Here We Go Again!

Hello,

Either I’m an idiot or “I yam what I Yam and that’s all what I yam”. So, how did I get here? Having to choose between stupidity and Popeye the Sailor Man.

Simple. I took the bait. Twice actually. Okay at several junctures over the past few weeks. I ignored the now obvious warning signs and submitted to temptations that have historically led me down the wrong path.

I allowed my mind to wander away from my commitment to Speeding Through the Universe– my latest blog post. In my defense the temptation was just too great. I had to follow the Breaking News Headline that ultimately forced me to stray. (stupid)

One thing led to another and my brief foray into a simple headline led to page after page of what seemed possibly brilliant. Perhaps interesting. At least readable? (I yam what I yams.) As my mind often does, I over analyze and attempt to incorporate every possible, seemingly related construct into my thought process. It never works. The article becomes bloated, confusing and I lose interest. Rather than walk away, more often than not I rewrite it and salvage some self-respect. I hope that is the case today.

Ok. So, what happened? Why did I wander from Speeding Through the Universe to this article hurriedly titled Here We Go Again- Taking the Bait? IT WAS NOT MY FAULT. It was the fault of the MEDIA. (Not everyone and not all the time.)

Some background on my relationship with the news media.

• I would say that I am more than just a casual observer of National and International events. I begin each day by opening the New York Times Morning briefings, selecting a number of articles that either piqued my curiosity or were there for me thanks to the algorithms that seem to determine my interests for me. Then of course it’s on to the Spelling Bee, Mini-Crossword, no time for the big one, and Connections. No, I don’t do WORDLE, shoot me. Or Sudoku, I’m not wired that way.

• My built-in skepticism forces me to have links to a variety of News Magazines. I still like to check what the locals are saying about news they have created but reaches me through the filtering lenses of our major News Organizations. My links change with the ebb and flow of major events. So, for example currently I have The Times of London, The Jewish Chronical, Al Jazeera, Palestine Chronical, the Kyiv Post and Pravda. Yes, it still exists. As you can imagine the local viewpoints are far from unbiased. More slanted to be sure. But at times they bring a useful perspective. They also update events and outcomes to stories that are often ignored by the International Goliaths who leave once that news cycle moves on. Remember all news is local at some point and worth supporting. Subscribe, join or tune in to your local news outlets. Despite their many faults and shortcomings, a free press is essential to our democracy.

• News Magazines aka news blogs like the Huffington Post are not half bad in their reporting as far as I can tell. There are several choices to suit your tastes and political leanings. POLITICO– Appears to be comprehensive and balanced. SLATE of VOX should meet the needs of    Liberals and Progressives. If you lean more conservative or libertarian, then the Daily Caller may be right up your alley.

• I cannot really speak to any news floating around on Social Media sites like X, Facebook, TikTok or Instagram. It is hard for me to even imagine any form of reliance upon what is said within that world under the banner of news. That said, everyone has a camera capable of documenting everything then immediately taking it global. Pretty handy but not without their risks.

• Mostly I rely upon the New York Times (NYT) for my news. It is as Liberal as they come but offer, in my opinion the best all-around Blatant biases aside, no one believes their “go to” news source is anything but fair and balanced. I am thinking of adding the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for some balance of my own.

• Fox News. Hard to believe they have been around for 28 years and lead all cable news outlets in terms of viewership. Still, Prime Time attracts fewer than 2 million viewers. Meanwhile, Fox’s number one attraction at one point, Tucker Carlson pulled in 4.3 million viewers each day. Carlson now has his own network on X with a significantly larger following. I did my time with Fox back when they were unique and many were looking for an alternative to the same old same old. Too loud, angry and combative for my taste. No real middle ground.

• Discussion Forums. I participate when I can in 2 in-person and 1 on-line Discussion Groups. They meet bi-weekly. Topics are varied and discussions lively. Moderators help assure civility is maintained. After all it’s not pretty watching two septuagenarians wrestling on the library floor. They are a good source for micro-local news but focus primarily on national and international events.

Here’s My Take on the News Media   Why am I at times so down on the Mainstream News Media? 

1. At their worst or perhaps their best when viewed from a profitability perspective, I view the media essentially as Arsonists. Too harsh? They start a fire, pour on gasoline and then run around asking others what they are going to do about it.
2. Put another way their unofficial motto is: “If it bleeds, it leads”. The gorier the details, the more salacious the story, the more damaging the results the better. Things are often made to sound worse than they actually are. It appears this is what we want.
3. Conflict & Controversy works. You can rely upon the Media, the News, our 4^th Estate to be provocative. To pick a fight or stir the waters, often by focusing on our differences. Even if those differences are exaggerated or even manufactured. Be it race, religion, gender identity, economic station or political affiliation. Often seen through the prism of the oppressor vs the oppressed. Conflict Journalism when done properly will convert your fears to paranoia, your angst to outrage, your outrage to action. What are you going to do about it?
4. The Sky is Falling. Remember the Chicken Little

   

   poster from the mid 1960’s? It depicted bombs falling from American bombers over Vietnam. It’s caption: Chicken Little was right!Notice how many news headlines use the word CRISES to get our attention. It’s a Financial Crises, Housing Crises, Opioid Crises, Climate Crises and so forth. If Crisis level is too tame then it’s on to Armageddon. A few examples:  “Coach’s Departure Spells Armageddon for Local Football”. “Local Election Results: Armageddon for Opposing Party”. “Social Media Outage: Armageddon for Digital Communication”. Even the weather has been weaponized. Storms have been renamed, at least in terms of familiar terminology to sound more menacing. Be on alert- A Bomb-Cyclone is approaching California. Vortex of Chaos: Tornado Outbreak Threatens Midwest. Inferno of Wildfires Fueled by Unrelenting Winds hits Pacific Northwest. Hot weather along the East Coast recently subjected millions living under a Heat Dome of Doom. You get the picture. My phone’s weather app once alerted me to a Health Hazzard created by a rising Dew Point. I suppose I should have been afraid. When every event is a crisis, every unfortunate tragedy- Armageddon we’ll all burn out in the very near future. We cannot live normal, healthy lives in a world of perpetual crisis the media seems to have created for us. Granted everyone is not watching as closely as me. I could choose to ignore the hyperbole as my wife Deborah does, deciding instead to focus on the message and taking away what she thinks is relevant for her. I am not that highly evolved. While she calmly reads the same article, steam is often rising from my ears. Perhaps I am more like Chicken Little than I care to admit. The sky is not falling and everything will be okay even if the media does not think so.

5. Over-reporting on limited topics. It often feels that a mere handful of topics dominates the news, saps our energy levels and feeds what we now call the “culture wars”. Abortion, guns, race, gender identity and of course Donald Trump to name a few. Hot button topics guaranteed to raise tensions and provoke us. But these issues go deeper than political ideology. Some of them reflect cultural or religious biases that are not going to change anytime soon. Yet we spend an inordinate amount of time demonizing those that believe differently. Often employing the scorched earth tactics developed by the media. We are extremely myopic however when in comes to “Diversity of Thought”. We prefer our beliefs to be recognized as true and correct, others as obstacles to progress. We take pride in our perceived advancements in diversity. Patting ourselves on the back for being color blind, open to all ethnicities and welcoming of alternative life-styles. But that’s the easy part. Interacting with others who think differently or behave in ways foreign to our own is the real challenge. Changing hearts and minds though is not usually achieved through belittling, badgering or intimidating those with whom we disagree. I do not understand why these appear to be the preferred methods chosen by the media when reporting on the over-reported topics I mentioned above. The tone, tenor and volume of media reporting on these controversial topics is predictable. Made worse when columnists decide to ratchet things up and come across as self-righteous bullies with a personal agenda. Zealots with a built-in support group, on the attack. Civility people!

Something to think about: How do we live alongside those with whom we have significant disagreements? How do we tolerate what we consider intolerable? Those on the opposite side of us in the “culture wars” created to a large degree by the media. I see another blog coming.

6. 

   Media Evolution. The News is and has been for many decades, a profit center for television, radio and all other forms of media that contain news. However, due to technological advancements, including the internet, mobile technology, and the rise of social media, the News Industry has changed tremendously since the 1990’s. Shifting revenue away from newspapers and print advertising to digital platforms and subscription-based models. The entire news industry is still in transition. Feeling it’s way through some extremely challenging times. Some wish merely to survive. The way the media behaves, the tactics they employ perhaps reflects their own confusion along with what is required of them going forward. We are all in uncharted waters without a map, guard rails or a flashlight. No Walter Cronkite watching our backs. Perhaps I should could cut them some slack. Perhaps.

A Cautionary Word

The Media would have us believe; we are living in the most difficult of times faced with challenges unprecedented in human history. In a nation so polarized that our very survival is at stake. Government at every level is failing us. Our Democracy is at risk as Storm Troopers are rising to power around the globe. Our planet is dying while we continue to fill the sky with carbon dioxide. To be sure some may feel this way. I hope most do not. It certainly is an accurate synopsis of the picture painted by today’s media. Many believe the opposite while the majority dwell somewhere in between. It is hard to tell. One thing for certain. If we want to know how and why our country has become so polarized, if indeed it is, look no further than the media. They make sure we never forget, each and every day.

Back to my explanation as to why I wandered away from what was my next blog post- Speeding Through the Universe.  As indicated earlier, the media made me do it. More precisely, the New York Times Breaking News Bulletins. No, it wasn’t the Justin Timberlake DUI arrest or Clarence Thomas agreeing (allegedly) to fly coach from now on. They both concern religion but in very different ways.

1^st Breaking News Alert- “Pope Francis Allegedly Repeats Homophobic Slur”. Yes, you heard right, repeats. I guess once was not enough. His first transgression occurred on May 28^th 2024 when he allegedly “Used an Offensive Anti-Gay Slur”. The Pope apologized. If it had been just the once, I believe we would have cut him some slack. He is after all, a” progressive” Catholic and a man of the people promoting justice and equality. Mostly. Humble to his core. While serving as a Cardinal in his home town of Buenos Aires, he rode the bus to work for Christ’s sake. Surely, he’s worthy of special consideration. Unfortunately for all of us, slur # 2 arrived on June 11^th 2024. The Vatican issued a rare apology. For simplicity’s sake, I will treat both slurs as one.

As you may well imagine, homosexuality is a delicate area for the Catholic Church given their problems with “abuse” on the part of hundreds of Priests over many decades. Many news outlets were so outraged about the “offensive” term used by Pope Francis, they could not bring themselves to even print the word. It’s Frociaggine. No, it’s not the bread. That’s focaccia.

The Pope claims he used the term as part of a joke. But as one official put it: “The Popes comment even as a joke reveals the depth of anti-gay bias that exists in the Catholic Church”. After the second slur the media did their best to set the stage for an international battle against one of the media’s biggest targets, the Catholic Church.

However, you need “two to tangle”. One of the participants called a truce. As it turns out the purported victims of the Popes slur, the Gay Community, were not that “offended” after all. The organizers and participants of Romes Pride Celebration did not take the media’s bait thereby ruining the expected battle.

Instead, Italians responded to the Pope by embracing him. They invited Pope Francis to participate in their Pride Celebration. I’m guessing there was a scheduling conflict. Some carried supportive signs and card board cutouts of the Pope. Others dressed as the Pope. As one participant put it: “Even if the slur was derogatory, if I take ownership of the word, I can use it as a marker of my identity. It makes me immune from any insult.” An imperfect translation from Italian but we get the point. It was a high minded, self-empowering step away from victimhood. No worries. The media have other fish to fry.

2^nd Breaking News Alert (remember the 1st and 2^nd Pope slurs count as one) hit me like a brick wall. A 1-2 punch. A double whammy. Not because it was so shocking, damaging or powerful but because I had let my guard down, feeling relaxed after the Gay Community in Rome defused a media bomb involving the 87-year-old Pontiff. Boy, was I mellow. Then DING. BUZZZZ. BUZZZZ. A BREAKING NEWS ALERT demanding I click here for more information. I clicked. Again, the news itself was not that alarming. It’s subject matter however has deep Historic Roots of Biblical Proportion. I know. It sounds like I am taking a page out of the media’s playbook and exaggerating its importance. But this Headline literally (I hate using this much over used word) has Biblical Connections.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. Not the one staring Charlton Heston made in 1956 by Cecil B. DeMille.

Rotten Tomatoes gave in 87% by the way. The other 10 Commandments. The real ones made of stone given to Moses by God herself way before 1956. Like 1500 BC. Or if you must BCE. There the same minus the shameful reference to Christ. The 10 Commandments really stood out on the page. Ever so familiar having spent 12 years in Catholic Schools including a stint as an Alter Boy.

The entire alert read: “Louisiana Governor signs law requiring the 10 COMMANMENTS to be displayed in public classrooms. The only state with such a mandate”.

Dems fightin words. I envisioned upcoming battles playing out perhaps over years. A protracted war of words very few of which include middle ground or compromise. The predictability of the headlines and the vitriolic dialog to come is rather unremarkable as it is all too familiar. Half the Right will align with Governor Landry and claim the moral high ground. Half the Left will back the ACLU and the Separation Clause of the Constitution and claim the legal high ground. And so it goes. Pretty much as it did with all the other “crises” we have faced. Real or imagined.

At some point the Courts will weigh in and the Supremes will have the final word. Legally speaking. It never stops there. Half the nation will applaud the ruling claiming our Institutions are sound. Half of us will hold up the decision as a travesty. Proof that we are a nation in decline. Our Institutions have failed us. The beat goes on. If we let it. If we take the bait.

Every generation faces its own set of challenges. These are our times. Our opportunity to face our challenges. Their difficulty is no greater. Nor unprecedented in their scope. They are merely ours. We must demonstrate a willingness to acknowledge and confront our challenges. To identify, prioritize, plan and execute what ever it is we decide needs doing. There are no perfect solutions to problems. We make choices and live with their consequences. The trick is to avoid exaggerating the benefits while downplaying the risks and their costs. I see us doing exactly that now while unleashing the forces of the Renewable Energy Juggernaut. Can we first make a plan before demonizing those that question any part of the Climate Change agenda? Definitely, to be addressed in a future blog post.

Regardless the plan, the project or the cause, success is contingent upon a willingness and ability to compromise. To seek common ground when its existence is illusive. To build it from scratch when necessary. We cannot afford to be distracted by false crisis or diverted by the fires created by the media in their own self-interest, masquerading as saviors of our democracy. Those that continuously remind us of our differences rather the strengths inherent in our similarities. Those that encourage a war of words rather than a peace built on mutual respect and understanding.

We can learn a thing or two from Rome’s Gay Community. Embrace our differences without compromising our dignity. Find a way forward without always relying on the wisdom of the Almighty 9.

Back to the 10 Commandments. I believe we can agree that their purpose was a reasonable attempt to create a moral and ethical guide for a world far more dangerous, violent and unpredictable than our own, that religion and its fire and brimstone message was perhaps the only way to regulate human behavior. Religions evolved well before legal systems, police forces or public schools. Life was brutal. The 10 Commandments are not a comprehensive legal code but played a significant role in the development of written law and ethical standards in the Western legal tradition. However, most of the ideas contained in the 10 Commandments have been codified in one way or another. The important lessons derived from their text have leached into every fabric of our society. The vast majority of Americans feel that that battle has already been fought and for the most part agreed upon. Yet, their will be those truely commited to their cause relative to the 10 Commandents, Bible Study and more who will continue to fight against the seperation of church and state. Bless their hearts. I do not see this as a big deal. A mole hill not Mt. Sinai. So, I call upon the media to refrain from playing arsonist. We have bigger fish to fry.

A large percentage of our children spend their days playing violent video games. Many live in poverty. Some are witness to unimaginable school shootings. Levels of mental illness including anxiety and depression are on the rise. We also face significant challenges with homelessness, immigration, healthcare and a crumbling infrastructure.  Given all that, it would seem that reminding our kids it is wrong to lie, cheat, steal, kill and of course covet is not all that terrible. And, we already do that. I would however, like to take #5- Honor Thy Father and Mother and have that placed in every classroom in the Country. Oh, and add Grand Parents to that commandment as well.

Can’t we all just get along? Rodney King 1992 during LA riots.