THE NUMBING DOWN OF OUR SENSIBILITIES
By Jim Kittelberger

Our television (what a waste) is turning into a daily no class, reality show. It is not merely a game of switching channels trying to find something that is not inane pap, but now it is trying to find something that doesn't make you want to hurl from it's effrontery.

Add to the list some stupifying commercial with very polite people sitting around the dinner table when one of the diners asks to be excused so she can 'pass gas'. In one of their little disgusting episodes the husband or boy friend says its okay, go ahead.

My God, watching television these days is not unlike running the gauntlet of bad manners and bad talk, it's just plain embarrassing. Somewhere freedom to express your every thought in front of any gathering has crossed over to mean that anyone has license to do or say whatever they want, wherever they are, without thinking of it's merit.

I'm reminded of the consul for the army back during the Joe McCarthy HUAC hearings, when the consul Joe Welch could not take any more of Joe McCarthy and said, "My God sir, is there no end to what you will do or say?" (paraphrased)

In order to make a buck, evidently there is no end to how crass, how disgusting, how damaging to whatever civility remains that they would not trash to sell a product. I remember reading once that it didn't matter much what you said in a commercial but you should repeat the product name as many times as you could, as loud as you could and people will remember and chances are purchase it. Sad but probably true. But everytime one of these commercials that lower and demean the publics sensibilities airs, it also lowers and demeans us.