Once Upon a Time, We Had Walter Cronkite
We used to have faith in America in the truth. Facts were facts and there was trust that our media was fair and accurate. I remember those days. We didn’t question what was being reported. No one wondered whether Walter Cronkite was lying. Back then, the news was about the facts—not opinion. What we heard and saw, we believed to be true.
Have Times Changed?
The mantra today for authors is to avoid politics. You’ll risk losing readers. No one needs to read the opinion of a fiction writer who spins make-believe. Then what about Steinbeck, Orwell, Baldwin, Sinclair, or Rand, to name but a few? Each held up a mirror to reveal an American truth. Isn’t that part of the reason why we read fiction?
Ear to the Ground
Stop long enough and you can hear conversations everywhere. Or can you? Friends and families no longer engage in political discussion. We’re trying to keep the peace. And most of us have reached the saturation point. We’re worn down. Isn’t this the real danger? We no longer debate. We can’t decipher “truth” from the noise because we can’t hear what is even being said. And when we do, we don’t believe it.
Is It Time to Issue A Cancellation Notice?
I’m tired of the back and forth. The blurring of the truth. The politicizing of the facts. Opinions that pass as news stories. Does one lie lead to a thousand? How many lies are okay? How many lies are too many? Isn’t lying enough of a reason to draw a line in the sand?
2021
As we look ahead to the New Year, I hope Americans can come together and heal. That’s my solemn wish. No matter which side we fall on, we work best when we work together. Even if we disagree, there is a way to do it amicably. Respectfully. We owe it to ourselves and the next generation to set an example. I hope we’ll do just that.
Added Bonus
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Hi Brad,
Thanks for so eloquently putting into words what I’ve been feeling. The anger and distrust we see every day is like a dark, rancid cloud that’s too dark to see thru. I too hope we can figure out a way to come together as a country. I can’t fathom the disaster if we don’t.
Eric
Let’s hope it gets better. I have my fingers crossed.