Something To Ponder

It's all Las Vegas, all the time.  Which is okay.  If you want an update on injuries and/or fatalities you can get it within 30 minutes of turning on any cable station.  If you want to hear the latest theory about motive, tune in.  If you are interested in the latest human interest story, you can find it.  If you want confirmation that your views on gun control are correct, tune that dial to the station that will cater to your views.  

But there is an interesting phenomenon that I've noticed in watching the national news summaries on the major networks every night.  Maybe it's just me, I don't know.  But all of these talking heads seem so surprised that Americans of all types (everyone!) will do heroic things for each other.  They report on the people running into the action as if they are exhibiting characteristics that somehow they've never noticed.  They are shocked that people in extremis will look to help each other.  They can't believe the stories of the average American who will take risks and even sacrifice themselves for others.  For virtual strangers.  And they report this as if we, their viewers probably are shocked too.  That the average viewer will be amazed at these stories.  

And so this got me to thinking.  About them.  The talking heads.  The reporters.  The network executives.  You know, the people we listen to and are influenced by while we mindlessly sit and watch what is probably the most common information source that we all have.  They've been so busy making us all not like each other very much that I think they've really lost touch with the reality of who we are.  They have taken our environment, our society, our people and have segmented us all into stereotyped buckets so that we will all choose sides.  So that we will want to choose sides.  They want us to hunker down in our beliefs or thoughts and develop anger and distance and, yes hatred of those in other buckets.  They want us to forget our basic humanity.  And in doing this they've forgotten, or maybe they never knew, that people are basically good.  But they can't see it or don't want to see it.  They want us to keep fighting so they have stories to tell.  So they have ratings, advertisers, private jets, access, knowledge, power!  They absolutely don't want to give us facts and let us decide.  And in trying to influence us, they've forgotten who we are.  

I don't have any answers.  But I know one thing.  I'm not one bit surprised that when the chips are down, Americans will rally to help each other.  They will do what is required.  And they won't give up.  Ever.