As I negotiated my 40-minute morning trek, I was mind-listing the profound changes that I have witnessed in my nearly three-quarters of a century of 'walking.' There is a long list of technological changes; they blow us away with the 'new & improved' gadgets. Mostly these technology changes have improved and even lengthened our living experiences, although technology is succeeding at expunging us from the 'real' human experience.
There is another change that I believe is proving to be a social- negative, a cancer; it is the demise of civil discourse. This mean-spirited intemperance and voracity has penetrated every aspect of society. Older blog-readers will recall John Cameron Swazye, David Brinkley and Chet Huntley; they were early TV newscasters...they reported the news...they DID NOT report their opinions about the news! In this age, we have 'bogus news' television channels and radio stations that survive from advertisement dollars, which advance the extremes. Fox News (conservative sympathizers) and MSNBC (liberal comforters) epitomize opposites, which must embrace distorted 'half-truths' about the 'other side' in order to effectively motivate their respective ideologies. These extreme hate elements of both political parties are not interested in the 'good of the order' unless they are permitted to 'define' what is good.
...there is not a 'single' negative that tears at the American fabric but a number of things; events and narcissistic-greedy attitudes that drive our division, shreds our civility and feeds our growing intolerance:...follow the bouncing ball and the connected events: Out of necessity or choice fewer women are 'stay-at-home-moms.' I do not suggest that home-based mothers are better mothers than working mothers, however I stand behind the obvious that the former has likely greater nurturing impact if not just because of more time spent with kids. Once Dr. Spock's parenting books were read by mommies and daddies, it was a matter of time before a new generation of parents adopted the attitude of 'womb-to-room;' Often the school and nurseries, day cares and early pre-school programs became the 'nurturing' institutions. Spock also changed many parenting rules and defined successful parenting by progressive philosophies lifting up children's 'feelings' as more important than their obedient behavior; children were no longer expected to use self restraint but challenge authority to massage 'feelings.' Why then, would we believe that today's elected Congress persons, products of the Dr. Spock parenting folly, would or could embrace the principles of 'compromise'...never been there; never done that!
Obnoxious behavior became self-serving, entertaining and socially vogue. I recall football great, Dick Butkus often sacking a quarterback and never contorting his body stalking over his fallen opponent. I remember Detroit running back, Barry Sanders scoring many touchdowns and I don't recall him ever doing an end zone dance; both acted as if the had 'done' that several times previously and expected to 'do-it-again.' Hank Aaron hit a bunch of home runs and never threw his hands above his head acting like a foolish clown. What parenting and or mentoring message was abandoned that caused it to become fashionable to taunt and demoralize a defeated competitor?
I never observed Tony Bennett grabbing his 'crotch' while singing, 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco.' I cannot imagine Rosemary Clooney bending at the waist-backing her butt into Big Crosby's crotch, with her tongue sticking out during a 'White Christmas' duet. The movie, 'Animal House' caught movie makers' attention...crudeness seems to sell to a new generation; Abbott & Costello or Martin & Lewis apparently ran out of 'humor-gas.'
WOW! Technology got me away from staring at a radio and 'watching' a television picture in 1949; let me say with certainty that the communication transmitted has changed drastically.
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