The weather here matches my sentiments...I feel sad today, sad in a way that is not depressive but more melancholy. I have never been a person who has been one of those...fanatics about historical movements even though I may appreciate them, i.e. the womens movement, the civil rights movement, etc., but the timing of Rosa Park's death and the incredible anger I feel over the entire White House "leak" investigation, and how they - including our President - are responding really makes me angry. Another one of the pillars, so to speak, of the movements which allowed Americans rights and responsibilities and freedoms has died and at the same time, the "corruption" within our political system moves upward.
I guess today was the first time I clued into the fact - listening to President Bush comment a reporters "shades" as opposed to answer a question about his interpretation about the scandal - that we live in a time where the criticism of the media may in fact be void...what else can the media say, how else can they interpret the news, when our elected officials refuse comment? For insight and interpretation, if the sources themselves are deferring - by default - to those somewhat third parties because they don't want to risk commenting themselves and possibly implicating themselves, then what else do we as the public and they as the media have to do but to listen to the third parties?
I guess I just get so sick of people bashing the media or assuming that it's better somewhere else than it is here. Certainly there are flaws but we live in a society that is excellent at putting those flaws on display, front and center, in direct contrast to those that hold those flaws virtuous. Its so easy to find fault in how those messages are relayed rather than looking directly at the message and the divide. Americans cannot be told what to care about really, but those who feel strongly about a certain issues - like race, religion, sexuality, peace/war issues - that even if they are presented with outlets which provide various perspectives on other issues that aren't so American-centric, they won't read them or watch them. I feel as though it is this way in many countries but American's have garnered such a reputation for being so self-centered that it's just more pronounced. This leads me again to believe that we aren't nurturing any type of active or critical thinking skills within Americans. We can't really blame them when those who we hold to highest esteem, like our own President, refuse to allow themself a thought out and articulate stance, on something that brings into question what dissent and communication means to all Americans, can we?