I may catch some hate for this, but these days, it seems, no matter what stance you take, on any subject, garners hate. Everyone is nursing so much rage and venom, that it has to seep out, wherever it can, or it will poison us to death.
I’m hesitant to post a “Happy Fourth”, because in some ways, I feel our country, or at least the systems we’ve set up for it, have failed us. Politicians say and do reprehensible things with no fear of consequences. Human rights have all but pole-vaulted backwards, thanks to a stacked Supreme Court. The separation of Church and State is thinner than a hair.
I don’t hate our country. Not at all. I hate the institutions that are failing us. This same country also gives us the freedom to stand up and voice our concerns, and fight back. But it feels like we’ve become so ingrained to battle each other, instead of the ones stirring the pot, that there are no longer enough of us to battle effectively.
The media encourages the hate, and the separation. So does TV. TV currently either makes us hate ourselves, or hate others.
Commercials are meant to make us hate ourselves. Our teeth aren’t blue-white. Our breath is abominable. This new all-body deodorant, Lume, would have you think that the moment you step out of the shower, your ass and crotch and armpits start stinking to the heavens and you can’t go out in public without offending everyone in your path. We’re obese, and certain drugs and exercise equipment peddlers would have us part with a lot of money to be body perfect. Online therapy available for everyone, and affordable, because we’re all neurotic hot messes.
Well, that one may be true.
In short, advertising would love us to cringe every time we look in the mirror.
Now, to hating each other, blame corporations, politicians, the rich, the entitled, and reality tv. Yes, reality tv, and Fox is the worst. I only watch the food competitions, but I’m going to guess some of this is across the board. Contestants are encouraged to talk shit about each other, and often their remarks are edited to be worse than they actually were. Celebrity judges have been downright insulting (whether that’s scripted or not I’m not totally sure but I’m guessing it is). Contestants are also costumed and edited so that they fit a stereotype, which right off the bat pits viewers for or against them. Everything in these shows is orchestrated to manipulate.
A real competition should be based on skill, instead of who makes for the best television.
Likewise, the media loves to throw out trigger words and phrases. I’ve read some Fox News articles that are absolutely ridiculous, but even things on CNN are obviously slanted. Add one more trend I find disturbing: using TikTok posts as “news”.
TikTok, much like Fox, is an entertainment venue. Very few posters are experts. Someone bitching about how they were treated by a customer is not news. Someone ripped off in a restaurant is not news. Someone finding a nasty note on their car, or getting revenge on an ex, is not news.
These things are just life. Move on.
So, I don’t hate my country. I love it, but hate and grieve over much of what’s going on. I implore you, set aside the hate, look past what the upper eschelon is feeding you. Have a little basic empathy, and maybe we can straighten the ship and America can have many, many more happy birthdays.
azbaelus 