Brave Humans

I don’t like exercise machines. I hate treadmills. But I live in the northeastern U. S., and due to family responsibilities, I have to exercise EARLY in the morning, so from late fall to early spring I run indoors while it’s dark outside. And I hate it.

Outside I can look at the neighborhood, at the trees, at the people and animals; I can feel the fresh air and (occasionally) sun. I am constantly challenged by uneven pavement, cracks, and stealthy attack branches.

In the gym there’s the treadmill with buttons to customize the workout. There are walls, mirrors, other exercise equipment, and (very occasionally) another human. There’s also my Ipod (if I’ve remembered both to load it and bring it) and a TV.

Since I hate being inside so much, I really need a distraction on my long runs. Otherwise, I’m constantly checking how much time has passed, and I’m convinced that digital timers on treadmills run more slowly than any other clocks on earth. So if I forget my Ipod, I watch TV. And let me tell you, there’s not much variety at 5:30 a.m. …lots of infomercials, old sitcoms, “Angel” reruns, and new channels. Because of this dearth, I have been watching a fair amount of CNN. Recently, however, they’ve changed their morning line-up in an attempt to increase ratings…but that’s not all they’ve changed…

Now, in addition to not liking treadmills, I don’t like CNN. In the past week, I’ve seen three segments on CNN that have really appalled me. Sensationalistic, mocking, superior, inappropriate…

I’ve watched CNN for quite a while now, and, although I know that some folks complain it’s biased, I’ve never seen anything blatant. Now sensationalism seems to be becoming the standard. In competing with other news channels, it’s morphing into them, to CNN’s detriment. In the past week I’ve seen the following:

• The day after Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified before the Judiciary Committee, the correspondent reporting on it said that, if Gonzales was seeking support in Congress, he was “looking for love in all the wrong places.” I found that offensive. The investigation into the attorneys’ firing is troubling for all sides involved. Whether or not you think Gonzales should resign, the position of Attorney General should be respected; it shouldn’t be the subject of ridicule on a (supposedly) NEWS program. That’s John Stewart’s job.

• Also last week: an audiotape of a phone message left by actor Alec Baldwin for his daughter was made public and aired on many venues. (Personally, I think this is a tragic but private story and is not our business.) After reporting on the story, one anchor said to the other (and I’m paraphrasing here), “You have a daughter about that age. Can you imagine talking to her like that?” The other anchor, with an incredulous look on his face, replied, “My daughter is almost 16 and I can’t imagine leaving her a message like that.” They were clearly superior and dismissive about something that (I think) wasn’t their business. I do believe that the phone message was highly inappropriate, but I have a 6-year-old daughter, who is loving and usually well-behaved, but, yes, I can imagine talking to her like that. Occasionally, I get mad at her and do a lot of mumbling under my breath. Helps to relieve the anger. I don’t believe I’d ever say the things I’m thinking, but heck, yes, I can imagine it. And, although I can’t think of an example now (probably repressed), I’m sure I’ve said some things that I’ve regretted and wished I’d never said them; I bet all parents do. But that’s between my family and myself, and it should be that way for everyone (plus appropriate outsiders if the behavior becomes abusive). It’s not for scornful media, however.

• The day after author David Halberstam died in a car crash, I heard an “obituary” on CNN. It mentioned that he’d written “The Best and the Brightest,” a book about successive American governments’ involvement in the Vietnam War. The reporter mentioned Robert McNamara as one of the subjects of the book. Then she continued (I’m paraphrasing again), “Some critics suggest that if you substitute Donald Rumsfeld for Robert McNamara and Iraq for Vietnam, you have the same story. But there’s no one left to write it.” What???? What does this have to do with Halberstam’s life? That was (supposedly) the topic of the segment. Dragging Iraq into it is just another attempt at being provocative.

Well, it’s worked. CNN has provoked me. I’m not turning it on at 5:30. Maybe I’ll start watching “Angel” again. Better yet, I’m going to remember to load up my Ipod. Something fast and energetic…maybe a little Springsteen, maybe Santana, maybe Bowie…

Be brave. Be human.
Susan