The standards of reasoning
together and responsible dialogue have sunk so low we now live in a media
driven culture that seemingly cannot distinguish between an arsonist and a
firefighter or differentiate an anarchist from a protester.
Chats at the workplace water
cooler or neighborhood cookout are now supercharged by 24/7 agenda-driven
"news" which is more often than not, poorly sourced, ridiculously
exaggerated, breathlessly delivered, and bathed in extremely judgmental partisanship.
Don't get me wrong. I too, have strong opinions and moral certitude; I just
long for more respect and something more than sound bytes and zingers in in
public discourse.
Frankly, I miss the easygoing, but
often deep "rap sessions" of my youth. I long for the feel of
"all-over-the-place" banter around a dying campfire. I learned a lot in
after-midnight dialogue over lousy coffee at Denny's, or
"toes-in-the-sand" deliberations while slouching in foldable lawn chairs
as the tide rolls in. Same issues. Same differences, same disagreement of
opinions, just nicer, more human conversations. I am convinced that needed
debate can be devoid of snide remarks and unfair categorization of others who
may disagree. Maybe we need to take the high road and have these debates among ourselves
and let others blather on without us. Sounds kind of nice.
No comments:
Post a Comment