Jackass Nation
Warning. Political Rant.
OK, we've heard enough about Abu Ghraib prison. Literally. This is a topic that has been mired in circular logic. There's no doubt that what happened there was sick and depraved, but this is something that was discovered and responded to MONTHS ago. Heaven forbid the Pentagon try to investigate and take corrective action without getting an OK from the U.S. media.
There are really two aspects to this story. The one that is getting the most attention is the suggestion that these actions were not only known by people high up in the administration, but encouraged. That is the most asinine thing I've ever heard, and I'm not going to address that topic tonight. The other aspect is the fact that these actions were committed by relatively low-ranking personnel, who were young, inexperienced, and quite frankly, should have known better.
Is this the military's fault?
Probably not. I've never had military experience, so I can only speak from hypothesis; but these guys should know better. It doesn't take years of military training to know right from wrong. So if George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld aren't to blame (and they're not, get over it), who is?
Jackass.
I'm not insulting you, I'm talking about the TV show.
Jackass, and other shows like it, capitalize on public humiliation. In the defense of Johnny Knoxville and his cronies, most of their actions are set up to target themselves. However, the simple fact that shows like this get aired at all speaks volumes.
The concepts of dignity, respect, and personal responsibilty take a back seat to the depravity of humiliating those under our control. We live in a society that has become so permissive in allowing anything to air under the guide of free speech, that we lose a sense of what is appropriate. The fact of the matter is, we're raising our kids today exposing them to some of the most vile stuff that has ever been televised. We're desensitizing them to sex, violence, and indecency.
Alight. I'm bored with this post already.
I'll just publish it and move on.
OK, we've heard enough about Abu Ghraib prison. Literally. This is a topic that has been mired in circular logic. There's no doubt that what happened there was sick and depraved, but this is something that was discovered and responded to MONTHS ago. Heaven forbid the Pentagon try to investigate and take corrective action without getting an OK from the U.S. media.
There are really two aspects to this story. The one that is getting the most attention is the suggestion that these actions were not only known by people high up in the administration, but encouraged. That is the most asinine thing I've ever heard, and I'm not going to address that topic tonight. The other aspect is the fact that these actions were committed by relatively low-ranking personnel, who were young, inexperienced, and quite frankly, should have known better.
Is this the military's fault?
Probably not. I've never had military experience, so I can only speak from hypothesis; but these guys should know better. It doesn't take years of military training to know right from wrong. So if George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld aren't to blame (and they're not, get over it), who is?
Jackass.
I'm not insulting you, I'm talking about the TV show.
Jackass, and other shows like it, capitalize on public humiliation. In the defense of Johnny Knoxville and his cronies, most of their actions are set up to target themselves. However, the simple fact that shows like this get aired at all speaks volumes.
The concepts of dignity, respect, and personal responsibilty take a back seat to the depravity of humiliating those under our control. We live in a society that has become so permissive in allowing anything to air under the guide of free speech, that we lose a sense of what is appropriate. The fact of the matter is, we're raising our kids today exposing them to some of the most vile stuff that has ever been televised. We're desensitizing them to sex, violence, and indecency.
Alight. I'm bored with this post already.
I'll just publish it and move on.
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