said with sincerity

The two anchors at KTLA channel 5 in LA provided their solemn voices and serious camera faces as they read stories about the unemployed. They agreed with one another as one anchor said how awful it must be for those losing their homes and how many homeless there are in LA and just finding one meal a day must be traumatic and difficult.

Then we had a commercial break and some more the cast of characters making up the KTLA family of entertainers had on a restaurateur who told us how easy it was to barbecue steak, make food for your party and let the pickiest of eaters find a selection of goodies that would fill their bellies. And as usual on KTLA the restaurateur then provided the already well fed well paid staff with plates of food and we watched as they gleefully shoveled down the meal.

We then broke into a story about kids not having the money for school supplies and how some families could not even afford enough clothing for their kids to be able to not have to wear the same thing all 5 days of the week. Again, the anchors and the cast of entertainers from the KTLA family sighed on cue, humbly shook their respective heads and sighed again.

Once again we had a commercial break and when we returned we were introduced to a company that coordinates the BLING table for award shows. You know the free merchandise given to the actors, directors, big wigs of the movie, TV or recording industry. We were shown jewelry for 15K, gold encrusted towels, baby strollers that almost moved by themselves, and other paraphernalia that screamed I serve no purpose but look good anyway. The coordinator of the BLING tables was beside himself with joy as he stated how much the entertainment royalty loved all this stuff.

There are other television stations in LA who in one moment speak of the misery of poverty, unemployment, lack of food and then brightly have their overly bleached, bronzed, botoxed morning crew giggle and gleefully talk about parties, mansions and mind blowing vacations. There are other television stations throughout the country that for one moment have the camera persons do a close-up on the anchor as he/she dramatically read stories of angst and anguish only to then bring on some movie star to talk about the horrors of owning more than one house, having too many red carpets to walk or their hectic travel schedule to exotic locations. So I do not solely pick on KTLA.

But here is the rub for me. Why do we think if we say aloud that in fact there are those who are living in tough times, show enough footage of their dilemma, bring on one or two spokespeople for their condition we then think we have done enough? Why is it that if we think for a brief moment we mention the machinations and meandering of those who are hungry, poor, unemployed sick we have done something useful? Why do we think if we spend 2 minutes on a story about someone in pain we have done something, anything to end the pain and hurt? Do we think by just saying it, showing, thinking it we have done anything to alleviate, eliminate, end it?

I remember when Nancy Reagan was the first lady of the land and she and her husband decided to declare a war on drugs then fight the war on drugs. It was a war and the United States always managed to win wars, so we were told, and by God this war could be over and done if we clicked our heels three times or something like that. So First Lady Nancy’s call to arms was to “just say no”. That was all it took to stop the horrors of drug use, addiction and participation. She spoke about it, said a magic potion phrase and the war would surely end in a few weeks if not a few months. Mention it once and you hve done your all.

The KTLA morning cast of characters speak about poverty, unemployment, illness and disenfranchisement and I guess as Nancy Reagan professed by stating out loud what is evil some kind of exorcism will happen the bad will be banished. They like Nancy Reagan who live a rather lavish life, feel sustained and satisfied and could go on with their life because at the least you said out loud that you realized something was bad, and perhaps that was good enough.

I am beginning to think that is how most of this country works. If you say it enough, it means you recognize it, and if you recognize it that is almost as good as trying to fix it. If you say it out loud with enough emotion and emphasis then others will think you really believe in what you said and that alone should suffice in solving the situation. If you say it often enough it sounds like you are sincere and who can argue with sincerity!