Posted by
Joe on Sunday, July 09, 2006 8:39:19 PM
Hello out there to everyone on the Web, I hope you’re having a truly superior day!
My name is Joe, and I’m proud to welcome you to a shelter of rational, generally conservative thought smack in the middle of a hectic world that has sadly lost its way in many respects.
Actually, this world hasn’t lost its way in many respects; there are really just a few big problems that mess everything else up.
Take for instance, THE MEDIA. Television shows, music, movies, video games—they often display values that, to say the least, are morally backward. In addition, many of our news sources only report on a handful of issues, many of them useless (Don’t believe me? Watch the health segment on any major news network: “An expert report released Thursday found that obesity may be caused by overeating…”). What’s more, I can’t help but feel that much of our news is delivered with an agenda behind it—whether the agenda is liberalism (definitely seems that way sometimes) or sensationalism (absolutely no doubt about that), journalism driven by an agenda is wrong, dead wrong. The only agenda journalists should have is to deliver the most important, pressing news. Leave opinions to the editorials, and even then, publish opinions from both sides of the mainstream political spectrum, with a focus on impartiality and fairness.
"There is a case for telling the truth; there is a case for avoiding the scandal; but there is no possible defense for the man who tells the scandal, but does not tell the truth."
—G.K. Chesterton
Dan Rather, anyone?
But I digress.
It’s too bad, but the backward values of the media (entertainment and news) have surely contributed to the decline in society’s morality in the past decades. As we all know, not everyone is strong enough to make their own decisions about how they act. And since people are influenced by what they see, it follows that whenever a movie or TV show portrays promiscuity or foul language as the norm, civilization is brought down a notch.
However, do not despair—there is hope!!
Because there are still good, rational people out there! And we can do our best to make the world better, even in our own personal spheres of influence. As family members, we can set a good example for our younger relatives. As neighbors, we can help out those who live around us, especially senior citizens who have lived long lives and deserve a rest. As Americans, we can live lives of integrity, living out values that will save society from flying off Dead Man’s Curve. In other words, we can do good things to help bring society back up a few notches.
Now you may be wondering where conservativity (I officially coin the word at this moment) comes into all this. Well, let’s look at it this way. I previously mentioned doing good deeds to make the world a better place. Well, conservatives and liberals have different perceptions of the word “good.” From a conservative point of view, entreating fellow conservatives to get out there and help fix society would naturally lead to a greater good. Because as conservatives, we generally stand for similar ideals.
Thus, get out into the world, dear reader, and start fixing it up! Just do what you can, and the world will improve. Little things will lead to big things, and one day, maybe the monster that is the media will be less like a monster and more like a big, friendly creature that helps the world instead of hindering it.
Need some inspiration? Take a gander at these three quotes, personal favorites of mine:
“He is a very shallow critic who cannot see an eternal rebel in the heart of a conservative."
—G.K. Chesterton
"The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice."
—G.K. Chesterton
"There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first, that you are going to have a good time as long as you live—I have no use for the sour-faced man—and next, that you are going to do something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the things you set out to do."
—Theodore Roosevelt
Have a great day!