COMMON SENSE FOR BEGINNERS:

     Before delving into the blood and guts of the issues I would like to discuss in this first posting, it seems only appropriate to give a brief description of what I hope to achieve with this blog. In short I hope to provide those of you reading this with a reasonable and balanced perspective on current news and political events. The reason I want to impart my own particular brand of common sense is because in this day and age of the 24 hour news cycle it seems as though that we have lost perspective. There is no middle ground in other words and this is the first issue that has been grating on me. Balance in the media and whether or not it can ever be restored. So to start, I would first like to discuss the different news outlets and my interpretation of them.

   
     As we begin this discussion, I want you to think about where you get your news. Whether it be from cable news, your friends or the internet. Or the increasingly unlikely source, the newspaper, and god bless those of you that still absorb the sweet song of the metropolitan organ that is the daily rags. Regardless of which source you go to, I can tell you one thing about it. You know exactly what side of the proverbial fence that particular seller is on. Let’s take cable news for instance and the networks that produce what we now call the 24-hour cycle. There is, in no particular order, FOX News, BBC America, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Comedy Central.

               
      Let’s start with what I would consider the lone wolf or in the vernacular, the freaky Goth guy with black nail polish, FOX News. Always brooding and angry, never participating with the other kids in class, FOX News is currently the most conservative leaning agency on cable TV. They stand alone on cable television defying and sometimes spitting in the face of the opposition. At first glance, second glance or third they may seem like a crying child in the backseat of your car; never happy and always hungry for something bigger. But, many people from what I have observed have developed cults based around this news station. You’re either with them or you want to burn down their studios.  There is no middle ground when it comes to the red headed step child of American news.

       However, I would point this out. In American politics we rely heavily on the media and it makes me ask these questions. What good is a media that likes the government? Does a media that oblige the status quo in politics truly and honorably service its constituencies?  Or on the flip side of that particular argument, does a media that constantly criticizes its government, service its constituents either? I would say that the latter is better than the former. To make this argument I would like to point out MSNBC and G-dub as he has become known in our ever expanding world of interesting vocabulary.

     
      During the Bush years, MSNBC was highly critical of the favorite son.  I don’t believe this is a secret to anyone, nor does it, in my opinion, fall outside the realm of common knowledge. This same criticism that we found during the Bush years, is now found on FOX when concerning Obama. Now depending on your own little flavor of politics you may think one or the other is great. However, I would argue that they are both the ideal of what our media as American’s should be. The media should have the sole purpose of scrutinizing the government under which they broadcast news.  It is worth mentioning though that both networks have failed miserably when they have a sitting President that they like. Both agencies, which are the fringe of either party, serve a useful purpose and at the same time, expose the problems with modern politics and the American mindset. At its simplest, they lack common sense.  They have no regard for those that may think that there is more than one way to accomplish a task. It was once said, by a famous figure, that you and I should know because we took high school history, “I have no respect for a man who can only spell a word one way.” That famous person for the record is Mark Twain.  This thinking, however, should be applied to American politics.

              
       Now for those of you wondering why this blog includes cookies, your answer is incoming. Cookies are something that we as a culture give to someone who has done a good thing. We give them to our dog when they do a trick. We give them to kids when they get an “A” on a spelling test. And here, we give them to politicians and reporters when they show a shred of integrity and intelligence. With this in mind we turn our attention to www.cosponser.gov  A website that is a fantastic example of common sense government for Americans. To put it simply, you read a bill, in its entirety, and decide whether you like it or not. This enfranchises all of us. Keep in mind, there is nothing legal about this when it concerns Congress; however, what it does do is allow people to have a more open line of communication with their elected representatives. This takes away the veil of politicians in a very profound way. Consider this.

       Recently President Obama wanted to expand background checks for guns. He claimed the 90% of American’s wanted this. The reality of this claim, however, is who knows. At best poll numbers are anonymous phone calls that as far as the rest of us know are some guy sitting in a back room with a phone book and checking off names. He could be providing lists to his employer; just collecting a paycheck and trying not to be fired. With cosponsor.gov, we as the people can clear up this confusion. We can give our voices a forum. So keep this in mind. The pessimism of previous generation’s access to government can change now. The internet has made it possible.