Tag: media

Correctness-A downward spiral

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Democracy – A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.  

Through school I was always taught that the basic belief of democracy was the belief that  the rights of the many outweighed the rights of the few.  As kids, we would vote for everything from which game to play to where to eat, of course with the majority vote winning.  The outcome of those votes were accepted, even if not loved by all because everyone at least had input.

Recently things are far from the free world in which I grew up. The rights of the few in many corners seem to far outweigh those of the masses.  Freedom of speech squelched by small groups who feel they have the right to quiet ideas they do not like.  Political rallies shouted down by a handful interfering with the rights of the thousands who attended to hear the speakers.  Media outlets turning off microphones to guests daring to disagree.  A free and fair media replaced by big money corporations drilling in ideology from both sides relentlessly in a 24 hour news cycle.

The hatred and division are clear in all aspects of our lives,  preventing the free flow of ideas.  Social media filled with silly memes and those who must post every article they see supporting the ideas they share.   Public shaming of people who not too long ago were allowed, even encouraged to live and speak freely.   I find it fascinating that as a society we are so concerned about bullying in our schools yet on a too often regular basis otherwise intelligent adults are bullying each other.

I am sad and aggravated.  I long for a better time.

 

Craziness

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So with each day we as a country become more and more politically correct.  We are at a point where most now resist an opportunity to express an opinion for fear of offending someone or worse retribution.  One of our most important freedoms, that of free speech, teeters on the brink of annihilation.  Our media has stopped reporting news and instead pushes one agenda or another.  Our government lies to us and spies on us but we “huddled masses yearning to breathe free” for the most part sit back and allow it all to happen.  We stand more divided than ever.  

SO why this post today?

My girls are straight “A” students, strong athletes and brown belts in karate.  They are tough, strong and are being raised to know that they can achieve anything if they work hard and YES I will admit openly that they play with PINK legos.  I know, an outrage.  What you say?  Well let me explain. So, I sign on to Facebook the other day, the forum of our generation for pure silliness, to see an article posted by someone from the Huffington post.  I will openly say I would not typically spend a second reading anything from such a clearly biased outlet but this one caught my eye because it was targeting the LEGO company and it’s over feminization of it’s products and their outrage over the Friends line of feminine “girly” legos.  The article basically relays the message that I am a terrible parent for allowing my girls to play with such a toy and as a society we should condemn the toy makers for pushing gender stereotypes.

Not two days later I see an article about a  panel on MSNBC discussing the Oscar awards.  One of the participants on that panel made the argument that the awards show was sexist because it still separated the male and female categories. Really??

So I am sure that some have jumped to conclusions about me so I feel the need to clarify.  I love the freedoms afforded to “We the people”.  I believe in the freedom of speech, assembly, religion and yes the right to bear arms.  I believe we are free to love who we love, marry who we love and express ourselves openly.  I love a good debate and will often take a side at times just for the sake of an open and interesting debate.  What I can not stand are those who make statements about how everyone should be included while attacking those who do not seem to fit the “included” mold.

I will not apologize for allowing my girls to play with feminine marketed toys. Nor will I apologize for when they play in the mud or beat the boys at hockey. I do not want to live in a world of grey pretending that we are all the same, we are not.  What many forget is that it is those differences that make us great, different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs put into the pot to make us even stronger.  Trying to pretend we are all the same, attempting to eliminate individualism, pretending there are no differences between the sexes…….crazy.

I do not claim to be some type of expert.  I am just a woman, mother, wife, person who is tired of some trying to fit us all into a box,  telling me I should be outraged over this or that.  My favorite color happens to be pink, deal with it!

My new addiction

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Every time I turn on the television I grow more disillusioned.  Being from the Philadelphia area, the local news has continual updates on the Kermit Gosnell abortion murder trial. Murder, late term and live abortions, fetus’s found in boxes, this case has it all.  There was a commercial break today during a non news show that started with “a woman who claims she was instructed to snip the spinal cords of fetus’s born alive…..” I changed the channel.

A few short weeks ago it seemed that we were being prepared for imminent war with North Korea.  A daily barrage of missile launch warnings and dictator rants. Now that seems to be replaced with the Syrian war drums.

Terrorist attacks in Boston, Swat teams searching private homes, a totally, broken, dysfunctional and honestly in my opinion corrupt Washington all adds to the weight we all already carry with our own personnel lives and issues.

SO what is one to do? Well of course turning off the TV is an option but for a lover of the boob tube like myself that is not a feasible option.  Instead I have discovered a loved for Netflix streaming.  Who knew all of the gems that were on the air in early 2000.  Alias and In Plain Sight or some still on the air that I had never seen like Numbers or Psych.  We  have seen many of the family movies available and Madison has fallen in love with HR Puff and Stuff. 

I am sure to some making the conscious decision to tune out for a while is not smart.  To others things that I have mentioned in this post are new to them which could explain why our system is so broken. To me it is a must, my brain can only handle so much bad news and lately that is all there has been.  In the greater scheme of addictions, well it could be far worse!