Curtis Klingle

Current Events

I ceased following current events a dozen or more years ago. I can honestly tell you that I am a better man for it. I have much less anxiety and frustration, and I seem to be in a more pleasant state of mind without the constant bombardment of the bad news of the day. However, occasionally some story will pique my curiosity and I will search out various news sources in order to read up on that particular subject. What I have found is that nothing really changes. The news from today is virtually the same as it was a fortnight ago, 50 years ago, even 500 years ago, save the scientific advancements of course. There is always war, plagues, sickness, atrocities, banking scandals, crooked politicians, a cat up a tree, and the endless stories about all the other woes of man. Read a newspaper from a hundred years ago and you will discover the same for yourself.     

I will add that I do not “watch” the news, I read it. I absolutely abhor the “talking heads.” When I think of watching the news the first thing to come to mind is that old Don Henley song, “Dirty Laundry.” You know the one, but as a refresher I include here a memorable bit of lyric, “The bubble headed beach blonde comes on at five. She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye.” Don was spot on.

The last news caster that I truly liked was Walter Cronkite, and his final appearance in that position was 1981. Since then, I rarely watched any news other than the local, and that was mainly for the entertainment value and the news casters’ individual idiosyncrasies. Of course, there were a few exceptionally beautiful female meteorologists along the way that captured my undivided attention, though I cannot recall a single forecast they gave. It seems my focus was on other things rather than their weather prophecies. No, nowadays (again, for 12 or more years) I have preferred to read the news if and when something really does intrigue me. I may go weeks even months without any interest at all in current events folks, so it has to be something really interesting.

There are two reasons that I read rather than “watch” the news. One, as previously mentioned, I have no use for news casters. It is a rare occasion when any of them actually know what they are talking about, so why listen to them? What they have to offer on most occasions is simply conjecture, confusion, and their personal opinions. This may be a bit of a digression, but how can one form an opinion without being apprised of the facts of the story? From what I have seen from the talking heads is they merely fumble through the latest story adlibbing mostly, and preying upon viewers’ emotions. Thus, as previously stated, I read the news. While it is easy to push one’s propaganda and one’s paradigm through the written word as well, it does require the scrivener to put much more thought into what he is selling. What is more, even if he is trying to sell you a load of bovine excrement (which most are) there is still the opportunity to learn, if nothing more than a new word or two along the way. I actually find some of the authors quite good at what they do, even if it is excelling at the dispensing of the finest of barnyard fertilizers.

Two nights ago, prior to retiring for the evening, I checked social media and found something actually newsworthy. There was an assassination attempt on President Trump. It is disturbing to me the way that it was being reported. The verbiage being used was meant to distract as well as detract from this atrocity. Some of the phrases were, “…an alleged assassination attempt…” “…a reported assassination attempt…” “…what appears to be an assassination attempt…” Once again, the talking heads did not disappoint. Their combined idiocy was on par with the inventor of the Philipps screwdriver. If this was the route they were going to take, they could have been just as effective by the following headline, “Man out target shooting was murdered today by Secret Service personnel.” Anyone with half a brain could discern that this was an actual assassination attempt. The man was shot through the ear! For heaven’s sake, call it what it is! Of course, it seems the left has chosen self-lobotomy once again, and not just the left, but even the conservative “got to” Fox (Faux rather) is playing the game. I was also looking through some of the comments, and even saw were one idiot, this one actually with a law degree, made the comment that this incident was “staged.” I shook my head and momentarily entertained commenting on his comment with information on sniper and counter sniper tactics as well as diplomatic security measures, but alas, you can no more convert and idiot into a thinking man than you can change a leopard’s spots. Of course, when I think about the man and his law degree, I am reminded of the old comedian Jerry Clower’s statement, “It is obvious that you have been educated beyond your intelligence.” What is worse is that there are many, so very many that are likeminded. However, combining the word “like” and “minded” creates something of an oxymoron because I am inferring that people on the left actually think, when all evidence is to the contrary.

I will end my writing here because I can sense that I am about to climb upon my proverbial soap box. While I am well aware and firmly believe that everyone is entitled to my opinion, I will forego that tidbit for now, because it is your turn to think.

C. Klingle