A man can dream can’t he? Or things I’d like to see happen in 2008. Pt 3

Just for a year I’d like to see the media not speak to us [the public] as if we are imbeciles. I know I’d be better of asking for world peace or a cure for cancer but there are good people who go to work each day and actually make an effort to stop both strife and cancer. Sensationalism, unbalanced coverage, sheer fluff is distracting good people from the real problems in the world.

Sensationalism

It seems that every year there is a boogie man that is lurking in the shadows that will be the rue of our existence. Muslims, hordes of Mexicans roaming outside of our boarder as if they were zombies, homosexuals, hip-hop, black men, and various life-threatening disease du jour. It’s always seems to be something.

Were you a victim of a Jihad? Did a Mexican take your job? Was your neighbor turned gay by shaking hands the choir director at church? Did Nelly swipe an AMEX card down your daughters butt? Seriously, have you ever met anyone with SARS?

I’m going to step out on a limb and say not to all of these questions. Except that thing about Nelly. That probably did happen. The point is that we always fall for these “talking points” that are spewed out on a weekly basis that only serve to keep us scared and thoughtless so please don’t fall for it in 2008.

Unbalanced Coverage

Ever notice how good the media is at creating villains and victims? Sometimes two men who are common criminals are treated in very a different manner. One was nefarious. The other weak and misguided.

Let’s say that you’re an All-Pro quarterback who embraces a let’s call it an “urban” lifestyle. You aren’t wise enough to strategically pick your friends so one arrest for weed ends up tearing your world asunder. So one small fuck-up alerts the rest of the world to a gigantic fuck-up. Long story short: you find out that there is not honor among thieves and the world learns that you are the head of criminal enterprise that includes gambling and severe cruelty to animals. Bye-bye endorsement deals.

Next, the media that once adored you begins to paint you an insidious villain that lurks in our back yards at night to snatch unsuspecting dogs and force them to battle each other for your delight. Your life is ruined. Your playing days are done.

So you are an elected official in the State of South Carolina. The Treasurer to be exact. You come from a well connected family. Attended the right schools. Your daddy has big-ole, brand spanking new bridge named after him too. Then you are indicted on cocaine distribution charges.

At first it’s a big deal. You are forced to step down. You go to rehab. Your daddy goes on TV and admits to the world that you have a problem with drugs. Then you plead guilty to drug distribution charges.

So you admit to essentially being a drug dealer but your attorneys walk in to a hearing with and straight face and ask for probation. Why? Because the dope wasn’t going to be sold but meted out between you and your friends.

Defendant number one that hurt animals gets 23 months in Federal Prison and now is viewed somewhere between Pol Pot and Joe Stalin on the people I’d want to marry my daughter list.

Defendant number two probably won’t see one solid hour behind bars because we all know that he is truly sorry for what he did. “No your honor, it won’t happen again.

My question is why does the media not raise as large a fuss about dope as it does for dead dogs?

So finally, I’d just like everything to be called down the middle in 2008. . . like it’s supposed to be!

Fluff

This one is simple. Rich people have always done drugs, smoked, and screwed everything with a pulse. See Jerry Garcia, Rick James, Ray Charles, Elvis, Cher, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, any Kennedy, Howard Hughes, and Charlie Parker. It’s no big shock so please don’t talk about it any more. We get it.
So please just tell us what’s going on. We only need the who, the what, the when, and the why. Please ma’am just the facts.