So...
I am working on a blog about artistic integrity, hit or miss as I can only stand to type for about 5 minutes at a stretch, but I just felt the need to essplode and thus must share it with ya'll.
I do not understand the Republican party. Honestly. I don't claim to be a Democrat either, so don't go pinning me with that kind of label. Actually, strike that. I'm going to go more broad. I do not understand the media, nor the Republican speakers for the media, nor some of the Republicans in office. I don't understand some media folk who claim themselves Independent either (like Dobbs)....but as a whole? You add up all the pundits for the Republicans and the vicious forked tongues they speak with and it depresses the hell out of me.
How can anyone honestly listen to Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Malkin, Coulter, Beck, etc...?
I like to think myself a rational, open-minded individual. I am for equality no matter religion, gender, sexual preference, race, economic status, nationality, child/childfree preference (don't get me started on that!), football team (come on now, I live in Nebraska! So ya'll who like Mizzou, Colorado and Notre Damn need to go take youselves back to your respective states and kiss my Husker-red ass ;) ), etc... To me, it makes sense! People are people, it doesn't make a difference who or what you are. But then, I am a peace-loving, anti-war/violence vegetarian, so that doesn't say much, I suppose ;)
Which brings me back to topic: Mainstream media (MSM) and the overwhelming voice of Republican pundits.
It literally -hurts- to hear the things spoken by self-proclaimed Republican media folk. It is just cruel and hateful.
We come back to the center of the melting pot, that we're all one America, that just because I disagree with you doesn't mean you hate America, and I love America. We all love America. We just disagree on how we should function, what we should do, big government, small government. It doesn't mean you hate America. I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today. There are a few people that hate America. But I don't think the Democrats are those. I think there are those posing as Democrats that are like that." - Glenn Beck 10/22/07
This quote of course being the tipping point today. But there have been points in the past, Rush's "Phony Soldiers" comment (which, the transcript on Rush's site was subsequently edited at the highlighted location), Coulter's we Christians "just want Jews to be perfected", to O'Reilly's complete lack of sensitivity w/ "the situation here for this kid (Shawn Hornbeck) looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he ahd under his old parents. He didn't have to go to school. He could run around and do whatever he wanted...there was an element here that this kid liked about his circumstances"
Now, what's it matter? People listen to these hurtful, vile-talking individuals who are paid heftily for their hateful speech. (Limbaugh - est 15 million weekly listeners, O'Reilly's radio program is heard on over 390 stations alone, etc etc...) And the people are listening, taking as fact and repeating it back.
That is a problem. That is where hate is fueled. To have Glenn Beck speak to millions about how those who hate America are the ones having their houses burned down (never mind that the worst stricken areas are currently strong Republican regions - way to research - though I'm sure he was thinking more Malibu-Hollywood connection) or Michelle Malkin publically stalking a family who spoke up in defense of the SCHIP bill ... it's small wonder I can't carry on a conversation with a die-hard, Bush-defending Republican at work who had the audacity to tell me that families who qualify for the SCHIP program are "stupid people" who made "stupid decisions" and can afford health insurance for their kids (sound familiar?).
This is not to say that both sides do not participate in it. However, when Jon Stewart mocks people, he mocks politicians making "stupid decisions" on both sides. He's not attacking people in San Diego whose homes are burning down. He's not attacking Katrina victims as "scumbags". He's not attacking the 12-year old kid for defending SCHIP. And neither does Keith Olbermann (though that's not to say Keith, for as much as I love his rants, doesn't direct the interviews when it comes to slamming irresponsible Republicans). Or Stephen Colbert, who would much rather attack bears than politicians even.
And there's the difference. There's a difference between attacking policy/criminal behaviour/injustice and attacking people. The more the media attacks people and the listeners continue listening and parroting every hateful thing back, the more hate is bred.
I'll say it again - I do not understand hate crime legislation. Sure, someone commits a crime that is fueled by a hatred based on race/gender/preference/etc... is absolutely despicable. But the law does absolutely nothing to stop the hate. The horrible things spoken by people in the MSM, that is permitted and tolerated by the MSM, that breeds and fosters the hate. Because people listen. And while people listen, "shock jock" profiteers make money.
So, what's the final word?
Hatred is not shocking. What's shocking is that people listen and people believe.
So stop listening.
For those interested, Shawn Hornbeck has established (along with some help, I imagine ;) ) a foundation in his name.
I do not understand the Republican party. Honestly. I don't claim to be a Democrat either, so don't go pinning me with that kind of label. Actually, strike that. I'm going to go more broad. I do not understand the media, nor the Republican speakers for the media, nor some of the Republicans in office. I don't understand some media folk who claim themselves Independent either (like Dobbs)....but as a whole? You add up all the pundits for the Republicans and the vicious forked tongues they speak with and it depresses the hell out of me.
How can anyone honestly listen to Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Malkin, Coulter, Beck, etc...?
I like to think myself a rational, open-minded individual. I am for equality no matter religion, gender, sexual preference, race, economic status, nationality, child/childfree preference (don't get me started on that!), football team (come on now, I live in Nebraska! So ya'll who like Mizzou, Colorado and Notre Damn need to go take youselves back to your respective states and kiss my Husker-red ass ;) ), etc... To me, it makes sense! People are people, it doesn't make a difference who or what you are. But then, I am a peace-loving, anti-war/violence vegetarian, so that doesn't say much, I suppose ;)
Which brings me back to topic: Mainstream media (MSM) and the overwhelming voice of Republican pundits.
It literally -hurts- to hear the things spoken by self-proclaimed Republican media folk. It is just cruel and hateful.
We come back to the center of the melting pot, that we're all one America, that just because I disagree with you doesn't mean you hate America, and I love America. We all love America. We just disagree on how we should function, what we should do, big government, small government. It doesn't mean you hate America. I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today. There are a few people that hate America. But I don't think the Democrats are those. I think there are those posing as Democrats that are like that." - Glenn Beck 10/22/07
This quote of course being the tipping point today. But there have been points in the past, Rush's "Phony Soldiers" comment (which, the transcript on Rush's site was subsequently edited at the highlighted location), Coulter's we Christians "just want Jews to be perfected", to O'Reilly's complete lack of sensitivity w/ "the situation here for this kid (Shawn Hornbeck) looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he ahd under his old parents. He didn't have to go to school. He could run around and do whatever he wanted...there was an element here that this kid liked about his circumstances"
Now, what's it matter? People listen to these hurtful, vile-talking individuals who are paid heftily for their hateful speech. (Limbaugh - est 15 million weekly listeners, O'Reilly's radio program is heard on over 390 stations alone, etc etc...) And the people are listening, taking as fact and repeating it back.
That is a problem. That is where hate is fueled. To have Glenn Beck speak to millions about how those who hate America are the ones having their houses burned down (never mind that the worst stricken areas are currently strong Republican regions - way to research - though I'm sure he was thinking more Malibu-Hollywood connection) or Michelle Malkin publically stalking a family who spoke up in defense of the SCHIP bill ... it's small wonder I can't carry on a conversation with a die-hard, Bush-defending Republican at work who had the audacity to tell me that families who qualify for the SCHIP program are "stupid people" who made "stupid decisions" and can afford health insurance for their kids (sound familiar?).
This is not to say that both sides do not participate in it. However, when Jon Stewart mocks people, he mocks politicians making "stupid decisions" on both sides. He's not attacking people in San Diego whose homes are burning down. He's not attacking Katrina victims as "scumbags". He's not attacking the 12-year old kid for defending SCHIP. And neither does Keith Olbermann (though that's not to say Keith, for as much as I love his rants, doesn't direct the interviews when it comes to slamming irresponsible Republicans). Or Stephen Colbert, who would much rather attack bears than politicians even.
And there's the difference. There's a difference between attacking policy/criminal behaviour/injustice and attacking people. The more the media attacks people and the listeners continue listening and parroting every hateful thing back, the more hate is bred.
I'll say it again - I do not understand hate crime legislation. Sure, someone commits a crime that is fueled by a hatred based on race/gender/preference/etc... is absolutely despicable. But the law does absolutely nothing to stop the hate. The horrible things spoken by people in the MSM, that is permitted and tolerated by the MSM, that breeds and fosters the hate. Because people listen. And while people listen, "shock jock" profiteers make money.
So, what's the final word?
Hatred is not shocking. What's shocking is that people listen and people believe.
So stop listening.
For those interested, Shawn Hornbeck has established (along with some help, I imagine ;) ) a foundation in his name.