Violence all over

Ever since high school I have watched the evening newscast. As a teen I watched it with my parents, back in the days of Stanley Burke and Knowlton Nash. Even though I usually have the radio on during the day, I still want to see the faces in the news at the end of the day. Many people say it's a lousy way to end your day. Last night I was thinking that maybe they're right. It really does get discouraging.


I found it very moving to listen to Dr. Brian Williams of Parkland Memorial Hospital who worked to save police officers' lives after they were shot in Dallas last week. (It's a tragic coincidence that it was the same hospital where JFK was taken after he was shot in Dallas all those years ago.)

It was heart-wrenching to listen to this doctor speak of both his experience as a young black man with police and also his experience as a doctor witnessing the aftermath of violence. "I abhor what has been done to these officers and I grieve with their families. .....They are not the problem......This killing, it has to stop." If only people would listen to this wise man. The Dallas police chief was equally compelling. At one point he stated that police officers are called on to do too much, to solve societal ills that they are ill-equipped to solve. As examples he mentioned issues arising from financial shortfalls to mental illness and drug addiction progammes. I think he's right. Politicians would do well to heed his words.

Then there were a  few other items in the newscast..problems and conflicts in Iran, South Sudan, and the Ukraine.

Then came the item that really got to me. It was about MMA (mixed martial arts) and the sale of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) yesterday.   Apparently it is the biggest sports deal ever. UFC was sold for 4 billion dollars. It has the  largest pay per view audience in the world; 1.1billion households in 156 countries.  The item closed with talk of future plans to bring it to  Hollywood,  to promote these "athletes", for them to make the crossover to tv and movies. A loftier goal was to perhaps bring it to the Olympics.

Really?! How can the States, how can the world ever think to resolve issues of violence when billions of people all over the world are willing to pay to watch it? There's not enough violence with wars all over the globe, with mass shootings everywhere, that they pay to watch more of it? I simply do not understand what people are thinking. When I think of the violence that permeates our culture I want to weep for my grandchildren. I hope they don't start watching the news for a very long time. I sure don't want to be the one to try to explain what is happening.