So I’m reading through AlterNet’s fine website when I come across and article called “The Clownification of America”. The main gist of the article is the media is feeding us a big line of crap of keep us placated. For instance the day that Ken Lay was convicted MSNBC talked more about the American Idol finals than the conviction. I wanted to spit.

I know most people don’t want sad news. They don’t want to be confronted by the sadness and heartbreak. They need some pick-me-ups. They need some light frothy nonsense to breakup all that news about war, famine and man’s own brutality to his own kind. Just give them a big old heaping shovel full of celebrity gossip disguised as news.

Here lies my problem with this. I know it upsets people. It’s not easy to see kids suffering malnutrition. It’s not easy to hear about families being gunned down in a war. It’s not easy to read about how the environment is slowing dying. But do you know what? It’s not supposed to be. But there’s a good and wonderful reason you’re not comfortable watching the so-called bad news. It’s because you care. That’s a glorious thing.

I don’t care if it’s the suffering in the Gulf Coast after Katrina or the suffering in Indonesia or the genocide in Darfur or the plight of the nightwalkers in Uganda or the teenage girl who only brought home 600 dollars to her pimp so he hit her so hard her vision is ruined.

There is nothing bad that can come of caring. It offers you the opportunity to do that most noble of deeds, help someone in need. It doesn’t matter if it’s money, time or just letting people know the problem exists. Helping people is really the most worthwhile thing you can do.

I know there are a lot of religious zealots out there who would like you to believe that all this suffering is because of gay people and abortion. They say it’s God’s wrath. I say they’re wrong. I don’t believe God casts down suffering upon His children. But if I was to play along and say that God did cause suffering on this planet I would say he does it to test the depths of our compassion not to get back at gays or women who get abortions. But as I’ve said it makes no sense for God to punish the innocent. So these zealots need to stop pointing a finger at everything but their own hearts. (Thank You Maynard)

Getting back on course here, the media needs to make the population aware of the extent of human suffering. Not because it is pleasant to watch but because then maybe we could do something about it.


“In charity there is no excess”
Sir Francis Bacon


“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Aesop