Putting It in Perspective

I’m a news junkie, and have been since the first Gulf War, when I stayed glued to CNN for hours on end. Seeing bombs explode over Baghdad in real time was fascinating, but even after the war ended, the news was on whenever I was home alone. I justified my obsession by saying that, as a government and economics teacher, I needed to keep up with current events. This was true to some extent, and being informed made me a better teacher. But now that I’m retired, the news is still a big part of my day, though I am more likely to tune into FOX now. And of course, I start every day with a cup of coffee and Good Morning America. I learn a lot that way. I guess one reason I keep the TV turned to 24 hour cable news is because it provides company while I’m here alone. I can pay attention when I want, but I’m also free to do other things. I’m always busy working on something, so I don’t sit down to watch a regular show or movie.

Lately, however, I’ve turned the news off a good part of the day. It’s too depressing. As we all know, we Americans are in a bit of trouble. The bad economic news just keeps on coming, and some people even talk of a coming depression. The housing market has tanked and doesn’t show signs of getting better, and here we are trying to sell a house. Then, of course, the election didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I can’t believe we just elected the most liberal senator in Congress to the presidency. Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons and test firing long range missiles, and we don’t know if we can trust Pakistan. Yes, things look bad.

But this morning I was watching GMA as usual, when I heard a story that made my life look pretty good by comparison. In Afghanistan, two girls were walking to school when a group of young men attacked them, throwing acid in their faces, causing severe, disfiguring burns. The men were part of the Taliban, which is opposed to girls getting an education. Wow. I cannot imagine living in a place where I would be that oppressed just for being the “wrong” sex. We may have problems here in this country, but at least we are free – free to be ourselves, work hard, and live up to our potential, free to worship, speak, and think as we believe. I used to tell my students that they should fall on their knees every day and thank God they were born in America. I still believe that.