G.a. Underwood:

It’s those people who simultaneously frighten, exasperate and disgust me, Linda Dilworth. The poor with children at home who elect politicians with publicly-stated goals of denying these very same people access to family medical care, assistance with their groceries and a solid education. They’re convinced that everybody else on a government relief program is a worthless, unmotivated, undeserving human being. But not THEM. Their sense of self moved on down the road to identify and align with those successful Republican politicians who point their fingers in self-righteous blame of the poor for their own plight. I don’t pretend to understand the psychology behind it, but it’s clear that if you can look down your own nose at somebody else, then maybe your own situation’s not as bad as you’d thought. Maybe you start feeling better about yourself. After all, you’re not like ol’ John Bob two trailers down. He could probably work! He LOOKS okay and checks his own mail. What a lazy taker! They only know their own story – maybe Dad’s job was sent to India, or Mom developed breast cancer, or they were victims of the manufactured banking/foreclosure ‘crisis. It doesn’t really matter, because theirs is the only story that matters. Knowing others’ stories could result in a big loss of status and self-esteem, because it’s harder to be better than someone when you’re the same.

And don’t get me started on Republican women. Or when I go to the V.A. for treatment and see a group of older veteran men watching Fox on the waiting room TV, heads nodding in agreement. I’ve rolled my eyes so many times they should be stuck in the ‘up’ position.

The power and influence of Fox “News” is vastly understated, which I’m sure is Fox’s preference. But the danger it presents to our nation can’t be overstated. I’m a major supporter of the First Amendment. I also believe that any entity publicly holding itself out as a ‘news network’ has a specific responsibility. Fox isn’t practicing free speech when they quilt misleading questions, misinformation and half-truths together to obscure the facts for the victimized uneducated. They are exercising cult behaviors. Fox has turned propaganda into a true art form with their many brightly-colored, attention-grabbing ‘Breaking News!’ graphics and sound effects. You’d think every day was 9-11.

I used to pity these folks, like you might the people in the psychological grip of a Jim Jones, and trued to have logical, fact-based discussions with them. Ever ask one to share their information source with you, and request that it be from a bi-partisan/non-partisan source (i.e., not Fox or one of the other delusional severe right-wing sites)? That’s when the insults and name-calling begin. Their backs are against the wall and nearly all will actively evade facts and numbers. As with any cult, along with Fox’s Koch-sponsored messages, they deviously convinces their groupies that Fox is the ONLY network that can be trusted and unite viewers in their fears – whether they be Christianity/Christmas under attack, Obama coming for your guns, the coming apocalypse, widespread voter fraud, etc. isolating people from other informational sources and discrediting others to gain trust is key.

I write these folks off now, Linda. It’s not that opening their eyes wouldn’t be worth it. Even if I had to do it one person at a time, I would if I could. The simple truth is that something bad’s got to happen in each of their lives to shake them up. It could be a daughter who’s raped and can’t get access to an abortion pill. Or Junior coming home from school and calling them liars because his charter school teacher said dinosaurs never existed. Or receiving notice from Duke Energy stating that their well water, which the family had safely used for the past 43 years, tested positive for seven carcinogens in tests conducted six weeks earlier. Losing a family member to measles. Or even something as simple as taking your WW2 veteran Grandpa to vote, but the line has quadrupled in length and Grandpa can’t stand that long any more. Until they’re personally impacted by Republicans’ pro-corporate, anti-people policies, they’ll continue being far better people than ol’ John Bob.

He just doesn’t TRY hard enough.

P.S. I like the ‘Ball of Confusion’ reference, Linda.