Feeling a little miserable lately? Loss of hope and outlook not so good? Can’t sleep and do those natural things? That could be because of the misery index.

The war in Iraq, the hurricanes in the South, then there’s a threat of terror in New York City.

I remember the scare during the panic of white powder during the anthrax attacks. The post office had some of the powder of death and every place, including Auburn, was reacting to every call with running back and forth, wasting gas and putting people’s lives in danger a hundred times more than the danger really was.

There used to be a song that started, “When will they ever learn? When will we ever learn?” The threats themselves passed down by the information highway will ruin society and its hope, if we do not learn to stop using every chance to stage terror, misery and fear.

People’s emotions are being overheated by leaders who should know better. They’re not being responsible.

So much for responsibility. Why not give everyone $2,000 and let us go out and blow it?

John Bean, Auburn