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| photo by PSC |
Current
Events (None of my Business)
Time it was when information was dropped at
your doorstep in the morning,
delivered into your living room as the nightly
news.
Bold headlines, factual, impartial, impersonal
recitation of events,
entrusted to us with confidence; everyone acquiring
the same information,
interpretation left up to the listener. Conversations with friends
and neighbors to discuss, consider, debate, contemplate,
deliberate;
judgments to be decided by each individual.
At some point, the spin became the thing, with
opinions sneaking in –
liberal, conservative, commercial, industrial,
scientific, naturalistic;
“news” becoming someone’s personal viewpoint,
peppered by propaganda,
sprinkled with innuendo, shouted out hourly on
the radio –
each faction, coloring the truth, offering its
own version of events.
Political discussions becoming obsolete,
taboo;
the world effectively divided into “us” and
“them” –
biased reporting having made each side too
fired up,
incapable of listening objectively to logic.
Now, “news” is streaming non-stop 24/7.
Reality shows have become the new
reality.
We’re stuck in idle over "Idol",
pondering the latest misstep in "Dancing",
wondering who will be the sole "Survivor",
have all gone gaga over Gaga.
We’re inundated with the latest reports:
who’s dating – or marrying – whom?
who’s pregnant and who’s the daddy?
who is gay or bi-sexual, transvestite or
transsexual?
who’s addicted to what and
which rehab program they’re enrolled in.
Call me an old fogey, old fart and old
fashioned,
but, honest to God, it’s nobody’s business (but
their own),
and frankly, Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.
