The Blog of kilyra

Ok, this all stems from the fact that I just watched Chicago 10 the other day and I'm still pumped.  It's about one of the peace marches that happened in '69 in protest to the Vietnam war, and about the following court room circus surrounding the 8 "conspirators" they arrested. Look it up.  Watch it. Love it.  Then come talk to me.

Anyhow, I was really riled up and desperately wanting to go make a difference in my world.  I wanted to shout to someone as I ran out the door "No, hon I have to go, this is bigger than me and I need to be there!".  Only problem....there's not much to revolt against.  At least not in Canada.

It was strange to watch this now because virtually the same situation is cropping up in the States over the "War on Terror", and seeing the reaction of the general public that's completely different now makes me shake my head.  Are we a lazier society?  Are we more self-centered? Or is the establishment answering better to the people now and thanks to those before us we are not in need of making such grand gestures?

I looked into it, and turns out there was another march during the Republican National Conference...LAST MONTH.  And they had between 10,000 (police estimate) and 30,000(protesters estimate) people there.  Talk about swept under the rug.  370ish people were arrested.  Is it just me, or was this seriously downplayed by the media?  And what the media did show portrayed the crowd as a fairly violent group. Any altercation that happened was always started by a protester.

Which is in direct contrast to any of the independent medias that you look at.  Thanks to the internet, there were dozens of videos that showed the exact opposite story the corporate media was spouting.  They were trying to have a peaceful protest much in the same spirit of the late 60s.

Does this not concern anyone?  Maybe we're not being represented as well as we think, because we're being conditioned by the media that everything is hunky dory.  Come to think of it, we don't see pictures of the war going on anymore.  Not the negative ones anyhow.  Why?  It's insensitive.

Ok, I'll grant you that it's insensitive to the families that lost anyone over there.  However, I can guarantee you that's not the reason (or at least the only one).  The uproar in the late 60s all started because it was the first time the war was visually brought home to the people through pictures and videos thanks to the media.  And now suddenly we shouldn't see those things because it's not sensitive?  Like sending people needlessly to die for a "cause" IS sensitive? It's like we're being gently pushed into taking a step backwards and having the blindfold put back on our eyes.  And it's all happening so gradually who would take notice?

I remember growing up with the notion that reporters were hated by anyone other than the general public because they were on a mission to show the people the truth.  They were sneaky, underhanded, and not to be trusted by the corporations and government.  Now, they are used as little more than public relations messengers.  Sure once and a while they break a story but...
What is wrong with this picture? 

*Siigh* but then in the end, after I get all riled up, I have to remind myself I'm a Canadian.  Our government is so wishy washy that it really leaves nothing to revolt against anyhow.  If we took a firm stand on anything I think half the citizens would just die of shock.  And it starts from the people up.  I mean we all scream about needing change, so what happens?  We kind of sort of push the Liberals out by voting the Conservatives in a little bit.  Twice. 

I guess I do what Canadians do when they're steaming mad....I kind of sort of wrote a letter.  *siiigh*