5 Of The Biggest American Fears Fueled By GOP Fear Mongers (VIDEO)

With Halloween right around the corner, now is the perfect time to look at all the ridiculous things that scare Americans. And just in time for the holiday, a new report from Chapman University reveals what Americans fear the most.

The university’s survey – “American Fears Wave 3” – sampled 1,511 adults to better understand “the fears of average Americans.” Judging by the results, it’s clear that many of us need to adjust our priorities. Here are some of the top fears Americans identified:

1. Terrorism

Americans worry a lot about terrorism. We’re so worried about terrorists that not one, but two of the top five American fears relate to terror. “Terrorism” was listed as a fear by 38.5 percent of survey-takers and “terrorist attack” was listed as a fear by 41 percent.

The tragic events of 9/11 still haunt our collective memory. But today, terrorism in the U.S. remains almost nonexistent. In 2014, for instance, there were just 18 fatalities caused by terrorism nationwide.

The following year, ISIS-linked terrorists carried out the San Bernadino shooting, leaving 14 dead. But even with such an apparent uptick in terrorism, terrorists killed just 19 people domestically in 2015. By comparison, American toddlers shot 21 people that same year.

2. Government Control of Guns

Over one-third of Americans (38.5 percent) also expressed fears over “government restrictions on firearms and ammunition.”

Most of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history occurred over the last eight years. In response to these shootings, the president and his Democratic allies pushed for stricter gun laws. But Obama has consistently stated that he does not want to abolish the Second Amendment.

His reassurances have fallen on deaf ears. Fear that the government will tighten control over guns is even more common among gun owners. For instance, a 2013 study found that 53 percent of gun owners believed there was a government conspiracy afoot to revoke their right to own guns. Later in the year, another study found that number had risen to 62 percent.

Maybe instead of worrying about the government taking guns away, we should worry about the fact that we have more gun deaths than any other developed country.

3. Obamacare

Since it was first proposed back in 2008, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – Obamacare – has met fierce criticism on the Right. Opponents like former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and other Tea Party conservatives accused Obamacare of employing “death panels” – officials who decide who gets medical treatment and who doesn’t. These death panels would refuse care for the sick, disabled, and elderly, among others. Of course, the death panels were a complete fiction.

After a long legal battle, Obamacare passed into law in 2010. But the mistrust that conservatives inspired has continued to shape attitudes toward Obama’s landmark legislation. The Chapman survey found that 35.5 percent of survey respondents reported feeling “afraid” or “very afraid” about Obamacare.

Fortunately, most people have benefited from Obamacare. Today, 90 percent of Americans have health insurance – a record high. Average cost hikes for healthcare have declined almost 3 percent since Obamacare took effect. In other words, there’s no need to worry about Obamacare.

4. Identity Theft

This is a weird one. About 18 million Americans become victims of identity theft each year. It sounds like a lot of people, but in fact only about 5 percent of the population is actually affected.

And according to Investopedia, “the vast majority of identity-theft victims [don’t] ultimately lose money” since credit cards and bank accounts usually offer protection against identity theft.

Having your identity stolen would be a bummer, no question. But should it really rank among our top 10 fears? Certainly not.

5. Corrupt Government Officials

This was the Chapman survey’s top-ranked fear, reported by over 60 percent of survey-takers.  And in an election year where one of our major political parties has made “Lock her up” its unofficial mantra, it’s no surprise that many Americans feel government corruption is a serious issue.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is no stranger to controversy. Whitewater and the Vince Foster suicide are still dragged out once in a while. But Hillary’s email fiasco has top billing alongside other more recent “scandals” in the three-ring circus that is the modern Republican Party. Alongside charges that she used her State Department access to secure funds for the Clinton Foundation, the GOP has convinced millions that Clinton is knee-deep in corruption.

Hillary was certainly guilty of stupidity in mismanaging her emails. But she was cleared of criminal wrongdoing. And while Republicans love talking about the Benghazi “cover-up” and Clinton Foundation donations, there’s little evidence that Clinton did anything illegal as Secretary of State.

But Hillary has been deeply divisive on the Left, too. Her success in the Democratic primary was widely regarded as the result of some unfair backroom dealings within Party establishment. This view was only reinforced when Wikileaks published emails revealing that Democratic National Committee chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz had been manipulating things behind the scenes on Clinton’s behalf. In addition, Clinton is widely viewed as an ally of Wall Street and the one percent.

Of course, Clinton’s Republican opponent Donald Trump doesn’t inspire much confidence, either. Since he has no public service record, it’s hard to link him to government corruption. But his refusal to release his tax returns suggests that he has ties to foreign nations or businesses that he would prefer to keep secret.

What Should We Really Be Afraid Of?

The Chapman survey does include some logical fears. “Economic/financial collapse” and “Not having enough money for the future” both made the top 10 American fears. Since most Americans would have a hard time covering even a $500 emergency, these fears are easy to understand.

But it’s what didn’t make the list that is most worrying. Climate change – by far the biggest threat facing the world today – didn’t even rank among the top 10 fears. But this year, CO2 levels surpassed 400 parts per million. This means that the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is now higher than it has been for all of human history.

Climate change, pollution, and deforestation continue to drive species into extinction. Species are now being wiped out at a rate 15 to 100 times faster than they should be.

Just think about that if you’re looking for Halloween scares in these next few weeks.

Check out this video exploring the American fear of terrorism:

Featured image from YouTube video.