The Media's Role in Divisive Politics

I am sitting at home with MSNBC on with Dan Abrams and sadly the progaram is another shrill and shallow piece trying to make much of Jeremiah Wright's stupid remarks rather that look at the REAL issues that should be under discussion in this campaign cycle: soaring foreclosure rates, families unable to make ends meet, many millions without health insurance, a never ending disaster in Iraq, etc., etc. One has to wonder whether the talking heads are simply lazy, or are they more concerned about generating sensationalism rather than having a critical discourse on the issues that truly impact the nation's future. Personally, most of the talking heads are little better than self-importance cheap whores, frequently hired more for looks, family ties, and other criteria that have nothing to do with intelligence or competency. Tonight's story is basically aimed at ginning up racial disharmony. I find it disgusting and sadly cynical. Which brings me to something my friend Billy at Kenya Worm wrote as he contemplates moving back home to South Africa (a country that is now in some ways far more progressive than the USA). These are the words that struck me:

*

The reason why I put this down as an 'opener' to my post is that, if I were one of the narrow minded 'biggots' that came out of Apartheid SA, I would have missed out on so much in my life. I would not have made some great 'local' friends here in Kenya, I would not have had dinner last night with a friend from Vietnam, I would not have met such a diverse and colourful group of people in my remarkable life. It's remarkable not because I've made such an impression on the world, but because the world has made such a remarkable impression on me! How can we truly say that we are better or worse than anybody else, or base our judgements of people on something other than their personality? And then, base this judgement of their personality on their background as well. The old saying about having to walk in somebody Else's shoes before you make up your mind is remarkably true...

*

Would that some of us in the USA could learn these concepts. Dan Abrams, I mean you.