Baby boomers and the news media
The news media figured out long before the counter culture movements of the 1960's-70's that the best news is
negative news. .When it comes to baby boomers, that trend still continues even today. Even many of the term's that identify movements, or events, you will find a newspaper reporter usually coins them. For example the term hippie, beatnik, yuppie, were first used by San Francisco columnist, Herb Caen. Unfortunately, the seniors and the disengaged or uninformed believes everything the media says.
Just to set the record straight before you read any further. This is the real truth about what the baby boomers have done and continue to do. We fought a political war that we
inherited, to the tune of over 58,000 deaths, and over 250,000 severely wounded, who returned to an ungrateful nation, some of which to this day walk the streets, homeless, with permanent psychological, and physical damage. The baby boomers have turned this nation into the greatest, most technologically advanced nation in the world. We are presiding over the greatest economy in the world. I would tell the news media what they can do with their definition of what the baby boomers have done "but its not nice."
If you want to get depressed real fast, tune in to one of the media outlets. Murder, rape, child molesters and troop deaths, is about all you hear. Is there nothing positive going on in this world. How long did we listen to the O.J. Simpson trial, how long did Laci Peterson's family have to listen to the brutal details of their daughters death? And when are the media pundits going to learn that we don't really care about what they think. I don't know about you, but I want to hear both sides of a story and then I will make up my own mind.
Now we have some other terms floating around that were started by the media. Terms like average American and here is a good one, grass roots American. Even the politicians are using them. Now if we are "average Americans", I ask you, what in the hell does it take to become an American?
I'm sure you have figured out by now that I'm not in love with the news media. Because their agenda or rather propaganda, is starting to set the tone for America, which is very dangerous. When they think more of reporting a leak just to get the credit, than they do of how it will affect our "fighting men and women", or our "national security, no I don't like them". Its all about getting the story, not necessarily the "true story".
When you read a story, or even watch something on T.V. and it refers to the baby boomers, they immediately go to, hippie, protest, burning draft cards and Viet Nam war protesters. Many young reporters that were not born or to young to remember, simply go back to the archives of the older reporters, so we hear the same old thing. The simple truth is , I could care less what the news media reports. I was there, and I know the truth and so do most of you.
I will be the first to admit that I wore my hair longer than the 1950's crew cut, (also called flat top). I wore some of the
clothes and yes I loved rock and roll and I still do. I played pretty hard but I worked even harder.Even now you will catch me listing, to the Alman Brothers, The Dooby Brothers, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and I could go on. As a matter of fact the lyrics of most of those songs said something instead of the profanity, in the music of today.
More than once I have had my little grand daughters in the car with me and of course at ages 11 and 13, the first thing they want is for me to turn the radio to their favorite station. I smile as I watch them happily singing along and moving to the beat of the music until I start listing to the lyrics of the stuff they like. The radio automatically gets turned to another station. No they don't like it, but I love them too much to let that trash fill their little minds, at least when they are with me.
A good example of a song that really spoke about something was Neil young's song "Ohio". Even I listened to it for a long time before I realized the song was about the Kent State Massacre's.
Who does the news media think was responsible for all of the great technological advancements in musical instruments, sound systems, and stage equipment. Not only do you see the evidence of it in the stage shows of the young musicians of today, just look at how much "country music" has advanced
While working on a way to get my point across about accomplishments of the Baby Boomers, I came across an article
that I feel does an excellent job of revealing a lot of truths about what has been achieved by the baby boomers. This article comes from his book, that I have recently ordered. I have Mr Steinhorn's permission to use his article. I really hope that you read his article and I have a feeling his book will be a good read. I don't know his "political ideology and don't care", because I have already stated that is not the purpose of this site.
Click here to read this excellent article from his book
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