Pulling the Plug … ( 05 / 07 / 2012 )
Pulling the Plug … ( 05 / 07 / 2012 )
“ The era of manufacturing consent has given way to the era of manufacturing news . Soon media newsrooms will drop the pretense , and start hiring theater directors instead of journalists .” ~ Arundhati Roy
We aren ’ t going to bring about any real change in our communities by using the same means that co-created our “ mess ” in the first place … and mass media is one of the prime culprits in this regard .
I ’ ve got some news for you : “ the news ” these days is NOT here to keep you informed . Rather , it is here to keep you distracted ( a . k . a . “ entertained ”) – it is here to keep you afraid of your neighbor — it is here to keep you believing that you are “ too small ” to make a difference — it is here to keep you feeling that you need protection from the “ powers that be ” in order to survive … Essentially , it is here to keep you from remembering the only Truth that holds any worth anymore : the Truth that you are still free to re-create your community ; that your are still the one truly “ in control ” of your life ; that no one can ever stop you from reaching out to Care .
Want some proof that you are still running your own “ show ”? Try the following : Get up right now , walk over to your TV , and unplug it . Now simply go one week without plugging it back in again and see what a HUGE positive difference that simple act makes in your life …
If you stop allowing yourself to be spoon-fed the “ truth ” that those “ in power ” want you to believe , you just might look around and see that there is another Reality waiting for you ; another Reality that knows that people are actually amazingly Wonder-full -- that every one of your acts of Kindness is not “ small ” at all -- that you actually CAN make a huge difference in your neighborhood -- that we actually CAN come together and make this world a fantastic place in which to live & learn & Love … And it all starts with the guts to simply reach out & pull the plug . So … got some GUTS ?
“ It is necessary for all of us to awaken in ourselves this spirit of cooperation , for then it will not be a mere plan or agreement which causes us to work together , but an extraordinary feeling of togetherness , the sense of joy in being and doing together without any thought of reward or punishment .” ~ J . Krishnamurti
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