I believe they are in a shrinking minority. I have to hope so.