I admit that after swearing-off watching/reading the news last year, that I have gradually returned to my old habits. On one hand, I am better informed. On the other hand, I am getting more depressed. Today I read an article on ABC News.com about a two year old boy who was killed by American forces in Iraq. They even showed a picture of his father carrying his lifeless body out of the rubble. It made me want to puke. But then I read the comments from the public message board below the article. Then I really got ill. Some people are so ignorant that I can't believe they are from the same planet. They make me ashamed to call them countrymen. One person said that the family essentially had it coming because that's what happens when your countrymen "mess with the United States." A rememinder: Iraq did not participate in the attacks of 9/11. Saddam Hussein did get rid of his weapons of mass destruction just like we told him to. This family did not choose Hussein to be their dictator. They did not choose for America to dethrone him. They did not choose for their innocent child to be killed at the tender age of two by U.S. rockets aimed at militants in their war-torn neighborhood. They have lost their child. Imagine if it were you who lost your child. I can't fathom the pain they will endure for the rest of their lives. The emptiness. The despair.
Some estimates indicate over half a million Iraqis have already died during this war. How many families have had to bury their children? How many more will before this war ends? Invading Iraq was more than a mistake. It was a crime against humanity. George W. Bush is responsible for that dead baby and countless others. Too bad he'll never be held accountable. John McCain wants to have troops in Iraq for 100 years. In November, I'll do my part to make sure he doesn't get his wish.
12 comments:
It is a sad state of affairs. people often leave me going “wow, all I can say is wow”
As far as the news itself goes, I don’t watch/read it either, for few reasons…
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life…”
While this leaves me uninformed for worldly talk around the water cooler, I don’t mind.
There is more to life than being informed on the latest celebrity or political event etc. I find more pressing matters to discuss around said cooler. Something crazy like “How are you doing, neighbor?”
“On the other hand, I am getting more depressed”
Most of the time the news leaves me a negative feeling or mind set. While admittedly I fail often, I try to practice the following.
Php 4:8 “…whatever things are true, honest, right, pure, lovely, whatever things are of GOOD REPORT; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.”
Seldom does the news deliver any of the above.
To Quote Ann Coulter, “Perhaps if conservatives had had a total control over every major means of news dissemination for a quarter century…” and most media in general, there might be more of the actual news. I just don’t care to start or end my day, filling my head with disinformation.
100 channels of “left wing schlock” is hard pressed to contain any virtue.
A father carrying his boys lifeless body is far from lovely.
Slandering our nations president, regardless of his affiliated party, isn’t very praise worthy.
Besides, Democrats and Republicans don’t rule the world, mammon does.
“If we are to be slaves to our habits, then I must for good habits” Og Mandino
Go back to your good habit my friend…turn off the news. Peace of mind is of far greater value than being well informed of bad reports.
~Martin
I,too, refuse to watch the newds. At best its voyeuristic, at worst has little to do with real, I need to know that, information. I've alway had a positive mental attitude that news shows try to relieve me of on a dily basis. The civilians in Iraq did not "sign up" for this war, to have their country ravaged and their loved ones wiped out. Mr McCain wants us to stay 100 years? That is so absurd, as to make one ill. What an awful mess Bush has gotten us into.
yo mama
Ann Coulter accused the widows of 9/11 of enjoying their husbands' deaths by basking in the limelight too much. I will never agree with anyone so closed-minded and outright hateful as she is. “Perhaps if conservatives had had a total control over every major means of news dissemination for a quarter century…” and most media in general, there might be more of the actual news. I just don’t care to start or end my day, filling my head with disinformation." I guess that dead baby was disinformation. I guess everyone at Fox News, Glenn Beck on Headline News, Tucker Carlson and Joe Scarborough on MSNBC, and Lou Dobbs are the flaming liberals controlling the media that Ann is so disgusted with. Oh, wait. That's right. The most watched news outlets on TV are these anti-liberal commentators who have done such a good job of being "fair and balanced" that the American people actually re-elected a President responsible for the problems we are overwhelmed with today.
Nothing personnal, Marty. You know I have much love for you. Ann Coulter and the right-wing media: not so much. But you're right about one thing for sure: I should go back to my good habits. You and I can enjoy one of those (fishin') sometime this summer.
My friend...I hope that by now you know my heart and know that it aches for this man in his sorrow. However, this is not a balanced picture. There have been numerous stories and pictures of American troops aiding and protecting the Iraqi civilians (often by sacrificing their own lives). How many children have been killed or maimed by their own countrymen--not by accident, but intentionally?
There are always innocents who do not "choose" situations. This has happened in our own country; i.e., the Civil War (inappropriately named, but I digress). I have knowledge of an ancestor whose family's remaining food was taken by Union troops and his house set ablaze with his invalid wife inside. I can assure you that none of my relatives had two nickels to rub together, much less owned slaves. But I don't hear anyone saying that war was wrong.
I'm sure there were innocents killed in every war in which we've fought, but there are millions more who were glad we were there to liberate them.
"Saddam Hussein did get rid of his weapons of mass destruction just like we told him to." Well...If he had let us in to inspect, in accordance with the UN (a useless organization) agreement, then we would have known that, and Bush wouldn't have had this excuse to go in and take care of Big Daddy's unfinished business.
"John McCain wants to have troops in Iraq for 100 years." No, he doesn't "want" that. This is out of context.
I personally wish we would wrap it up and get out, but then all the info I have is what's given me through the media. "Cause when they own the information, they can bend it all they want."
Anita
Sorry, I forgot to credit that last quote to John Mayer from his song, "Waiting on the World to Change".
Anita
You just scored some big bonus points with my wife. She's John Mayer's #1 fan.
Marty, the right wingers have destroyed the media over the last 20 years. You're drunk if you think you're getting any good, usable info from them. They're the ones responsible for bringing us G. W. B. in the first place. The idea that you could hold Al Gore up next to W. and conclude that Gore is the liar turns my stomach.
Well…
Even though I did expect some sort of snappy retort from Travis, I am surprised at the level of emotion used in responding to my comment. I truly didn’t intend to invoke a blog riot here.
Isn’t it the liberals who are always spouting off about tolerance and diversity? And who am I that my opinion should upset your delicate digestive system?
So far the only thing not a surprise was the name calling, “your drunk”. A textbook liberal response, slander over debate.
I will admit that I shouldn’t tread to deeply into political affairs, “politics is nasty sport” and it wouldn’t take much to drown me.
In a bit of a retraction I would like to state that it isn’t fair to blame the liberals entirely for the state of the so called news. My contempt for all things government and news alike encompasses all parties. While I hold to the belief that liberals control the majority of media, I doubt I would feel any differently if the conservatives were the majority owners.
Now if your stomach is still upset, I recommend some Peptol, and clicking the little x up in the far right corner of your screen before reading any further.
When President Bush is given an award for his lies, then I might take up a debate comparing him to Al Gore. But since you brought it up, If Hilary Clinton were the Anti Christ, then Al Gore would be the false prophet. Which means yes, I conclude him to be a liar.
~Martin
I forgot to mention,
This is not a slam…I am being serious,
I find it interesting to hear liberals complaining about the media.
I find the bleeding heart, tree hugging, America hating, baby killing, anti Christ message in most any media. It doesn’t matter if it’s the news, movies, television, commercials, music etc. I hear it everywhere.
I never knew that liberals hear the opposite when listening to the same media. I just never even considered it. I guess it’s a beauty is in the eye of the beholder type of thing.
I am not sure what to make of it yet, but I feel like I learned something here today.
~Martin
sorry Travis, I will shut up now and go back to my corner
What an interesting discussion. I'm glad my blog is good for intelligent debate as well as my usual frivolity.
Examples of a right-wing media:
1. Movies glorifying guns.
2. TV shows glorifying guns.
3. Virtually every AM radio station runs Rush Limbaugh and his co-horts with nary a station carrying a left of center show.
4. Rupert Murdock (Fox News, etc)owns and controls much of the media in this country.
5. Country music stars and the radio stations that play their music are almost all conservatives. (Don't let Toby Keith hear you bashing the President!)
6. Local and some cable stations devote part or all of their programming to televangelism (I don't think I've ever seen an "Atheist Hour" on Sunday morning TV.)
These are just some of the examples of a right-wing media that few people want to acknowledge. Add the newspeople that I mentioned before to that mix and we can see that we do not live in a society where most news is slanted to the left by a liberal conspiracy.
I am getting off my soapbox now. My next blog posts will be my usual mindless fluff, I promise. That's how I built up all these loyal fans in the first place.
I never used or implied the word conspiracy. :P
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