The Sorry State of Today's Journalism

[ovrszd]

I don't know if it's my imagination or not but it seems to me that country folks are not what they were 50 years ago. I grew up in a small rural agricultural town in NW Oklahoma. The folks I grew up were pretty much ladies and gentlemen, dressed as well as they could for school, worked hard and helped each other. I never knew anyone who got into trouble with the law or was considered a crook. You could go anywhere, knock on any door, leave your own doors unlocked and keys in the car. I never saw a tattoo except in a Popeye cartoon.

I have had occasion to visit some of the small towns that I am familiar with for car shows, and the people on the street there really aren't the same. The small town I grew up in had a murder a couple years back; in fact this guy killed his own brother. It was drug related, something that was unheard of back then. We had heard of drugs and marijuana (Robert Mitchum got busted), but that was it. I am told the rural areas are changing; that many of the undesirable are not country born and bred, but are influx from the cities. Am I anywhere near close to reality on this? Any comments?

Life generally is still like that here. I think if you checked the local tractor supply store parking lot 90% of the vehicles would be unlocked, 60% would have the keys in the ignition or laying on the floor. I think during the day you would find 90% of the local houses unlocked.

We have small time drug problems but they rarely bleed over into the social masses. I believe that's because the Sheep Dogs face them rather than ignoring them hoping they'll go away.

The nearby small town that I went thru School in still has a Coffee Shop where the folks with a need for gossip go. I avoid that scene so they'll always have someone to talk about (me). But if any of those folks drove by my farm and saw something unusual going on they would stop to investigate or call me to let me know.

I agree things have changed. I think the biggest contributor to that is the current nation's population that demands you stay out of their business and Heaven Forbid if you happen to scold their child for doing something wrong. That mentality has now created a young adult generation that thinks it's untouchable. Well people, you got what you wanted.

 

[jlgurr]

I agree things have changed. I think the biggest contributor to that is the current nation's population that demands you stay out of their business and Heaven Forbid if you happen to scold their child for doing something wrong. That mentality has now created a young adult generation that thinks it's untouchable. Well people, you got what you wanted.

Several years ago my wife and I were grocery shopping at the local Walmart. From the food aisles we were in you could see part of the clothing department. I witnessed a young punk, probably 10-12 years old, clear his throat, sinus, and seemingly half his stomach then spit it on the clothing. OMG! I couldn't believe my eyes. I approached him and of course he had attitude and denied it. Asked him where mom and dad were, he shrugged. Followed him until he met up with dad. I stated my name and what was seen. Instead of even questioning the boy he got in my face and more or less told me to mind my own business. Would you believe he remembered my name and had the audacity to harass me about it over the phone too. What is wrong with parents these days, really?

 

[ovrszd]

Several years ago my wife and I were grocery shopping at the local Walmart. From the food aisles we were in you could see part of the clothing department. I witnessed a young punk, probably 10-12 years old, clear his throat, sinus, and seemingly half his stomach then spit it on the clothing. OMG! I couldn't believe my eyes. I approached him and of course he had attitude and denied it. Asked him where mom and dad were, he shrugged. Followed him until he met up with dad. I stated my name and what was seen. Instead of even questioning the boy he got in my face and more or less told me to mind my own business. Would you believe he remembered my name and had the audacity to harass me about it over the phone too. What is wrong with parents these days, really?

I stepped in when my eldest Grandson became a brat at that age. It was the one and only time my Son and I have argued. He defended him. I backed off. That Grandson is 23 now and has been in prison twice. My Son has apologized many times.

 

[oldballs]

Was "baby sitting" three of the grandkids, when the oldest (13) was playing music way too loud. I asked a couple times (shouting) to turn it down. Well, he was wearing a head set so he couldn't hear me. But,..........when I had to go to his room, I slapped him up side the head.....knocking the head set off. It was a spontaneous reaction on my part.

My parents did not rationalize, discuss or barter with us kids. Guess that was the way I was brought up. I did feel sorta bad about it though.

 

[bumperm]

Was "baby sitting" three of the grandkids, when the oldest (13) was playing music way too loud. I asked a couple times (shouting) to turn it down. Well, he was wearing a head set so he couldn't hear me. But,..........when I had to go to his room, I slapped him up side the head.....knocking the head set off. It was a spontaneous reaction on my part.

My parents did not rationalize, discuss or barter with us kids. Guess that was the way I was brought up. I did feel sorta bad about it though.

IMO that was a major goof. Back in the day, when I was growing up in England, "boxing a child's ears" was sort of a common physical punishment - consisted of an open handed slap upside the head that most often took the kid, if he was sitting down at the table (as seemed often the case) off and onto the floor. I grew up in that environment, and I guess I was "independent" enough to suffer some hearing loss. I made a promise to myself to never ever do anything more that spank my kids on the butt. And then only when I was no longer angry, and always count the number of swats (I was beat with a belt too).

I'm not against corporal punishment, just never dish it out when you've lost your temper and never ever to the head - - - that's wrong, no two ways about it.

Sorry if I'm coming off as an AH, not meaning to be, just hate to see abuse of any kind.

 

[smstonypoint]

FOLLOWUP

The shooter in this case has pleaded guilty to assault inflicting serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 36 months probation (18 months being supervised). A charge of discharging a weapon into occupied property inflicting serious bodily injury was dismissed.

***BREAKING NEWS*** Beasley Will Avoid Prison Time (Updated)

Steve

 

[ovrszd]

FOLLOWUP

The shooter in this case has pleaded guilty to assault inflicting serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 36 months probation (18 months being supervised). A charge of discharging a weapon into occupied property inflicting serious bodily injury was dismissed.

***BREAKING NEWS*** Beasley Will Avoid Prison Time (Updated)

Steve

And so our society goes.....

Edit: Don't want my brief statement to be misunderstood. I support his right to defend his property. Sorry if I was confusing.

 

[houstonscott]

Journalism has been gone in the US for years now, replaced with he said this about you, how do you respond? Real and random acts of journalism still occasionally happen but if they don't support the main stream pre written storyline they are not reported, glossed over, made fun of, or simply lied about. It's all about an agenda, facts, law, discovery of truth is no longer part of reporting or journalism. In a way, the free press is no longer free, it's hard to find the truth and it can't be found in traditional journalism in this country anymore. A most recent example; Phelps is being reported right now as qualifying for RECORD fifth Olympic's, while an American woman has already actually won a individual metal in FIVE Olympic's in a row. Why don't you know her name? Why have you never heard about her. The agenda, she's a skeet shooter, and since the main stream is anti guns you'll never hear about her or her sport. Olympic Games | USA Shooting HS

 

[om21braz]

A partial excerpt from Malcolm Muggeridge, a journalist, from some years ago - maybe you'll like it, maybe not:
"...truth is very beautiful; more so, as I consider, than justice -- today's pursuit -- which easily puts on a false face. In the nearly seven decades I have lived through, the world has overflowed with bloodshed and explosions whose dust has never had time to settle before others have erupted; all in purportedly just causes. The quest for justice continues, and the weapons and hatred pile up; but truth was an early casualty. The lies on behalf of which our wars have been fought and our peace treaties concludes! The lies of revolution and of counter-revolution! The lies of advertising, of news, of salesmanship, of politics! The lies of the priest in his pulpit, the professor at his podium, the journalist at his typewriter! The lie stuck like a fish-bone in the throat of the microphone, the hand-held lies of the prowling cameraman! Ignazio Silone told me once how, when he was a member of the old Comintern, some strategem was under discussion, and the delegate, a newcomer who had never attended before, made the extraordinary observation that if such and such statement were to be put out, it wouldn't be true. There was a moment of dazed silence, and then everyone began to laugh. They laughed and laughed until tears ran down their cheeks and the Kremlin walls seemed to shake. The same laughter echoes in every council chamber and cabinet room, wherever two or more are gathered together to exercise authority. It is truth that has died, not God."

Malcolm Muggeridge, Chronicles of Wasted Time, (Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2006), 19-20.

 

[MossRoad]

Journalism has been gone in the US for years now, replaced with he said this about you, how do you respond? Real and random acts of journalism still occasionally happen but if they don't support the main stream pre written storyline they are not reported, glossed over, made fun of, or simply lied about. It's all about an agenda, facts, law, discovery of truth is no longer part of reporting or journalism. In a way, the free press is no longer free, it's hard to find the truth and it can't be found in traditional journalism in this country anymore. A most recent example; Phelps is being reported right now as qualifying for RECORD fifth Olympic's, while an American woman has already actually won a individual metal in FIVE Olympic's in a row. Why don't you know her name? Why have you never heard about her. The agenda, she's a skeet shooter, and since the main stream is anti guns you'll never hear about her or her sport. Olympic Games | USA Shooting HS

Phelps is being touted as being the first MALE SWIMMER to make five Olympic teams. There's been plenty of stories about Dara Torres, the 5 time Olympic team FEMALE SWIMMER.

It has nothing to do with Journalism and everything to do with the popularity of a topic in a human interest story. More people hit on a story about Phelps than Torres, so more stories are generated about Phelps.

The reason the shooting sports aren't reported on so prominently is pretty obvious... the majority of people don't follow or care about the shooting sports. It has nothing to do with anti-guns. Name the top bad mitten or table tennis players in the world. You can't without looking them up, yet they are more popular sports than the shooting sports worldwide.

As for Journalism... there's been plenty of times our local newspaper has uncovered the truth about politics, crime and human nature. And no matter how the story is reported, they'll get equal amounts of complaints about left leaning and right leaning slants on the same story. You've only read what you've wanted to read.....