Soapbox

I am not a very political person. I am a democrat by affiliation, and by vote. I am not a person to publicly question any one's views or beliefs or to seek out a soapbox to distribute mine. Recently however, I find myself fighting back the urge to yell. To grab the American media empire and shake them. To take all of the Executive Producers and Senior Editors and ask them, "what are you thinking?", "where have your brains gone?". Maybe then, someone will explain to me how our priorities have gotten so incredibly out of whack.

Let's face it, our World is pretty damn screwed up. Scary, even. Take this week. Our soldiers continue to die in a war that has gone on so long, most people have forgotten the reasons (insert your favorite Bush-ism here) why we are in it. Such a huge section of California is burning, that just about everyone in the country knows a family member, friend, or colleague impacted. Gas prices are back on the rise (ride a bike. it's free and a lot greener than your Prius). And, a new deadly Staph based super-bug is moving through our schools.

With all of these true, terrible, things happening to real people around us, what did the media determine was the priority for America this week? Marie Osmond faints on Dancing with the Stars. With the video (if you are looking for the link to the video here. Not a chance.) and interviews played over, and over, and over. No interviews with mothers who lost their sons in Iraq. Wives who are raising kids alone. Just an outpouring of concern for Marie's fainting on live TV. Priorities people!!

Ah yes, priorities. I must be speaking of Britney and her ever evolving legal battles. According to the news this week, she got to spend last weekend with her kids AND paid off the other driver to nullify the hit and run charges. Wonder how many California families are all spending time with their kids in the shelters this week?? Ain't reality a bitch.

Okay, so my point. I really do have one. I want to know what happened. Where's my Walter Cronkite? Is the media driving us, or are we driving the media? When did the American people stop wanting to hear and feel reality? Maybe, if we all paid a little bit more attention to the reality around us, we would all be inclined to impact a little bit more change. Maybe the daily news is the one place in our lives we DON'T need distractions? Tell us what happened. Tell us how we can help. It can be that simple. It can be whatever we want it to be.

Thank you for listening.