What do amusement parks and news
outlets have in common? They are both purveyors of fear. And what is the difference between them? The
amusement park looks you dead in the eye and says, “Get on the
rollercoaster. You are going to pay us to frighten you and you are
going to love it!” I respect that. Sure, it is rapacious and
unapologetic capitalism but, the terms are clear and overt. I am not
so certain I could say the same about many of our news outlets.
Like many Americans, I recently watched
the drama caused by the so-called Austin bomber. I was saddened by
the casualties but having lived through the era of the “uni-bomber”,
I was relieved that the whole episode was mercifully brief. Kudos to
the brave and dedicated law enforcement officers on this front.
However, what struck me was how quickly our attention turned to what
we now consider to be the most important question. Were these
bombings an act of terrorism? Was the perpetrator a terrorist? When
the perpetrator was discovered to be a caucasian and an American, our
mutual abhorrence with regard to his actions quickly faded. In its
place, we found a way to be divided. Lines were drawn based on who
was willing to call him a terrorist and who was not? Our news outlets
told us we were at war with each other over a labeling issue. It
wasn't even a hard sell. We were primed.
Did you ever stop to wonder why there
are national discussions on who should be labeled a terrorist? We ask ourselves if we are labeling too
many foreigners as terrorists and not enough homegrown Americans.
What about the color divide, we collectively muse? Sure, there are
lots of brown terrorists (most of us are pretty quick to agree on
this) but are caucasian terrorists being undercounted? If it were not
so deadly serious, it would be laughable.
Meanwhile, how many are questioning the
gruel we are offered? Why are we now more obsessed with tactics
(terrorism) than criminal acts (murder and destruction)? If we have a
national consciousness, any thoughtful discussions in that realm are
now surrendered to fearful fretting, anger, and thoughts of
vengeance.
If you suspect the coverage of
“terrorists” and “terrorism” is somehow not in line with
day-to-day reality, you are not alone. We are all victims of
terrorism now. But, perhaps, not by the agents we imagine. The simple
fact is, terrorism specifically and fear-mongering generally are big
business with many purveyors. A number of our news outlets would
certainly qualify. However, like any multi-level marketing scam,
there are many other sellers in the chain as well. And who is buying?
We are.
A worthwhile link on the topic by actual experts:
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