In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting on Oct. 27, we of this nation are as fearful as ever. But it must be known that such anxiety did not come to us overnight. Rather, it’s been building for years.

The Pulse Nightclub Massacre in 2016 rocked the country, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, which I myself am part of as a transgender man. The Parkland shooting from this year’s Valentine’s Day left high school students all over the country fearful of what could possibly happen to them. The Las Vegas shooting from last year darkening our days following. The Sutherland Springs church shooting a little more than a month after. A few years before that, Sandy Hook broke the hearts across America as some of the most innocent lives were taken, those of children. Virginia Tech in 2007… the list only continues.

For those who don’t know, I’ve been assisting under and am currently being mentored by our renowned psychology professor, Rupert Nacoste. In my most recent discussion with him, following our PSY 411 class on Wednesday, I said, “It’s like we live in an age of panic these days.”

His response was that he’d been saying we live in an age of anxiety brought on by neo-diversity — a concept of his own making which describes “the way rapid social change was causing more and more people from many different groups to be in contact and non-voluntary interaction with each other.” He said to me, to paraphrase, “I think what you just said describes our modern day far more accurately.” Because we do, indeed, live in an Age of Panic.

I recall an incident from one of my past semesters here at State — during the construction taking place near Dabney Hall in the Brickyard. I was walking home. Other students were milling about going to and from classes, in and out of the library, the Atrium, etc. The construction machines were at work, then something happened — BOOM.

Everyone froze, including myself. We became like a herd of deer, on high alert and searching for a source. Was it a bomb? Was it a gunshot? We didn’t know. Everyone had frozen, looking, listening, waiting. When it became clear that this was a construction-related noise and not an imminent threat, everyone continued about their business. But this one event does not stop people from panicking on other occasions.

Such as recently in our own Crabtree Valley Mall: a pop is heard and sends crowds of people rushing to get out. This is our go-to reaction: we panic, we flee. With the events I listed at the start of this article, and new ones cropping up to shake our country to the core more regularly than what we find comfortable, we are in near-constant fear. On top of that, our current administration does little to comfort, nor make us feel any safer. “Thoughts and prayers” are not a solution. Nor is blaming the victims for not having “more protection,” with no respect, Mr. Donald Trump.

I’ll end with the words from one of my favorite musicians, Grandson:

“There’s a cold wind blowing,

I’m just warning and preparing ya,

There’s a cold wind blowing,

And it’s coming for America.”

We are that cold wind. We have to be.

Because something has to change to keep the body count from rising.

Ian J. Miller is a third-year studying psychology.