Posted on 11/01/2001 7:57:46 AM PST by Skooz
I have been a news junky since I was a small child. I was born in 1960 and clearly remember watching the Vietnam War on TV and in the newspapers. Watergate seems like last week. I actually spent many hours watching the hearings on TV (those of you who are old enough will remember).
I have been a highly informed citizen all my life. I have spent countless hours scouring newspapers and news sites for details of political and world events.
The result? Oh, just another example of the biblical truth, "For in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18)." Well, that may be overstating it, but I DO look at my grossly under-informed family and friends as they stroll through life blissfully unaware of the treachery of the whacko Left and the slanted view of the media and I am a little--no, a lot--envious.
Why do I give a rat's rear end what the Liberal nuts are doing? Why can't I be like my brother-in-law who, rather than concern himself with such matters, spends countless hours and dollars fishing. He doesn't have a clue what's going on in Washington. He does not care! What bliss! He simply has no interest. His boat and his new lures are infinitely more important to him than the lies being spread by Democrats, or the loony-left's anti-war (anti-American) campaign. I see these idiots on TV and I want to pick up something and throw it at the screen--he just chuckles and turns the channel to Bonanza. How does he do that?
I'm not picking on my bro-in-law. He's actually very intelligent (probably more than I), he is just uninformed and DOESN'T CARE! I tried to give up caring about the news and current events in 1997 and 1998--when the slavish news media were groveling before King Bubba begging to follow Monica's lead. I had reached the limit to what I could endure. I just gave it up and tried to dedicated my time to my family and my guitar. I would read guitar magazines rather than the Wall Street Journal editorial page. I would watch guitar instructional videos rather than the news. But, no matter how hard I tried, I never made it until noon. Where can I find the bliss enjoyed by so many uninformed people? I want to be one of the sheeple!
-- Anonymous.
If you can't stomach that thought, just get a frontal lobotomy - less painfull.
That's all he would do if it were up to him. He is conservative, but with a big streak of libertarian skeptic built-in.
He doesn't much pay attention to political goings-on, and is amused at my vocal support of the President.
Sometimes I've been envious, but I realize he misses out on information by choice.
I wish I were a moron?
Oh wait, I get it now. ;-)
There was a time when this was true and I was much happier.
That being said, I watch in amazement, as my politically ignorant in-laws stumble through life, not knowing that they are unwitting accomplices to the liberal agenda. Hell, they dont even know what the liberal agenda is, which makes them accomplices.
My wife is starting to come around, through gentle, yet relentless thought-provoking questions and comments from me. Occasionally, I slip, and rant for a while on the "liberal pukes", but for the most part, she is becoming "Un-PC" The deprogramming is having an effect.
My in-laws in general, though, have made verbal agreements amongst themselves, not to bring up politics in my presence. A sad commentary.
Stay well
I think Skooz is on to something here. My wife (brilliant wife, I must add) often shares a similar feeling. It isn't just about intelligence, though, as Skooz pointed out. It is also about awareness. What is that saying I saw on FR the other day, something like "If you aren't angry then you aren't paying attention."
I really am of two minds on this one. First, we have to be vigilant to guard our freedoms. Second, however, is that we become more free (temporarily, anyway) when we start to ignore the shenanigans of those who hold power over us.
Wow, a vanity that I actually liked and didn't feel the need to bump to the cheesewatch list. Good job Skooz.
(To the comedically challenged: A call back is when a comedian makes reference to an earlier joke in the set. TA was referencing a funny vanity the other day that spelled dummies wrong.)
I embarrassed myself on more than one occasion at a dinner table when drunk after my tour of Bosnia. I hated the fact that I had seen things and when drunk I used to try and get others to understand
Tony
...than a pig, satisfied."
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