America is once again experiencing a puritanical syndrome. It appears to come in cycles in our history. Right-wing political/social/religious oppressive controls, attempting to make everyone conform to one lifestyle, are part of it. The anti-smoking and anti-drug movements are another. Health, sex and dieting, still another. Even the failure to involve ourselves in helping to police problems in other countries, such as Bosnia. Risk-taking and pluralism is out, security and conformity is in. And we readily accuse others for their selfish and perhaps harmful pleasures. Ours is a society in denial.

Take the anti-smoking controversy, for example. Statistics demonstrate that smoking shortens lives. But there are many individual smokers who have lived to a ripe old age despite their habit. That smoking kills is not an absolute certainty. Most smokers now know that smoking is bad for them. Only a few are in denial about its harmful effects. Most smoke for other reasons than nicotine addiction alone, although that addiction certainly drives the habit. They are willing to take risks for the benefits derived from smoking. Those who oppose smoking certainly shouldn't be exposed to it. That is a matter of manners. However, many non-smokers feel it is their righteous duty to forbid the habit. They can cite the health costs to our society. Is that what really offends them?

We are demonizing users and their pleasures by the term abuse. There is no consideration of responsible drug use. Notice how tobacco abuse as a term for smoking is creeping into the media. And by this we create victims of drug addiction or social pariahs, either considered immoral or weak-willed. Thus does puritanism create despised classes, an us vs. them mentality.

The fact is that there exist risk-takers, pleasure lovers who may wish to have a life full of experiences and pleasures that may place their lives in jeopardy. They would rather live a pleasurable, exciting, short life than a long, dull one. What is wrong with this?

But risk-taking cannot be eliminated. So today we have found ways to take healthful risks such as in team sports or sky-diving, hang-gliding, mountain climbing, bungie jumping, even auto, bike and motorcycle racing. These activities put just as many in peril of their lives as the sedentary pleasures of gourmet foods or drugs and can maim or end lives much quicker.

There are those who can't stand others having any pleasures denied themselves. Pleasure seekers are accused of selfishness and disregard of human life or immoral and ignorant. I think their accusers are wrong. It is the risk-takers and pleasure seekers who love life. I see envy and jealousy driving this puritanism. And behind that is fear of life, fear of differences and freedom.

Our society doesn't want to abide by a Live and let live philosophy. We want to meddle in others lives, ostensibly for their own good, to show that we care. We urge everyone to deny themselves rich foods, sex, drugs (including tobacco and alcohol products), alternative lifestyles and political beliefs. Too many of us want to pass laws to force everyone into this comformity. This is a dangerous symptom that bodes ill for a democratic society. Where has our tolerance gone? Is it that there are just too many things to be tolerant of vying for our attention that we are now running from them into a safe conformity?

Even in other nations having more political restrictions than ours, personal habits are accorded more latitude. Our puritans would simply accuse them of ignorance. But this may not be so. It is a social attitude about the sanctity of the person rather than one based in scientific knowledge or spurious moralisms.

This puritanism is a symptom of a social illness based on fears that we will not address. We are afraid of losing the american dream and traditions, of losing incomes, jobs and social status as our society changes under the impact of new technologies and a different world political order. We are experiencing the effects of a traumatic future shock for which we have no known treatment. Thus we regress back into the tried and seemingly true where we hope we will not be disturbed. But do we really care for others or is the puritan reaction really a selfish and inward withdrawing from social ills, from a life committed to social justice? Are we in despair of any solutions? Thus we can only accuse those living full lives for the emptyness within.