Impress Me

For decades now, we have had the luxury of receiving notice of important information through improved technological achievement. Our eyes were opened to invasions, conflicts, empowerment, infliction of taxation and legislation. In earlier ages, news was privy to only those who had the blessing of being literate. Postings on town squares of current events or announcements were glanced upon. Those without literacy were dependent upon interpretation from those who would deem them worthy of their time. Ignorance cost many and so our nation vowed to render this tragedy by implementing a mandated education that, at first, would only be required and not monitored.

Problem solved, right? People become educated…literate. People can stay informed. All can be active and contributing members of society now. The end.

Unfortunately, there is another human trait that has yet to leave society. It dates back to millennia before. You see, we are a part of the theory that Darwin describes through survival of the fittest. Whether you ascribe to Darwin’s continual studies or not, there is validity in this statement. When we enter into this world, regardless of our settings, we are constantly and consistently presented with the challenge to be independent or dependent. One is hard. One is not. And unfortunately, regardless of which generation of concentrated civilization you observe, you have a conglomerate of people choosing one or the other…more often than not, choosing dependency.

Leaders are chosen to lead people so that they are entrusted to make decisions for the betterment of all mankind. Translation, mankind is dependent upon them to make decisions that will preserve their existence instead of taking on the battle to grow and thrive independently. Heroes are chosen to fight battles for others. Voices manipulate crowds by triggering the emotions that bring upon enthusiasm. And the written word, it is, by far, the most manipulative device.

Although we have provided an opportunity for education for all citizens free of charge, we have not surpassed the needs presented before literacy was a concern. We simply now have a population of people who can read and watch the news and trust that the material being presented to them is just, and fair, and accurate. So the education simply makes the citizen equipped to retain data, but to inquire is something that is almost impossible to develop.

In the Bible, people went from hailing this rumored Messiah and rolling out the red carpet for his entrance into their town to an angry and vicious mob thirsty for his destruction. Both the greeting at the beginning of the week that Jesus entered into Jerusalem and the attack upon the evening of his trial were charged from word of mouth. There was no back story written about the wise Jewish man who looked at the man that came into town days earlier and decided to research him more. There is no claim of some priest or self-proclaimed follower of Christ who stepped up and started to redirect the crowd with what they knew to be true. They went with the flow.

They still do today. People are accepting of ANYTHING. If it was on the news, than it must be true. If it was in the paper, it must be true. If it was announced on the radio, it must be true. This is what is true. The very people who are delivering the news to you are just as human as you are. The very people who are presenting you with the information they have acquired are secretly wired the same way. They will tell the story with a slant of their own. They can’t help it. History books are the same way. Do you really think the American Revolution is taught the same way in England as it is here? Do you?


In our recent days, we have learned of how easily a journalist can find themselves delivering falsified information. The better the story, the better the following. Think about it. The crowd that surrounded the crucifixion was larger than the crowd that greeted him with palm branches. This destruction of a celebrity brought out the Romans too. Everyone loves a good story told to them, but not everybody wants the hassle of actually researching – you know, using that free education for something more than reading regurgitated ideas and decisions.

I will not defend the recent actions of some of our friends in the media. I will simply ask you this question – why are you so surprised? They are humans who want to be accepted and popular. We model a pattern of how to achieve that status – IMPRESS ME. If you can’t, then I will listen to someone else. Lord knows, I will not try to decipher truth on my own. That’s someone else’s job.

When I watch the news, I watch it to gather information and then re-address it in my own methodology. Here is what you can believe from the news.

1. The United States owes more money than is in print.
2. The United States is the richest country in the world (despite the above fact).
3. The United States has a government full of humans who are seeking to IMPRESS ME so they can get my vote.
4. There will always be conflict in the Middle East. ALWAYS. Check your history.
5. The United States does not have as many “friends” around the globe as we once did.
6. Sports figures and Theatrical performers take precedence over humanitarians.
7. Disney owns EVERYTHING.
8. Everyone has a favorite.
9. Image is everything – good or bad.
10. Christianity is not politically correct.

Be careful what you believe and what you trust.