The “Monkey Chronicles” last month was a stunning indictment of the current state of politics in America, and I can’t help but wonder how we got to this low point. Just thirteen years ago, political discourse in America was enlivened by the third-party candidacy of Ross Perot. I voted for Perot, and I’ll be the first to admit that, in retrospect, he probably would have been a terrible president. He may have been a little nutty, but at least he was honest. So, what happened to make us so disinterested in our government now?I don’t listen much to the radio, but during a trip to Arizona sometime in the mid-90s, I heard Rush Limbaugh for the first time, and I was shocked and horrified by the things this man was saying about the President and the First Lady of our country. Things I never would have said about Nixon during the worst days of Watergate.I think that talk radio and TV is at the root of apathy in America. Most of these “pontificators” spread so much hatred based on lies, that by the time anyone gets done listening to a show, they must be emotionally drained and in a stupor. Instead of thinking for oneself, being a “ditto head” has become a badge of honor. We have become so polarized as a nation that we are now incapable of thinking for ourselves. We seem to listen only to the pontifactor of our choice and close our ears to any other thoughts. These pontificators push wedge issues, like intelligent design, that divide us further. I recently saw a home-made bumper sticker that equated Islam and Democrats with Satan. Like it or not, our democracy is a two-party system. Our young men and women are fighting for democracy in Iraq, yet there seem to be people here at home that don’t believe in democracy at all.While we have been “wedged,” industry has bought this country, lock, stock, and barrel. The recent energy bill that awards subsidies to the oil industry was written by the oil industy. The recent bankruptcy bill was written by the credit card industry. The recent highway bill is a travesty in pork. I agree completely that PACs should be abolished and also believe that we need a thorough overall of election laws.I suggest that everyone simply stop listening to talk radio and watching talk TV. Listen to some good music while driving and watch a good drama or comedy on TV. Educate yourself about the country and the world by reading news articles and books that don’t have a hidden agenda, and always apply critical thinking to whatever you hear or read. Think for yourself about what you want your representatives and government to be doing.Our country is precious. The people who founded it were unique in that they believed common people could govern themselves. Please don’t prove them wrong.Kathleen WallacePeyton
