i don't wanna hear it

Ever since I left my "homeland" of Long Island, I have kept up on local news by reading the online version of Newsday. It is definitely not the best source of news, but it was one of the ways I stayed connected. Lately, I have been disheartened with my daily read. No, not because of the subpar writing or the fluffy meaningless articles, but by the article comment blogs. It seems that no matter the content of the articles being commented on, the discussion becomes a forum for bigotry, hatred, antisemitism and racism. I am not blind to the fact that this garbage still exists in society, but I shudder at how prolific it appears to be on Long Island. I am incredibly grateful that my family raised me with morals and ethics. They showed me how to accept people for who they are, not for the color of their skin or the origin of their family. I also learned to appreciate and celebrate people's cultural heritages. I suppose it is difficult for me to see the perspective of bigots and racists. To an extent, I have some compassion for them. They likely have their views from their own upbringing and experiences, which obviously contained negativity.

Another aspect of the comment blogs that amazes me is the fact that articles on topics such as books, history, fine arts, etc. are rarely commented on at all. I believe this is yet another sad commentary on society. Are people not even reading valuable or educational articles?

Some might ask, "So why read the comments if they irk you so much?" To that I say, because there are the occasional glimmers of intelligent discussion, and I enjoy reading those. Maybe it gives me some idea that there is some hope out there.

And now for you listening and visual pleasure, here's some goofy guy dancing to the apropos song "I Don't Wanna Hear It" by Minor Threat......




.....just to end this on a musical note.