I was kicking around a 7-11 the other night and saw this month’s issue of Rolling Stone magazine…
…and I couldn’t help but be caught by the words and images that bombarded me from the glossy paper. “Inside an American Tragedy”, and suddenly I found myself reading the magazine from cover to cover… and then writing a letter to the editors. What follows is that letter- which they’ll likely never publish…
I just picked up the latest issue of RS (Feb 2008) and looking at the cover really told me everything I need to know about the current state of the United States. The full cover page splashed with nothing but a close up of Britney Spears with the associated article title- “Inside An American Tragedy”. I think we’ve lost sight of what the word “tragedy” really means.
I realize RS is primarily a pop-culture magazine, but with the “real” news outlets paying the same amount of lip service to these spoiled screwed up pop tarts who’s biggest concerns are how to get to the next party with the most publicity possible, the real “American Tragedy” is how topics like how this white-trash darling collapsing under the weight of her own delusions of importance are viewed as more relevant to daily life than one of the more important articles you run in the same issue, about how the Democrats are betraying the anti-war movement.As an OIF vet and social/political commentator myself (www.patriotmissive.com) I returned home from the never ending war to find a country that cares less and less about the things that are slowly ruining our country such as the failing economy, our ever growing debt, Presidential Candidates who have to grow more and more corrupt and accept more and more aid from disreputable sources just to have the financial ability to keep up with each other in the race- all the while they tear each other down for the same tactics they use, resulting in even weaker political parties (looking at you Democrats) and growing distrust in the political system and apathy on the part of the citizens of our country… not to mention the continuing damage the war does to families, businesses, and the soldiers themselves who regardless of what their jobs may have been, will still continue to come home from each deployment a little more changed, a little more damaged than they were before.
Maybe it was a slow steady decline that has been occuring for a long time, and it just took years away from home to really see it for what it was, but the news media’s growing thirst for ratings paired with the lack of the general population’s interest in real meaningful events has turned us into one of the most ridiculously ill-informed, lack-luster societies in the western world and beyond.
I beg you Rolling Stone, if Britney Spears or one of her ilk release a new album, review it by all means… but when it comes to major feature pieces, these sad sacks are getting enough press from other news outlets… you’ve never been afraid of writing passionate articles about important issues and pulling no punches- if no one else will make it a focus, maybe you can?
If for nothing else, thank you for the important articles you do write, even if they get skipped over by many for the big gossip story of the day- there are those of us who crave strong reporting, and stories of relevance. And thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
~~Skitz M. Jones
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