During the hysteria brought on by Senator McCarthy's Communist witchhunt, the immortal Edward R. Murrow stood tall and hard in the face of the powerful Senator from Wisconsin, thus sending him to a drunken demise. In the 1960's, Walter Cronkite declared Vietnam unwinnable, causing the tide to turn against President Johnson, even further. Causing him to not seek re-election in 1968.
And, in the 1970's, the team of Woodward and Bernstein exposed the crooked practices of a power-hungry administration, leading to the resignation of Richard Nixon.
To quote a phrase from the iconic theme song of "All in the Family," 'those were the days.'
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina exposed the Bush administration like a raw wound, and it was the mainstream press who kept scratching at it like it was an itch. Asking the tough questions that they wouldn't dare ask, because the new mandate of the country was "you're either with us or against us."
We applauded the media for its courage. Putting faces to those who were left behind by the Federal Government led by a John Wayne wannabe.
And, it seemed since that time the media finally realized its job was to be an informative voice for the American public rather than a collective stooge for the G.O.P.
This week it all went to hell.
John Mark Karr arrived onto the scene to confess that he indeed killed JonBenet Ramsey, a 6-year-old little girl from Boulder, Colorado.
Karr, who looks like a cross between Lee Harvey Oswald and Norman Bates has become the latest media curiosity at a time when the country needs it to lend a informative and intelligent voice to the REAL problems of this once great land.
The media coverage of his alleged confession, arrest, and what he ate on his airplane ride back to the United States is nothing short of disgraceful.
Horrendous considering the fact that Mr. Karr could be pulling one of the greatest lies ever in the history of America and the media is treating it like if it was written scripture.
The media's shameful display just levels every word I have to describe it right from my mouth.
They dig up the ghosts of a little girl whom they've treated like she was beauty Queen who posed for penthouse and have whored her memory in the name of ratings.
They've become like maggots eating away at the flesh and asking us if we want a piece.
There are many guilty parties to name but they're not worth typing.
The media's responsiblity is to inform the country about instances that truly affect the fabric of the country, not be a 24/7 tabloid service.
We all thought that the Press was making a comeback in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Now it seems that it's starting to resort to old habits.
Their addiction is scandalizing and whoring out missing and dead people, while the real problems lie in the powerful and insular world of Washington D.C.
There's no way around in stopping that addiction. We can nag, and point our finger in disgust, but until the corporations who pump out this garbage, go away, we're in for rough waters.