Call me crazy, but I think I’ve been lied to.

Two months ago, on September 19th, 2009, I met a kind and insane fellow named Josh. Josh lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and swore to me with great vehemence that within six months, Obama would step down from the presidency in shame because it would be proven without a doubt he was Kenyan, not American.

Thing is, though Josh still has four months of crossed fingers to look forward to, I don’t see his prediction coming true. In fact, as far as I can tell, “Birthers” are so far removed from the public eye it’s laughable. I cannot even remember the last time I heard the subject mentioned; it probably was actually September 19th.

Part of the loss in interest is the media’s fault, as they react to stories like a puppy with ADD, but most of it is our fault. We the people allow ourselves to be “informed” by a system of journalism any five-year-old could tell you is based upon sensationalism and fear.

This can be a good thing, such as in the case of the loss of interest in birthers, but more often than not it is damaging to the whole, given the fact birthers got any attention in the first place. No matter how ludicrous any story might seem—America is becoming a socialist nation under Obama! There’s a boy up in that balloon there!!—it makes headlines.

Our cyclical addiction to the untrue is a monster that feeds upon itself. The media reports a story that is either outright bullshit but scary enough to be interesting, the public laps it up and increases the ratings and sales for the media, so the media turns around and finds the NEXT BIG THING the public will go glossy-eyed over. Meanwhile, both sides claim innocence in their position. The media proclaims, “We’re only showing what the viewers want to see,” and the public haphazardly offers, “We’re only watching what they show.” Neither side challenges the other to greatness, and we end up in a country that was duped into a war with Iraq, and possibly out of health care coverage for all.

If such a situation were in a movie, as viewers we’d find the events tragically comic. As we are living in the middle of it all, the whole “forest for the trees” aspect of everything leaves us blinded.

Sad, but that’s life.

I hope Josh isn’t holding his breath, hoping his prediction will come true.
Then again, if he turned blue, passed out and hit his head while falling, maybe there’d be one less ignorant voter come 2010.

And wouldn’t that be nice?

Comedian Nathan Timmel rules the Internet from www.nathantimmel.com

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites