There seems to be an excessive amount of arguing – simply for the sake of arguing – going on these days. News networks like CNN, ABC, NBC or CBS are (mistakenly, if you ask me) labeled as safe havens for the liberal media, what with its “socialist” or “communist” slant on any topic one can think of.
Me? I can think of plenty ... same sex marriage, the environment, climate change, hydraulic fracturing, the upcoming presidential election, nuclear war (or war in general, for that matter), religion and race ... the list goes on and on.
Then, of course, there’s Fox News, accused of lying, cheating, stealing and carelessly reporting facts that are, well, not very factual (according to some ... I point no fingers ... at least in print), a network that’s quick to turn around and point its proverbial politically motivated finger at anyone daring to call its bluff.
Regardless, it all boils down to one simple fact. We, as a nation, remain bound and determined – as I previously stated – to argue for the sake of arguing.
Either way you look at it, much of what we read, watch or listen to today is based on a biased opinion or biased information.
And that’s the thing about bias. Even an unbiased individual like myself (for the most part), can be accused of it. And those guilty of bias – or completely innocent – will always be considered biased by the opposing side. And maybe – just maybe – that’s the real problem ... we seem to be taking sides.
Which is strange, because all this time I thought we played for the same team.
Guess I was mistaken.
Right now, out there among the masses, there are those who hate – and I mean truly hate – our current commander in chief. I hate to tell you, but your hatred, no matter how justified you feel it is, is unwarranted.
And downright unpatriotic.
At the same time, some people (actually many people) still blame our former president (you know the one ... Mission Accomplished?) for our country’s problems. You, I’m afraid, are misguided, as well.
In reality, there’s only one real problem with America right now ... Americans.
And yes, the blame falls to me, too. I make no excuses.
Needless to say, there’s a lot of talk on both sides of the fence concerning the government’s involvement – or role – in our daily lives. Which is funny, because isn’t that what government is for? To serve the people? Granted, our system has become more than a bit tarnished over the decades, but that’s about money, as far as I can tell.
Greed leads to more greed, which leads to injustice for your common, everyday American. That’s what the occupy movement is all about. And while I’m not an outright supporter of said movement, they do have a point.
But this isn’t just about money ... it’s about people, plain and simple.
We, as a nation, decide who will reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. We decide who will represent the people on every level, from the village mayor to our legislators in Albany and Washington, D.C. And yet we – yes we – continue to complain when those in power take advantage of their position to line their own pockets. We know about the lobbying, we know about the lies and we know about the inequality of it all.
Yet we also continue to do nothing about it.
These problems, however, may be more than we can handle. Which is sad, but probably true.
In 1968, the Beatles sang about a revolution ... about evolution, a real solution and yes, that everything is going to be all right. Then again, maybe Thomas Jefferson said it best when he stated, “Experience hath shown, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”
Jefferson also said, “Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.”

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