Opinion

The Bottom Line

Living in a state of crisis

Derek Grote
Editor/Photo Editor
drgrote@niacc.edu

We live in a world of constant crisis.

Floods, tornados, economic disaster, war and whether or not we can feed our children plagues us on a daily basis.

With so much negativity oozing through the world’s veins, how can we cope? Is there any hope for humanity in this struggle to end all struggles?

We are bombarded with violence and cold, heartless cruelty.

The average individual watching the news will sit through a whole program depicting terror in the Middle East without flinching.

Certain numbness prevails: “I’m not there, so it really doesn’t bother me.”

However, I still have hope.

I am the kind of individual that has a core belief: at heart I believe that people have the power to be good.

Perhaps it is that idea that helps me get through the day.

Does the average individual really care what is going on with the world?

My guess is probably not.

So what do we have to blame our insensitivity on?

Perhaps it’s music - rap music and death metal certainly have a great deal of verbal anger. Our youth listen to it and, of course, must go out on violent, random killing sprees.

Maybe it’s not music, but video games - everyone and their mothers know they are mindless, pixilated vulgarity.

Dare I say that this insensitivity is because of pornography? Pro wrestling? Movies?

I can safely say that it is none of these, at least on a mass basis.

The average individual will not go out and shoot people, regardless of how many video games he or she plays.

I’ll give you a hint as to why we have problems: home life.

Sure, media plays part in shaping ideas, but who is in charge of what the youth can and can not watch?

As much as we would like to believe it, our children will be exposed to everything sooner or later.

I guarantee you that most of it will happen in the public school system.

So, should you not care and just give up? No.

Be active in what your child is doing.

Put down the remote and pay attention to what our children are telling us.

They don’t want to live in a world like this when they grow up.

The bottom line is this: we cannot live a life without pessimism punching us right in the face. You can take it and live with it, or you can fight back and stay on top.

In the end, if we take advice from our past and move forward with a smile on our faces, this world could change.