Change is unsettling. Even in our hectic, global-internet world, we want some things to be stable. We hope we can keep our marriages and our friends, our church and community connections and perhaps our favorite barista! We enjoy hearing from fellow high school and college alumni and when we drive past old neighborhoods we instinctively look for landmarks of our history.

“That’s impossible! Never happen. Not is a million years. OK, not in my lifetime.”

When we hear the word, “radical” we imagine 1960s hippies, Greenpeace boats or suicide bombers in burkhas. It is sad that this important word has been historically hijacked and used for extremism and fringe movements. The etymology of this word is “radix” or “rooted.” For something to be radical not only implies change, but change that is deeply rooted in unwavering principles. As we begin the marathon to the 2012 elections, I propose that candidates must be radical – that is, rooted in values and vision that can imagine a better future. Why should the crazies on the far right and far left steal a word that may be our best hope? It is tragic to listen to the inane commentary in all media. If someone is pro-life, they are part of the “Radical Right.” If someone (like me) speaks at a Tea Party gathering, I am pandering to “radicals.” If someone wants federal health care, they must be “radical left.” If someone voted for Obama (in a year that no Republican had a chance), they are unwittingly part of the “Radical Left.”

There is no serious movement for democracy in the Middle East. The little bit of liberal/secular opposition to dictatorships is being consumed by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Any regimes that even think of working with Israel or the USA will be subject to protests and violence.

The death of Osama bin Laden is as close to a”fact” as we can assert. As a historian, I am fascinated by the context and significance of the event for different groups of people. OBL’s death is confirmed by his followers, but there are multiple meanings we need to understand.