AND YOU ????????

Sometimes I feel that the negatives get so noisy that we tend to forget to be grateful for our country.  And I’m not just referring to its natural beauty with the plains , the farmlands , the mountains , the forests , and the three seas.  Nor am I referencing its abundance of choices : food , drink,  shopping , entertainment , sports events, churches , restaurants , theaters , concert venues , technology , public schools , and on and on.  Most of us take all of this for granted and understandably so.  They’ve always been here for us.

No, I’m digging a little deeper and thinking about our freedoms——-especially freedom of the press.   Such a balance, such a reassurance , such a blessing ! And for the purpose of this blog ,  press refers to journalists and news organizations, not social media  ( which has its own issues ).

Sometimes it’s difficult to find the roses through all the thorns !

We are inundated with news.  We are inundated with competitive news outlets.  We are inundated with opinions.  We are inundated with computers and television, both mainstream and cable.  It is overwhelming at the very least.

But I am grateful !  THERE ARE ACTUALLY COUNTRIES THAT GET NO NEWS WITHOUT GOVERNMENT CONTROL…………………..

Can you imagine ?  If our partisanship lies with one party or another, we might, in a weak moment, enjoy our opposition hearing nothing but what we agree with.  But then the  ” worm turns “,  the power shifts,  and we are hearing nothing but what the opposing party dictates.

DISGUSTING ! DEMEANING!  FRIGHTENING !

So, here’s my plan, my vision, my focus :   fact-check all political statements ;   turn off or delete nasty or negative comments  ( thanks to my friend, Gary , for suggesting this ) ;   find bi-partisan outlets that attempt to show two sides to all issues ;   and never, never forget that the press is , indeed, the 4th estate, following closely the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.

No freedom of the press ?????

We would lose our ability to weigh the issues, cull the lies, dismiss the chatter, think for ourselves, and appreciate the lack of government interference.

What am I thankful for today, tomorrow, and next year ?

That our very, very wise Founding Fathers, in establishing and penning our Constitution,  recognized the value of a  press that is open,  free,  and available——–even if sometimes overbearing and annoying !