Equal Representation

I think people underestimate the power of media.  I know it's a serious cliché to even think that, but really, it's pretty sad that the entire country's majority feelings can be changed depending on what we're shown and how it's presented to us.

In writing this, I am in no way defending any political party or candidate.  I am notoriously hateful towards all of it.

However, I think it's disgusting that the outcome of an election can be determined by the candidate that the channels decide to cover.  If you use something as simple as Google Trends to track the media coverage and public interest of several presidential nominees for the past election, a decrease in the latter always follows a sharp decrease in the former, almost never the other way around.

The thing that's currently bothering me is the immense hatred of Republicans.  I don't believe in most things they represent and I do have to admit that their political pundits enrage me just as much as the next person.  But seriously, why does this give anyone the right to decide they're so much better and that this entire side is obsolete?  It's horrible.  Have we forgotten our past crusades?

I guess I really don't understand when it became alright to bash an entire group of people just because someone became the majority in the government.  Or when it became okay to discredit another's opinion simply because of their affiliation.  When I took government in school, I was taught about this whole checks and balances system that was supposedly put into place so that no one could do things like that.  I've known that our government wasn't exactly swell for a number of years, but good god, for a little while there I actually thought my whole rebellious stint in high school was caused entirely by teenage angst not backed up by reality.

I read an article about Jon Stewart and how he enforced the checks and balances system and how he caused people to observe it, but all I've ever seen him do is further the hatred of Republicans and the exaltation of liberalism.  How is that helping equality?  He's just a beloved media beacon of the left wing in the same way the so-hated pundits are a beacon for the right.

I actually try my best not to watch too much television and don't even enjoy it all that much, but being on break from a stressful semester along with months of being sick has caused me to enjoy a lot of cathartic hours of good 'ole boob-tube.  I saw what I guess could be called a PSA on the USA network which seemed to be about equality (I can't remember the exact purpose of the commercial).  Actors from TV shows were stating identifying social characteristics such as, "I'm an olive-skinned dude," and "I'm a Jew...if you couldn't tell."  Many walks of life were represented giving what seemed like a "total" perspective of a cosm of American society.  However, only two political statements were given: "I come from a red state," and "I'm a Democrat."  No one said, "I'm a Republican."

Again, I don't support the Republicans.  But I don't support the Democrats either.  And I seriously don't support the fact that the media continues to put a schism in our already broken country.

I hate the fact that all anyone cares about any more is being right and proving their stereotype.  There are sociological studies about how the media can shape the way someone feels about themselves.  If the media continually portrays them a certain way, they'll feel a responsibility to act out that role regardless if that's how they are or not.  Democrats and Republicans now have a media-enforced role to fill, and unfortunately for the latter, the former is shown on top when really, neither are all that great.

More than this, I hate that I'm constantly proven right.

Have a great time when you're serving a fascist country in a few years, Americans, maybe you'll wish you'd done something to unify yourselves instead of pushing each other further away.