Disconnected and Out of Balance

Sitting down to write a post today I feel torn. Should I write about a recent frivolous clothes shopping excursion? Or, should I write about the imbalance in the media. Both subjects are irritants for me right now.

You’re probably hoping to hear some light and funny stuff about my shopping. Sorry. All I’m going to say about that is this: If you are nearing the 50 mark like me, then you should just walk on past stores called “Forever 21”. The sad reality is that “21” was a long time ago and ladies* “forever” is simply impossible. I ‘d like to meet the big fat liar who named that store and thump them over the head with a large mallet.

*(yes, I said ladies – girls should be used sparingly now and mainly to describe alcohol induced giggly gatherings a la “girls night out”)

So, back to the media. First of all, I want to say any acts of terrorism are abhorrent and the people responsible for them should be punished to the full extent of the law. I also realize that anyone who has lost a loved one is obviously devastated and my heart goes out to them. I’m just struggling with the massive attention that has been given one, albeit terrible, act compared with all the others. I’m also directing my disdain squarely on the US media. I feel terrible for the 3 people killed in Boston, for all the people hurt, for their families and even for all the American citizens who felt sickened and terrified during the whole ordeal.

I just find the focus and the extent of coverage of the Boston bombings so out of balance and dare I say it, narcissistic.

Since the Syrian civil war broke out 2 years ago it is estimated that as many as 82,130 people have died while 1.4 million people have fled their country. Tens of thousands have died during the Afghanistan war. Recently over 600 people perished in a collapsed garment factory in Bangladesh while working for a pittance making clothing for North American consumers. I could list thousands of other tragic deaths that are happening all over the world but none of those would get the same attention as the 3 killed recently in Boston.

If you want to focus on your country and your country alone, US, I understand. That’s your choice, but hey, how about taking a good hard look at some other disturbing tragedies within your own borders. For example, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shooting deaths in 2015 will probably rise to almost 33,000. Let me spell that out – thirty three thousand people will be killed by guns!

And here’s a fact I think you should look long and hard at: Prescription drugs taken as directed kill 100,000 Americans a year. That’s almost one person every five minutes. That’s huge! Why aren’t you focusing your attention on that news American media?

I know. The headline is not sexy enough. Nobody actually wants to hear about it and few want to have to work at being healthy. It’s all too depressing. Good thing there’s a pill for that.