impending doom

Yesterday I started my day by watching the morning news......I really need to quite doing that. The reporters all talked of the "impending doom" that is about to befall us. I have been a avid "news watcher" since the 1960's. Wars, riots, shortages, natural disasters, fires, floods, earth quakes, tornadoes, political corruption, violence, robberies, murders, wrecks, crashes, explosions, bankruptcies, economical downturns, lay offs, inflation, etc.......etc........etc

Now don't get me wrong.....I am heart broken over the thousands who have lost their homes in the Gulf Coast regions this past week and I am sickened at the lawlessness in New Orleans. But exactly what qualifications does it take to be a "reporter"? Apparently not much! All you really need to be a reporter is to know how to find the most down trodden / disaster stricken / hardship ravaged / devastated person and then ask "How does that make you feel?"

It goes something like this:
Reporter looking thoughtfully into the camera says, "With us today is Mr. Joe Blow who has lost his house to the rising waters caused by hurricane Zezzibell. Mr. Blow, will you tell us what happened."
Mr. Blow, "Well........(and he tells his story)"
reporter, "Mr. Blow, how does that make you feel?"

Goodness sakes........how is he SUPPOSE to feel? Why can't reporters just report the facts and then GO HOME? Here's why....... the reporter KNOWS that if he can get a man to cry on LIVE TV...........the reporter's ratings will go up! You know what, that to me shows just how sick some of these reporters are! (what's even worse...........is that it shows just how sick WE (the watchers of this style of news) are!!) But then maybe it is just I who is sick.

Someday I envision the news to interview this guy whose house has NOT been torn down but who has opened his home to others, helped feed the hungry, clothed the naked and given what he could to the comfort of his fellow man! I do believe that there was way more people doing good for others down there than there was doing the looting and violence.

I'm sure not saying we need to overlook the devastation and violence.........but REPORT the news and forget the sensationalism......REPORT the facts.....ALL the facts. THANK GOODNESS there is the internet so people can find out about the people who are doing good.

And as Forrest Gump says, "That's all I got to say about that"
Dennis