Posts published in “Rainey”

This column originally ran a few years ago.

Trying to write about our national political activities these days is getting much harder to do.  Used to be you could take the usual issue and the politicians involved in it and opine this way and that in reasonable commentary.

No more.  The amount of misogyny, cruelty, idiocy and just plain B.S. being passed of as political "discussion" these days has made it tough even to consider some of the elected cretins fit to hold the offices they do much less quote them.

The following two despicable examples appeared on "news" pages within three hours a few days ago.

Rep. Dana Rhorabacher is known for saying alarming, ignorant and quite stupid things on a regular basis.  His latest?  He told a convention of Realtors in D.C. last week home sellers "shouldn't have to sell to people who offend their personal beliefs."  Meaning buyers who are Black, gay, lesbian, atheist, Muslim, etc..  Next day, to their credit, the Realtors cut him off their endorsement list and, more important, from their PAC.

Then, the always - always - moronic Rep. Louis Ghomert.  His latest?  He told an interviewer Special Prosecutor Mueller had "spent his entire career defending Muslim terrorists."  Even followed up with a national news release.

Of course, there's the House "Freedom Caucus" writing the Nobel Committee to formally push for the next Peace Prize to be given to Donny Trump for his work with North Korea.  Can you even imagine the reaction within the Nobel Committee when that hit the mailbox?

But, here's one entirely sadistic political story that didn't just reach the bottom of the barrel.  It broke through to new mud and took the current GOP "administration" to a new, much lower cesspool.

This mighty nation - this "shining beacon on the hill" - this nation made up entirely of immigrants - this proud country -  has begun stripping babies and children from their families at our borders.  Tearing apart families whose only "crime" has been to cross our borders, seeking their own liberties in this "bastion of freedom."

Now, we're told, in addition to that cruellest of acts, our "government" has lost nearly 1,500 hundred of those kids - 1,500!  Authorities - or what passes for "authorities"- have no idea where they went, who has them, whether some are being sold into sexual slavery or other human bondage and, if so, by whom! Trump's hardline Chief of Staff said they'd be "placed in foster care - or whatever."  "WHATEVER?!"

Trump's people are also trying to "justify" this inhumane family destruction by saying maybe more people "will be deterred"  from trying to cross our borders if they know what awaits  And our Attorney General mumbled much the same thing!

What the Hell kind of people are these?

And now our "government"claims it's "not legally responsible."  "NOT RESPONSIBLE?"

I cannot even imagine the sadistic political "minds" that ordered these crimes-against-humanity.  Much less the actual government employees doing it - reaching out to grab crying children and stripping them from their parent's arms.  Whose "government?"

As I said, it's much harder these days to even comprehend some of the political goings, much less write something cogent about them.  The Rhorabacher's and Ghomert's and some of their Cretin kin are hard enough to deal with.  Maybe - just maybe - a couple elections will send them back to their loyal "bases" and they can enjoy their full taxpayer paid retirements in well-deserved anonymity.

But, I'm trying to comprehend what's happening in our beloved country.  My mind wonders  how far we've strayed from being a welcoming nation with a compassionate populace.  I'm trying to find the words to describe the cruelty, anger and rank idiocy so prevalent  in our nation's politics.  Wondering if we'll ever rid ourselves of the mindless, sadistic, lying and corrupt "leadership" currently driving this country further into a huge ditch.

As I search for words, the ones that repeatedly flash in my head are "...suffer the little children...."  Biblically, the word "suffer" meant "let the little children..." or "do not impede the little children..."

Trump, Sessions, their minions and a Congress that stands idly by are using the word "suffer" in its worst application.

 

The night Donald Trump was elected, I said to Barb, "Before the end of his term, he'll have pissed off everyone he comes in contact with.  Every one."   Being prescient isn't one of my strong suits but several years of evidence seem to make the case.

From individuals to entire nations, he's angered them all.  He seems to have a real knack for it.  But, there's significant evidence of a growing "push back" of sorts taking place.

Here's one.  General James Mattis.  Former Defense Secretary, lifelong Republican and someone whose 40 years of military service have been honored by just about everyone.  Except you-know-who.

Those who've followed his career know Mattis is Marine down to his camo shorts.  A professional who knows intimately  - and who lives by - the chain-of-command.  An order is given and his answer is always "Yes, Sir."  Even when Trump criticized and belittled him both during and after his Secretary of Defense posting, Mattis kept his military bearing.

But.  Mattis has written a book about his career and includes some hints of how he feels about Trump.  Not out-and-out blatant criticism but you get the idea when he writes "I found him to be of limited cognitive ability."  And several other verbal jabs.

Yet, while Mattis is holding his tongue - for now - it's likely we'll be getting a fuller picture soon.  "There is a period in which I owe my silence," Mattis said, referring to his post-Trump days.  "It's not eternal," he added, "And it's not going on forever."  Boda Bing!  Boda Boom!  My guess is about December, 2025.

Another case.  Trump criticized Faux Nuews.  Told his followers, "They're not working for us" and suggesting that a new and "more supportive" media network was needed.

Now, many of us figured Faux would knuckle under and "come to heel."  But, no.  Fact is, several of the major Faux players got up on their hind legs and told Trump they weren't "working for him." They got downright indignant and claimed media "impartiality" and told him they'd report the facts as they happened to be.

Putting Faux Nuews and the word "facts" in the same sentence has been - and likely will continue to be - an oxymoron.  But, at least they took a stab at journalistic professionalism for once and bit back.

Still more evidence.  The exodus of Republican members of Congress.

Lot's of 'em.  Many angry at Trump and tired of defending him.  The reasons vary but the flight is real.  Going into the 2026 election, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take the majority in the Senate.  That is, keep all they have and add four.  Seemed out of reach.  Now, not so much.  Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Georgia, for example, seem winnable.  How 'bout that?

And more.  As Trump has fired former "best people," many have not just shuffled off to deserved anonymity.  Several have written fiery  books and others have taken to more respectable media to tell "the inside story" of White House chaos.  Some are even making big bucks on the "chicken dinner" circuit telling their tales to other Republicans.  Yes, Virginia, Republicans!

And this.  One night recently, little Donny Junior went to Kentucky for a well-publicized speech to the GOP faithful on behalf of the one-term, right wing governor.  Kentucky Republicans in Mitch McConnell's home state spent heavily to promote Donny.  Even rented a 7-thousand seat auditorium.  And when Donny went to the mike, he looked out on a throng of 200.  Yep, 200!  In Kentucky?

And more.  National farmer's organizations are coming unglued over the beating they're taking from Trump.  The same guy they backed so heavily in 2016 and 2020.  The tariffs - real or promised - are killing 'em.  Along with a couple of years of bad weather.  You can see the bib overalls on TV, night after night, swearing both at-and-off Trump.  Lots of rural vows of "Never again!"  Who'd a thunk?

And those examples are all domestic.  We haven't talked about other entire countries.  Some who don't even want him to visit.  The President of the United States persona-non-grata.  Media - and many politicians overseas - are skewering anything Trump related.  And, in those few countries still trying to keep up appearances, heads of state are plotting ways of dealing with Trump.  Or going around him.

Trump's continual back-stabbing of once loyal staff, supporters and entire countries continues unabated.  But, we're seeing more people openly turning on him and biting back.  Or staying away.  We're seeing once valued fellow-travelers taking open stands of opposition.

Still, there's that one last bastion standing with him.  Republicans in Congress who've every reason to dump him but lack the guts to do it.  He's still got the most dangerous politician in America - Mitch McConnell - riding shotgun.  At least for now.

But, as said at the outset, Trump has this one unique quality of turning friends into enemies.  So, a guy can always hope!

 

There is substantial reason to believe this nation will face more armed attacks on our institutions and - in some cases - attacks on individuals prominent in public life.

The University of Chicago has a program it calls "Project on Security and Threats."  That group ran a national survey earlier this year.  One finding: the number of Americans agreeing "the use of force is justified to restore Donald Trump to the presidency" increased from 4.5 to 7-percent.

Put another way, that's an increase from 12-million to 18-million Americans adults.  Up to eighteen million people believe taking to the streets - in some cases armed - is just fine if it means Trump can be President again.

The Chicago institute found the increase "likely reflects the response of a more intense commitment to Trump following the announcement of the federal indictments against him for mishandling classified documents."  Those indictments were announced about 18-days before the June survey and it's likely that timing had a direct affect on the polling results.

And, there's this.  Voices on the far-right are being raised again as they refer to the old Biden White House as the "Biden regime."  Federal law enforcement is being called the "Gestapo" on talk radio.  The Department of Justice has been called Biden's "personal police force."  Institutions like DOJ are labeled the "Department of Injustice."  Indictments against Trump are referred to as "political war crimes" and/or an "assassination."

There is public talk on "hate radio" of imprisoning Democrat politicians - even their families!  One of the loudest voices in that discourse was that of right-winger Charlie Kirk who talked of the outright assassination of President Biden.  Looks like somebody got to Kirk first.

It's the MAGA media wherein the audience has been programmed, by years of conditioning, to talk of such things.  To think such things.  What's out there today makes the late Rush Limbaugh and his imitators sound more like "pussycats."

If you haven't listed to "hate radio" in awhile, I recommend you spend about 15-minutes listening to the verbal diatribe.  I seriously doubt any thinking person can stay tuned longer than that.

Lest you think there are overstatements herein when talking of "armed" action in our streets, I commend the name Ammon Bundy for your deliberation.  Remember, he's already had armed experiences against the feds in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada.

Currently an Idaho resident, Bundy lost a court battle for blocking entrances to St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Boise and was fined 50-million dollars for his activities.  He didn't show up in court to defend himself and St. Luke's will never see a single dollar of that fine.  That's because he doesn't recognize any form of government above that of county sheriff.  We'll see.

Bundy, and other criminals of the far-right, are armed to the teeth.  It's just a matter of time before someone - or something - sets one of them off and there will be violence.  Shots fired.  Somebody killed.

Remember those 18-million Americans who believe "violence is justified" if it means Trump can inhabit the White House again.  Whatever it takes.

This armed resistance to authority has been festering for a long, long time.  Fires, stoked by "hate" radio and other sources, have kept anger and fear at near-boiling temperature for more than 40-years.  Now, the accursed Internet is linking up more of these haters using (un)social media.  And, the fires are burning even brighter.

Where the first significant outbreak will occur, who it will involve and how many will die are still unanswered questions.  But, there are many indications conditions will get worse and shots will be fired.

It's "duck and cover" time.

 

For God's sake!

Don't we have our "worry closets" full to overflowing these days with serious, national issues - truly worrying and, in some cases, world-threatening issues - without worrying about the depicted skin color of a cartoon character?

Yet, the national "dustup" cluttering the media landscape is the freaking out of the chattering classes over Disney Studio's depicting the lead in the "Mermaid" cartoon movie as a Black.  A Black half-woman, half-fish creature of our imaginations.  Seriously.  Skin color!  Of a fictitious fish!  Er, woman.  Or something.

My God!

It's a frigging cartoon, ladies and gentlemen!  Lighten up!

Would a white half-woman, half-fish, fictitious creature be more to your liking?  Would we have peace on earth?  Well, would we?

It's a damn cartoon, folks.  Deal with it!

I don't praise or condemn the Disney fantasy factory for making the cartoon skin Black or White.  Nor, I believe, should anyone else.  Any more than when Snow White was White and the Wicked Witch Black.  It's, frankly, not worth the time or concern.

We've lived with movie's messing with skin color and whole nationalities all our lives.  Remember Charleton Heston in Ben Hur?  A White chariot-racing "Egyptian" contesting the outcome with an equally White "Egyptian" bad guy.  Remember Jeff Chandler - the leading man in the movie "Cochise?"  White and Yiddish from birth.

Remember Amos and Andy from radio days?  Freeman Gossden and Charles Correll played the leads.  Both White.  Many other "Black" radio characters, too.

Arts and artists have played with our mental proclivities for literally centuries.  Remember Shakespeare?  Many of his female characters were often played by men.  And men by women.

And radio's "Green Hornet."  Kato, the Hornet's driver, was said to be Japanese.  Then, Philippine by birth.  But, when the movie was made, ol' Kato was Korean.

Whether radio, TV, movies or extra long cartoons, it's all meant to create fictional characters, nationalities and - yes - people of different skin colors.  In our minds!  Our minds!  Heston's being Caucasian - and Jewish - by birth detracted little from his role as a faux "Egyptian."

Ariel is supposed to be a mermaid.  A mythological sea character with roots going back as far as there are people who've sailed the world's oceans.  We've all grown up with one or more make-believe mermaids in our lives.  Until now, largely unnoticed as just another fantasy.

But, these days, when radio talk shows aren't ripping/praising Donald Trump, the talk often turns to Ariel and whether she's Black or White.  And vast social significance is placed on her skin color by people with half-vast ideas.

The conventional "wisdom" is Ariel is supposed to be a White, mythical character.  Which is being challenged by the other conventional "wisdom" that "it's about time Disney recognized Black people in the marketplace."

For my money, both conventional "wisdoms" are wrong.  Let it go.

We still call baseball "America's pastime."  Fact is, the majority of players are Black, Hispanic, Japanese, etc..  It's a game.

We see commercial after commercial on TV each night with one or more - or all - Black actors.  Nobody makes anything of it.

The last interaction I had with a Black American was probably 20 or more years ago.  But, it makes no difference to me if the Buick division of General Motors wants to sell me a new car driven by a Black or White character.  It's the car, damn it!  It's the car.

And, so it is with Ariel.  She's a made-up character - a work of fiction.  She can be anything your mind says she is.  Black.  White.  Blue.  Ten feet tall.  With horns.  Or long blond hair.  Or red hair.  Or green.  It's your Ariel.  See her as you see her - not as I do.  That's the beauty - that's the wonder - of fantasy.  It's yours.  And, no one else's.

So, give it a break.  Ariel would want it that way.

 

What will we be like - what will this nation be like - on the other side?

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to be about over.  One day, the thousands of dead will be mourned.  The sick will be well.  Hospitals will return to usual routines.  Doctors and nurses will work normal schedules.  The fear we're feeling will be calmed.  What will it be like?

One day, the misogynist/racist/self-serving/accidental occupant of the White House will be gone.  Likely, in some months thereafter, he'll be in a prison cell.  His Cabinet of incompetent, right-wing, totally unfit campaign donors will be gone.  The lower-level Trumpers in all the federal offices will be replaced with right-thinking, civil servants dedicated to public service.  The thousands of vacant-but-necessary jobs will be refilled.  Government will right itself and, again, be responsive to the nation's needs.  What will it be like?

One day, the Congress of these fractious states will return to the business of legislating for the people instead of the current divided, do-nothing, look-the-other-way swamp we have now.  Needs of the citizens of the 50 states will, again, become the substance of hearings that result in answers rather than stonewalling.  What will it be like?

Truth is, no one - not one - can answer the question(s) of what this nation will look like in 2028 and thereafter.  The last three years of failed governance - coupled with a worldwide pandemic - have twisted, pulled, strangled, tortured and severely injured our Republic.

Corporate, ultra-conservative, front organizations like ALEC - American Legislative Exchange Council - have flooded state legislatures with carbon-copy bills authored by and dedicated to the benefit of big business and the ultra-right.  Citizen needs have been ignored by attempts to legislate morality and citizenship as promulgated by evangelical groups and others who believe it's their right to determine how this nation should live.  When their loud, fanatical, divisive voices are stilled, what will this country become?

The plain fact is those promoting division - with racist, lying and incompetent "leadership" - have been more successful separating us, one-from-the-other, than the virtues of patriotism and inclusion.  When we needed to reach out to our brothers and sisters, we were warned they can't be trusted because they don't look like us.  They speak foreign languages, want to take our jobs and threaten to undermine what has always been the majority - read "white Christian majority."

The last couple of decades have put strains on our nation and its governance as never before.  Even a terrible, devastating Civil War affected only a portion of the country.  What we've witnessed - what we're living through - has been a time of internal struggle that has involved all of our fundamental institutions and beliefs as never before.

We've been told "black is white," "wrong is right," consistent and serial "presidential" lying is O.K. and enriching oneself while ignoring our basic Constitutional authority is an acceptable thing to do.

The process of getting a return to stability, re-establishing trust in our institutions and re-creating a functioning government does not start at the top.  It starts at the bottom.  It starts with us.  Everyone.  No matter the skin color.  No matter the nation of birth.  No matter the religious practices.  No matter who.

Some of us won't be around to see how it all works out.  The nature of things - the process - is to hand over responsibilities to the next generation.  After the Civil War  - after two world wars - that process included expansion.  Expansion of territory.  Expansion of housing.  Expansion of rights.   Expansion of all the things those wars had been fought to protect.

The difference now is expansion must be replaced with inclusion.  Inclusion of race and nationality?  Sure.  Everywhere.  But, also inclusion of a new direction for government, institutions, accepting differing religions and how we proceed as a nation.

We've been through a lot.  And, all the while, the world's been changing.  We've got some catching up to do.  There'll be no better time to take stock, look where we've been, heal our wounds and get to work.

Voices of division and mistrust must be stilled.  Voices of building, of getting together, of everyone sharing in what comes next, should be amplified in commerce, in politics, in religion and in changing national directions.

What will it look like?  No one knows.  But, it's time to get started.

At my age, it's too late for a mid-life crisis.  So, it must be a "late-life crisis" coupled with occasional "senior interludes".

This is normally recognized in two ways.  First, I'm getting more daily offers of assistance.  For awhile, I figured it was just living in Oregon where nice people look out for each other.

"Great," I said.  "Beats the ol' big city life any time".

But, then I noticed some of the people offering assistance appeared to be older than me!  That brought on pangs of guilt and a rush to the nearest mirror for assurance.  Well, so much for assurance.

The other form of this affliction comes when suddenly realizing you are dealing with so many younger people.  Children it seems.  Even worse, a lot of them are people in whom you must trust your life.

Take airline travel for instance.  Time was you felt comfortable with a gray-haired crew up front. That meant thousands of hours in the air, experience with lots of emergencies, calm assurance of command.  The Chesley Sullenberger types.

Well, look around now.  The pilots are Skippy and Ginger and some guy in a uniform running up and down the aisle is named Randy.  Wait a minute.  I'm as much for equality and advancement as the next guy.  But, some of these kids haven't started shaving and such gray hair as may be on the flight is all in the seats!  I've got more pilot-in-command time in a Cessna 172.

We recently needed some legal assistance.  Since I've managed to stay out of trouble during our current residency, we hadn't needed an attorney so I relied on a friend's referral.   At the office, I filled out the obligatory "how-are-you-going-to-pay" form and was ushered to the inner sanctum.  I thought the young fella behind the desk was an intern who'd do pre-meeting legal screening.

No way!  This prepubescent kid in a golf shirt was going to get me through the local county legal briar patch?  He should've been home cramming for a chemistry exam.

Don't even ask me about my barber.  Every time he jumps up on his little chair-side stool I repeatedly tell him playtime is over and I'm here to see his father.

My medical, flight safety, hair care and legal concerns are being handled by kids who've never lived without computers, have no concept of 45RPM records or 8-tracks, never saw Ed Sullivan, Jack Parr, Huntley-Brinkley or even a black and white TV set.  Ask them about fender skirts and you get a blank look.  Same thing for 25-cent-a-gallon gas, party line telephones and transistors.  They don't know life before credit and debit cards, microwave ovens or radio before talk radio. Or FM!  FM?

Oh, I'm sure they have all the proper credentials and accompanying education and training.  If they didn't, they wouldn't be where they are doing what they're doing.  But two things they haven't got are miles on the odometer of life and realtime experiences that make us who we are.  They're just beginning the professional evolution process that will make them into what the rest of us have become. Older.  Much older.

Oh well, I guess it's up to me to relax and get used to it.  But, I'd like to be there the day Skippy-the-pilot gets on a flight as a gray-haired passenger and is told on the intercom "Good morning.  Your captain today is computer 2-4-3-7.  We're no longer using co-pilots - human or otherwise."

Yep.  Love to see that.

 

Aside from current political wars tearing this country apart, other forces are at work changing our entire society.  They're seldom talked about but very, very real.

I'm about to make some generalizations.  You may find fault with some about whether they pertain to you.  That's O.K..  But, if they do, I'd appreciate some feedback.  For the moment, let's deal with these - generally.

Across our nation, we're seeing a rapidly declining rate of participation in traditional community practices - mainstream religion, service clubs, social organizations, volunteerism in traditional activities and more.  All losing members/workers/attendees and not seeing the usual influx of new people to carry on the tradition of volunter social labor.

Granges have all but disappeared.  Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Eagles, Masonic bodies, Knights of Columbus and other civic and/or fraternal groups have declining memberships and, in some cases, have forfeited their charters.  Had some not taken in women as members some years ago, many would likely be gone by now.  Many small Chambers of Commerce have expanded boundaries to include nearby communities to keep membership up.  Metro.  Some small chambers are gone.

Barb and I live in a 55+ community.  Much of what might otherwise be done by paid employees is done by volunteers i.e. parks and rec maintenance, security, beautification, etc..  All programs - and I do mean ALL - are losing volunteers and not seeing many new ones.

Here's one of those generalizations - though where we live, we're seeing plenty of specific evidence.

Boomers - born in the mid-forties through about 1964.  They're retiring now.  But their unique societal habits and lifestyles are drastically changing life.  Here and everywhere.

Many Boomers, generally, tend not to join existing groups.  They often go their own exclusive way about things.  They start their own clubs.  Few join existing ones.  They're the first retirement generation for which computers are basic to their way of life.  They seem to prefer electronic social connections over face-to-face groups i.e. service clubs, mainstream churches, etc.

Now, I'm not finding fault with that.  It is what it is.  But, to think life is going on "as usual" is to ignore this large societal shift going on under our feet.  And to ignore even larger changes ahead.

If you don't think huge change is out there, I invite you to check those three teens in that fast food joint as they text each other at the table rather than talk face-to-face.  They're the advance party for generations to come that will be largely unable to interact in business, political, societal or any other direct forms of interpersonal communication.

"Rainey," you say.  "You're all wet!"

Maybe.  But, we're steadily moving in our communities from volunteerism - which is disappearing - to hiring people to do the same tasks.   Dues/fees will have to be raised and that may price some of the elderly, who retired here and elsewhere many years ago, out of their homes.

Volunteer community leadership recruitment pools are shrinking in size.  In the Del Webb community in Arizona where we used to live, we had a large community management board election for an organization that runs a $20 million annual budget. Three seats open.  Election advertised for months.  Three folks volunteered in a community of nearly 30-thousand.  Thirty-thousand!  Election cancelled.  Just made appointments.

As our aging demographics change, there's less participation - less involvement - less volunteering.  The fastest growing group is the Boomers.  They've organized several exclusive duplicate clubs - limited to Boomers - taking members away from other groups who're starting to feel the loss.

And, when you reach an age of about 70, you find yourself not always being included in Boomer activities or put on their mailing lists.

These aren't isolated instances for just one community.  Sociologists are finding growing evidence of these Boomer trends all over the place.  Changes are subtle - very subtle.  But, they're becoming more apparent and more important to the fabric of our society.

We'll talk again.

 

Rewind: From a Barrett Rainey column from 2014.

An old debate among journalists – and some who think they are – has begun again. Wherever some of the more serious media types are gathered in more social surroundings these days, the discussion can be heard.

Must the media present all people or issues to its audience/readers if the media knows the person/issue is wrong or false? Or words to that effect.

It's not as goofy – or as arrogant – as it sounds. It's an issue more common these days with political and philosophical divisions within media sources. It['s also more relevant because of the slide in national politics to the right.

We older media types tried to operate under a rule that, when talking strictly news events or stories, the interviewees words were the news and the media served only as messenger – not to judge or critique or interpret. Simply the conduit – unless you're talking editorials, byline columns or opinion pieces. Let the subject/facts talk. That's the news. You report the news.

As our nation has become more politically divided, so has the media. Rather than simply report, major networks have slowly integrated points of view – either by the reporter or anchor or in the way the story is presented.

By any traditional standard, Fox News is the worst offender. CNN does a bit of its own. And for those who constantly remind me that MSNBC is the liberal offset for Fox, remember this: MSNBC has never – never – referred to itself as a news organization. Fox does constantly. Even in its name.

Here's an issue that fits the problem perfectly: global warming. By nearly all scientific evidence presented by legitimate research organizations, global warming is a fact. You can argue cause. You can argue effect. You can argue how much. But the basic fact is, global warming exists and its effects are too overwhelming for thinking minds to ignore.

Here's another fact. The two committees in Congress charged with dealing with this subject – one in the House and one in the Senate – are chaired by two men who're vocal, absolute deniers of the evidence. All of it. And it's these two who have the absolute power to refuse to let either committee – and thus the full Congress – do anything in our national interest to deal with our warming world.

So, go back to the question stated before: Must the media present people or issues to its audience/readers if the media knows the person/issue is wrong or false? If Sen. Inhofe (R-OK) continues leading the deniers from his powerful pulpit, is the media acting properly by giving his distinctly minority voice a platform to proclaim his distinctly minority and distinctly untrue view? When poll after poll shows some 80% of us believe global warming not only exists but is a serious problem, is the media doing a service – or a disservice – by giving Sen. Inhofe a platform when he's factually wrong? After all, it's not the media's job to go find someone to speak for the majority side of the global warming issue every time a minority denier pops off just to keep things balanced. Should the media give him a platform?

Another example you see far too often. Say the vote on a particular bill in the U.S. Senate was 97-3. The media will always – always – identify the three but not the 97. Why? Why identify three loser votes when the overwhelming 97 ayes won? It's not practical – in time or space – to name all 97 though they were, after all, the victors. Why name the three losers?

Until Ronald Reagan, broadcast media operated under the Fairness Doctrine which required – by law – fairness/access in reporting both sides. He threw that out the window so now Faux Neus – among others – can operate with impunity by selecting only the view it wants to. Other outlets do some of the same at times, but Faux is the habitual offender. Its very foundation is one of lopsided coverage and twisted fact. Ain't it, Rupert?

Survey after survey has shown Faux Neus viewers are less informed, more poorly informed and more inaccurately informed. The only variance is by how much. There is ample empirical evidence Faux viewers score much lower when asked to compare what they've seen on Faux versus what the facts really are. But Faux Neus keeps cranking out the propaganda.

So, the question becomes what is the media's responsibility when it knows the newsmaker's position – or the media itself – disregards fact – ignores valid scientific evidence – and is contrary to overwhelming proof?

But suppose, on another issue, that minority expression is eventually proven the right one? Suppose the newsmaker in 2001 opposed our intervention in Iraq when that was a very minority view. At that time the minority was called wrong by the majority before the minority view of non-intervention became the majority opinion. What if the media ignored them then?

There's no easy answer to this conundrum. Maybe no answer at all. We used to know when fact was fact. We did our best to operate within that parameter. But divisions of media to appeal only to those holding similar views has resulted in distorted facts. Slanted facts. Too often, phony facts. If you don't believe that, spend a week reading or watching a source you don't normally see or agree with. You'll be surprised.

So, what's your answer? What's the obligation? What's the media responsibility? The honest answers ain't all that easy to come by.