Speakout 6/27

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Mississippi County is like Mexico. Everybody is trying to get out of there as fast as they can.

If you tally what is available most Sikeston residents as I have done using your television program guide you come up with a pretty disturbing pattern with CBS, Channel 12, the hands-down winner or loser or depending on how you view social responsibility. For this week from Sunday through next Saturday not counting one movie which one has to call rather mindless stuff. Out of 21 hours of prime time between 7 and 10 o'clock in the evening, CBS devotes approximately 15 out of 21 hours to crime shows which include very graphic, gory, sometimes quite often how-tos on crime, violence, murder, etc. NBC had, because of the new talent show promo, had eight hours this week out of 21. Given that now the United States is now a corporate state with everything subordinate to the corporation, we all know that corporations, especially networks are heirarchial, anti-democratic, amoral, more often immoral. This has led to a society of economic instability, social instability, health care inadequacies, a population riddled with bipolar, post-

traumatic stress disorders. We have in this country millions on prescription dope better known as anti-depressant drugs which cause with long-term use paranoia, violent behavior, possible suicidal. We also have unknown millions on other mind-altering drugs. I personally consider having a predominance of gory, graphic, bloody dead bodies shown on television with how-tos to be a dangerous thing. Showing such high percentage of the programming to be programs of this nature that a large percentage of our population may be watching, especially such a large percentage of population that is unstable. I consider it socially, morally irresponsible on the part of the networks. It is a very dangerous trend. It is not unstoppable but this is what we have got.

Before you blame the networks and your corporate conspiracy theory, maybe you should realize that viewers actually watch these programs. Their ratings are much better than less violent shows. Junk food is the fault of the consumer, not the manufacturer. The same goes for television programming.

The noise ordinance I don't have a problem with, but, if you are going to enforce it, enforce not just on the West end of town. And no I don't live on the West end. I believe this certain officer has it out for young people with stereos. Well surprise! Young people are not the only ones that like their music loud. It is every where in this town. Even I play mine loud and I haven't gotten stopped, and I travel all over this city. And I don't see any of the people that live on that end of town getting tickets, and by all means their music is definitely loud. Because I can hear it where I work at, at nights and in the evenings. So if they are really out for the ordinance get them all, not just the ones they think might have drugs and then end up not having anything. I feel there has been some harassing going on with this situation from the police station and with this one same officer. Which, if they look in their records they will know to whom I am speaking about. The police are always on my street and yes there is loud music going on, even just by people in their driveways and I can hear it in my house. Tell me that isn't too loud! You know there aren't any places that young adults can go and have some entertainment in this town, and you are all worried about loud music, why don't you get your priorities together and get the people out there that are stealing killing and what ever else terrible crimes are being pledged by this town. And leave the innocent people alone for a change. I personally was stopped for not giving a blinker before turning, but since then I have paid attention to other drivers, three-quarters of the population including officers don't give them either.