Perhaps you’ve seen it. The political cartoon posted last Sunday (20 August 2006) by John De Rosier of the Times Union (Albany, NY). If you have, no surprise. It’s certainly made the rounds. I found out about it from favorite blogger Cooper, who describes the long and winding path the cartoon took to her door. If you haven’t seen it, click the link.

Cooper is all about social consciousness. She would have fit right in to my college dorm in, say, 1972. Though she would have fit better in 1969, three years before I got there. The Revolution was already dying of sellout in 1972. She probably doesn’t want to hear too much of this, ‘cause, in all likelihood, she wasn’t even a follicle in 1972. But, like at least some of us did back then, she wonders how come we pay attention to some of the things we do, when there’s so much big stuff going on in the world.

The other day, she wondered in public what the hell CNN was doing running a piece on JonBenet Ramsay, when the is full of Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, and Americans with high school and college diplomas spewing hate and unable to read, write or do arithmetic. The same question that John De Rosier is asking.

The same question I don’t ask any more. ‘Cause I know why.

It’s the reason why the National Enquirer was making money while the Walter Cronkites of the world were struggling. It’s the reason why more Americans voted for American Idol finalists than for President of the United States. It’s the reason why the racks at the checkout counters of supermarkets, and the kiosks at airports, carry Weekly World News and not Scientific American. (I actually found Scientific American, and several other quality magazines, at the checkout stands of the Berkeley Bowl supermarket. Uh huh. Berkeley, California is different. I nearly passed out from the shock. I miss the place. Already.)

It’s because body bags aren’t profitable. The JonBenet Ramsay cult is.

And (yes, faithful readers, you’ve heard this before) whose fault is this, pray tell?

Yep.

Once again, we have met the enemy, and he is us.

   - O Ceallaigh

Copyright © 2006 Felloffatruck Publications. All wrongs deplored.

All opinions are mine as a private citizen.