Wednesday, February 13, 2008
News Fast
Typically when I think about fasting, I think about the empty feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I haven't eaten for way too long (i.e., about twenty minutes these days. ooy!). Yet, that empty feeling is exactly what I'm trying to combat via this little fasting idea. I'm thinking I should give up reading the news for a bit. I know very well that I'm not singing a new song here, but I still have to ask: is anyone else getting the sense that the news of the day is getting progressively darker/disturbing? And, I'm just talking national news! International news can produce even more 'my-country-has-more-grim-tales-to-tell-than-your-country' blues, but that will remain outside of the scope of this, ahem, 'discussion.' What is happening? The headlines lately have been incredibly disturbing: shootings in municipal meetings, schools, churches; unspeakable wrong committed against children; unheard of violence and acts of hate committed against the unsuspecting. OUT.OF.CONTROL! I am just hoping these types of headlines are really just inventions of greedy media types who are churning out copiouos amounts of bizzaro headlines in order to match the pile of disgusting goo rejected everyday by landfills for being too toxic. Some of this stuff didn't really happen. right? I'm thinking that might be the Pollyanna in me. (Will I sound too much like my Great Auntie Tilda if I say that violent video games must be somehow to blame for some people thinking it's a good idea to fatally shoot their peers to resolve an argument? Are we training a nation of a depraved version of vigilantes [with well-rehearsed aim, by the way]? OK, before my nephews hear wind of this random thought and throw their PS3s at me, I'll be moving on.) I know. I'm incredibly naive. A simpleton. Just for the record, I'm also waiting for the teacher to come out during our proverbial recess and lay out the rules yet again for anyone who (must) have missed them....we'll all recite the ethic of reciprocity together: love one another as you love yourself. Putting aside the basic philosophical debates you'll hear against that generalization, let's just start there for now. Until then, maybe I'll just have to take a news fast for a brief period to clear my mind. The end.
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3 comments:
Ok Courtney... I am with you.. I sit and watch the news because as an adult I feel compelled to know whats going on not only in my world but THE world.. and I am discusted, appalled, horrified.. how am I as a mother of 4 supposed to send my kids to school? any school.. there are shootings there or kids get stolen as they get off the bus never to return? then there is terrorisim and all that goes along with that... I am so not liking the world we live in.. it scares the hell out of me. I am so with you..
I'm with ya too,Courtney. But I truly don't believe that the world is any worse that it always has been. Anyone remember the Holocaust, slavery, not to mention all the bloody wars that have been waged since the beginning of time? It's just that in this day and age where information travels at unbelievable speed, we know everything that's happening in the world the moment it happens. I try to get the bulk of my news from NPR and NEVER watch the local news. Gosh, they try to scare you into watching with their crazy headlines. "Could your child be in danger? Watch News 8 at 10 to find out." It makes me so mad! Good post Courtney.
Thanks so much for your comments Elizabeth and Jennifer! I appreciate hearing your insights! I agree that local news can at times be even more scary than national headlines and that this fallen world has always been replete with horrific human activity. I guess our main lesson learned is to be sensitive to the idea of looking for ways to make this world better (even if we have to avoid the headlines for a bit to clear our minds). Thanks again! (I love NPR too, Jennifer!) :)
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