My Thoughts For Today

9/4/17 @9:33am CST

Why is it that the broadcasters of news want us to believe that differences equate to hate? What do they gain by spreading that lie? Well, I suppose for starters they gain more hateful action to report on. I think our world needs to wake up and realize that what we see over the airwaves in no way depicts what life is truly like. We hear hateful things and then we begin to believe hateful things…equally we hear good things and we begin to believe good things. Why have we as a society allowed the opinions of a few to make us believe they are the opinions of all? We seem to believe what we hear and read without any regard to the one speaking or writing it. Angry people tend to spread anger, happy people tend to spread joy and content people tend to spread satisfaction. In all honesty I am tired of hearing about the angry people…it is exhausting.

I would like to challenge all news sources to be the one that sets a new trend. I believe people are very hungry to be heard and if negativity and hate is what gets them noticed that is exactly what they will continue to do to be heard. However, I believe many of those same people would strive to be contributing in good ways and promoting positivity if they believed that would get their voice heard. Perhaps, there is a news outlet that would be brave enough to start focusing on the good in communities, regions, and nations. I understand that there is a thought process of good things aren’t news; however, I would have to disagree with you…good things are news…because we don’t hear about them very often.

I have begun to shut down all the negativity the news is broadcasting. I’ve stopped listening. I’ve stopped allowing that thought process to consume me and my actions.

If we based our knowledge on what the airwaves were producing we would have to come to the conclusion that there is WAY more bad going on around us than good…I DON’T believe that at all! I know there is WAY more good going on in the world than bad. So, let’s start getting a news source that will report on a better percentage of reality! Our world will continue to go down the path of whoa-is-me if we continue to entertain that bad has overtaken good. It HAS NOT!

I would love to see factual reporting…not enquirer type of reporting. I remember decades ago when I was a child my mom, on occasion would pick up The Enquirer at the grocery store. She would say it had entertainment value because there was always a morsel of truth in each story surrounded by lies and fabrication that made it like a fiction novel. I believe that type of ‘reporting’ has become how our main news sources operate today. They provide enough truth to make something believable; however, filling most of what they report with hyperbole.

I want to hear about good things. Instead of the news berating everything our national leaders do; how about we start hearing about the facts of the good things that have transpired? Wow…that would be refreshing. How about we put ‘party’ affiliation to the side and merely broadcast facts with no spin? Hmmm…now there’s an idea. How about we stop blocking traffic to get our voice heard and start blocking bullies from robbing our children of their futures? How about we accept people for where they are at and show compassion even when we disagree with lifestyle?

In our world of news sources bashing people, bashing thoughts, bashing lifestyles, bashing beliefs we have become a world of pettiness. Pettiness leaves when we focus on others and not ourselves. When the eclipse was occurring all we heard about was people gathering to view it all over the world. This event served as an equalizer. It did not matter where you lived, what your religion or political affiliation was, what nationality or race you were, whether you were homosexual, heterosexual or any variation within that, whether you were able bodied or had limitation, whether you were a nuclear physicist or whether you were a street dweller. It didn’t matter…you could experience it. This event did not care if you were living in a mansion on a hill or if you were a squatter in an abandoned cabin. It didn’t matter!

Then shortly after that our nation was hit with Hurricane Harvey…and again we were not separated by our differences, we were united because of our compassion. People didn’t care what creed, sex, color, socioeconomic status or political party you identified with. Every type of person was being affected by the destruction Harvey brought. One group of people was not being chosen over another as to who to rescue first…all rescuers were helping all people. It didn’t matter if you lived in a mansion or on the street…you lost nearly everything you owned. Stuff didn’t matter, people did…no longer were you angry with your neighbor that didn’t see things as you did politically or otherwise. You’re only concern was for the safety of your family and those you love most. You didn’t care that your car was under water, you cared if you saw people going underwater.

Going Under Water…that is how our news sources are broadcasting everyday life…as though we are underwater and there is no hope other than to lash out and highlight our differences. Well, I have NEWS for those sources…Our World Is NOT Under Water! Our World IS Very Much Above Water. So, let’s start hearing about that being broadcast.

Which of the news outlets or reporters are going to choose to rise above the mountains of sensationalism and start broadcasting the truth, the uninhibited, un-sugar coated realness? Who will choose to be the one that will be known for turning the tide of ‘Fake News’ into the tide of ‘Trusted News’? Someone is going to do it and I believe that someone is going to be emerging soon.

It is time we as a people stop listening to the trash that is thrown at us and start looking for the good that surrounds us.

Okay…now I will step down from my soapbox:)