Back when Television first began, someone said it was to be a vast wasteland, as to what benefit it brought to those who spent time watching it. For the first 40 or so years, this thought was untrue in my mind. It offered a great deal of interesting issues to gain information as well as entertain. But, for the last 20 or so years, I have to agree as to it becoming a wasteland that has offered less and less quality to a person”s life.
The use of talking heads who are pretty to look at by today”s standards is a scam used by corporate America to bring the viewers less factual information to keep the public and directed to self interests of those in power. The overwhelming amount of time marketing products to consumers has taken precedent as the goal of the high tech for profit industry. It also has made a massive effort to sell a bill of goods on what is right and correct to be a good citizen and neighbor of all this nation”s population.
Elected officials stand before our nation, and having more interest in using their position to better their own lives, over bringing laws and rules that best serve all our citizens equally. It exposes us to phony, dishonest representation of products marketed on a minute by minute daily basis, such as photos of fast food items that look nothing like what is actually produced, health products that have side effects that can cause major medical problems, even to the point of death if used. It influences our voting, by offering polls that differ from what station your watching and what part of this nation you may live in.
It vastly influences how we inter-act and treat our fellow citizens and neighbors. It points the fingers of shame on the poorest of our citizens and spreads fear by non-factual views of the many different cultures that make up our nation”s citizens. At this point in time, for greater viewing, it fans the fire of fear and hate when ever possible by offering hours and hours of coverage when ever any fear or hate based issue is in play.
How much viewing time is offered to bring a better, fact-based understanding of the many differences that each culture may have and the background, history, reason each may have for these differences. It never speaks of the importance of being more tolerant and accepting of the rightness of all our citizens not being exactly the same, with our values, looks, dress, etc.
The tube has brought our citizens down to being no more than consumers of goods, over being good and fair citizens of a great nation. A nation that needs to see both sides, fairly and honestly of all issues that effect all of us. In reality, might makes right is a sad path to follow. In promoting a belief that this nation is absolutely correct in dealing with all the world”s problems and issue is an insult to any intelligent mind.
Jim Hall, Clearlake Oaks
