The Divided States of America

Farhad Manjoo...a man of many words.  A man who made me realize what this world has become.  Manjoo's intellectual vocalization of today's media, and the people who fall for it, opened my eyes to a new way of absorbing news.

I wake up in the morning and it is second nature to turn on the news.  I am now skeptical to the channel I turn on, along with all the others I watch throughout the day.

This country has turned into absolute partisanship.  We are anything but The United States of America, we are more like The Divided  States of America.  The left versus the right has become news.  It is the only thing media is based on nowadays.  We are so obsessed with what the other party did wrong.  Maybe I have just noticed because I am old enough to, but since the 2008 Presidential Election, media have gone awry.

It has become an annoyance to turn on the news or open up a newspaper without hearing opinion-based coverage.  Yet, we still fall for it.  We are so inundated with our own parties that we do not even realize how biased we are being.  As a news consumer and aspiring journalist, I have taken in the didactic nature of this book and learned everything Manjoo taught me.

True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society showed me to view news more carefully.  Just about everyone in the media has their own views and they are well known.  We have morphed from fact based to opinion-based news.   Will the day ever come when it returns to fact based?  How, when and why did it become opinion based?  How do we know where to draw the line between fact and opinion?

I found myself asking all those questions while reading.  I couldn’t help to think how we believe these are credible news sources.  It seems as if it is a circus that should be made fun of. 

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart made their millions by satirizing the media.  They both portray their own versions of political-driven media shows. 

With the recent surge in political rallies, both these satirists decided to do one of their own.  They held the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, DC on October 30^th of this year. 

About 215,000 people showed up to express their dislike for the previous rallies, political extremists and the media.  In a Time Magazine article about the event, James Poniewozik wrote, “if there's one thing Stewart and Colbert have taught us, it's that sometimes you have to laugh to keep yourself from screaming." 

It's true, opinion-based media is laughable.  It is easily made fun of because that is the best way to deal with this monstrous media.  Well, we know at least two-hundred thousand people believe the news is something to make fun of.  Most people in this country are so inundated with their own beliefs, they do not even realize how biased their go-to media can be.  People will only hear what they want to hear and believe what they want to believe.  When will this ever change?  Will it ever change?  I sure hope so.  

In a world where journalists are no longer deemed credible, I hope some people can still give fact-based news.   It truly is sad to read a ticker that says "hundreds killed in volcano" when the live and more in-depth coverage is about Sarah Palin's new reality television show.   As a society, we no longer accept hard news.  We accept the dramatic events between political parties as news, as well as entertainment.  And it is solely what our media is based on. 

Although I do believe politics and government are a major part of this country and should be covered, I also believe the ratings weigh too much on the partisanship and not enough on the real issues.  We need to focus on the global and environmental issues that we are faced with every day.  The social issues are what grab the attention of so many, and the media thrive on that.  During the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, the media focused on how President Obama handled the situation more than they focused on the natural damage this caused.  That is just one example of how we are almost obsessed with the politics of things.

As a class, we are entering the real world, the world of journalism, with skeptical viewers and little credibility.  Many of us choose this career path because we want to make a difference in the world.  But how can you make a difference when no one believes you? 

 

A Great Example of Today's Youth

Some of my classmates and I went to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court recently to witness a trial.  We asked an employee where we could find some interesting cases in order to avoid the ever-boring traffic court.  We were directed to the sixth floor of the annex building for child sex abuse trials.  Boom.  Something depressing, out of the ordinary and so interesting.  After walking across the bridge and up the elevator to courtrooms 61 and 62, we found locked doors and no one in sight.  The entire courthouse was on recess, it was just about noon.  Perfect timing.  So what to do for the two hours that everyone is on lunch break?  We drink.  My favorite bar is within walking distance from the courthouse and you bet your ass I was skipping through downtown Tampa to get there.  After a delectable Stella Artois, it was time to head back.  Now I’m definitely in the mood to witness the justice of castigating child sex abuse offenders. 

So we get to the courtroom and I can only describe it as chaos.  I had no idea what was going on and everyone was speaking so quickly, it was like a crash course in law jargon.  Lawyers were walking around frantically.  It finally slowed down and we could understand the goings on of courtroom 62. 

The first trial we witnessed was a short one.  This 16-year-old boy named Terrance Oliver was in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs waiting to be called to the stand.  His grandmother and sister were sitting directly in front of us.  They called the grandmother and Terrance to the stand for questioning.  The story is that the grandmother is the legal guardian of Terrance and his 14-year-old sister.  Their mother passed a few years ago and Terrance decided to go down the wrong path.   He committed robbery and was apparently given a chance by this same judge, Manuel Lopez.  My guess is he was charged as a juvenile and not as an adult.  He was put on probation as another punishment and with probation comes a curfew.  Terrance violated that curfew, was in a high drug area and was spotted in between two cars by a cop.  Terrance knew he was in violation of his probation and decided to run.  The cop chased him, caught him, and here we are today. 

Wait, this has absolutely nothing to do with child sex abuse. Damn it.  Okay, well, it’s still interesting regardless. 

So then the grandmother gets called to give a statement about Terrance.  She did the typical, “he’s a good boy, his mother passing put him in the wrong direction.” 

His mother passing put him in the wrong direction?  I know many people, young and old, whose mothers have died and I don’t see anyone robbing a house.  What is wrong with today’s youth? Terrance also has gone up to the ninth grade.  How impressive, a sixteen-year-old boy with a fourteen-year-old education.  Something needed to be done to put this child in the right direction.  And the judge did just that.  Judge Manuel A. Lopez sent Terrance Oliver to a youthful offender facility.  Hopefully this works because his grandmother said she is sick and tired of going to the courthouse.  Yeah, Granny, that's the real problem here.  

March on Politics

William March, best known for his political blog with the Tampa Tribune, spoke to the class about campaign finance.  This is right up my alley.  Anything that has to do with campaigns, I'm all ears.  I have recently been bitten by the political "bug" as it is known around the nation.

With this bug, came many responsibilities.  One being the recording and organization of campaign financial contributions for the particular campaign I interned with this election season.   My candidate broke records for receiving the highest amount of contributions for a single financial quarter in Florida history...twice.  I was exposed to the websites March showed us just about every day.  Little did I know two of my professors would choose these websites as class lecture topics in the same day.   I am very familiar with the campaign finance websites such as Florida Division of Elections, Florida Election Commission and CQ Money Line.  Websites like these along with many more give an ample amount of detailed information to the public.  You can find out how much money an individual gave to a campaign, each campaign he or she has ever given to and place of occupation.  This is all considered public record.

With all this public record, comes consequences for some people.  Journalists are expected to give unbiased, fact-based news.  Stated in the journalists' code of ethics and many news organizations' policies, an employee must not show objectivity of any kind.  Keith Olbermann, host of MSNBC's most popular talk show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, has been suspended for this very reason.  Olbermann donated money to a few Democratic candidates in Kentucky and Arizona.

After about an hour of researching the public records available to me, I found no record of Keith Olbermann in the databases.  I searched in CQ Moneyline, OpenSecrets and FEC for all three candidates and generated no results.  I presumed he would use his wife's maiden name to donate and then found out he has never been married.  So where is any record of Olbermann donating?  A journalist was the one who found these records and informed MSNBC President, Phil Griffin, who then suspended Mr. Olbermann for two days.  I finally gave up looking and decided to leave it to the pros.

This entire MSNBC ordeal is now sparking up conversation amongst journalists and activists alike.  Their argument is that contributing to a candidate is as much a journalist's right as anyone else's.  Why shouldn't a journalist be allowed to support a political candidate?  Especially a journalist who is part of a well-known partisan news network.  Everyone can agree that MSNBC leans to the left and Fox News leans to the right.   Of course a conflict of interest would arise if a journalist were to contribute to a certain candidate then must interview the opposition, but if it is common knowledge on where these organizations stand, it should not be an issue.  Not only these media outlets are known to be partisan and biased, most actually are.  The same beliefs can apply to NPR, St. Petersburg Times and even William March, who, in my opinion, is obvious in which way he leans.

Public Meeting Two

The second public meeting we attended was in Downtown Tampa.  It was a county commission meeting regarding proposed new amendments for land usage and public schools, primarily in Plant City.  The Planning Commission is a group of people who develop mid-range plans for communities and neighborhoods.  The Planning Commission works with planning departments of Hillsborough County, Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City.

There were four amendments proposed to the commissioners.  The first was entitled Plant City: Comprehensive Plan Amendment PC/CPA 10-01.  It was to change the land usage from industrial to commercial near downtown Plant City.  The second was the PC/CPA 10-02 Amendment.  It was designed to develop a uniform curriculum in all Plant City public schools.  The amendment was also to receive more up-to-date information of the Student Generation Rate and test demographics more often.  (Tests are only done once every two years).  The third amendment was for future land use.  Mark Hudson, representative who spoke before the board, stated that there would be a new shopping center filled with businesses and commercial development.  There pose a few problems for this amendment though.  Potential impacts on I-4 may be a problem.  Also, the people of Lakeland are concerned about the traffic impacts and interference with the train station.  The vision map for this expansion area shows the development would take 30-35 years for the final product.  The final amendment was to propose over 25 acres of new commercial and natural preservation land.  The land is currently for residential purposes.  The maximum build out is 930, 441 square feet.

So, what does all this mumble jumble mean? I sat through a 45-minute meeting and barely had any idea what was being said.  I got the gist, but I don't think I understood the importance of this meeting.  There are going to be three new centers for business development in Plant City alone.  I started to put my own hometown into perspective.  Every time a new shopping center or something like it is constructed, it generates high traffic.  Even though I am from South Florida and traffic is everywhere, decisions like this make it worse.  A city like Plant City, though, can benefit from decisions like this.  There is hardly any traffic and it can generate a lot of revenue for the small city.  The economy is bad and the only way it is going to get better is if people become brave enough to start their own businesses to build an adequate economy once again.  Urban sprawl may generate traffic, but it also generates revenue.  Overall, these county commission meetings are important to the public and more people should attend.

Preston Trigg -- once again

Preston Trigg came to class again not to talk about taxes, but about the balanced budget.  Every government agency has to propose a balanced budget each fiscal year.  A balanced budget usually means the money expenditures and revenue are equal.  According to Mr. Trigg, California does not have a balanced budget.  So I decided to research it.  In 2004, California put on the ballot Proposition 58, or the California Balanced Budget Act.  It passed with over 70 percent of the vote.  The Act was to require state legislature to pass a state balanced budget every year.  It also created a reserve fund called the Budget Stabilization Account in case of future financial trouble.  That was in 2004, and here in 2010 California is in the worst financial shape it has ever been.

Proposition 57 (the California Economy Recovery Bond Act) was to prohibit creations of future bailout plans.  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger fought for both Propositions 57 and 58 to be approved.  If both those acts were supposed to help the financial situation in California and they both did nothing.  Schwarzenegger wanted to "tear up California's credit card" and stop spending and borrowing.  I have no idea how they got into this predicament.  The state is deep in debt $83.5 billion in long-term bond debt and $64 billion in general obligation notes, which are financed by the state's general fund.

These stories about taxes, state and national deficits are so interesting.  You can find so much from a public record.  This also generates a lot of newsworthiness because debt is affecting so many people and everyone is feeling the hurt from the economy.

Public Meeting One -- Dale Mabry Improvements

On Tuesday, October 26th Hillsborough County held a public meeting.  The meeting took place at Northdale Rec Center on North Dale Mabry Highway.  It was to propose a new project to improve two problem-causing intersections.  The two intersections generate high traffic and delays every day amongst a high number of accidents.  Hillsborough County conducted a Preliminary Design and Engineering Study to determine the specific improvements that may be made to reduce problems and improve safety.  The two problem intersections are: North Lakeview Drive and North Dale Mabry Highway; and Northdale Boulevard and North Dale Mabry Highway.  The estimated cost of the Lakeview Drive intersection is $1.9 million.  The estimated cost of the Northdale Boulevard intersection is $1.6 million.  Both projects would start in Fall 2011 and would end in Summer 2012.

The changes of the Lakeview intersection would be to modify or close off the two nearest median openings that are located on N. Lakeview within close proximity to the intersection.  The changes of the Northdale intersection would be to modify and close off the nearest median opening located on Northdale within close proximity to the intersection.

The public meeting was very organized, for the most part.  They began with an introduction and a video made by the Department of Public Works and Icon Consulting Group.  The video showed detailed alternatives and scenarios that would enhance the intersections.  The Lakeview intersection had five alternatives, the fifth being the option for no construction whatsoever.  They will also replace existing streetlights.  In addition to the streetlights, the westbound lanes would be widened and left turning lanes would be added.  For the Northdale intersection, the lanes would be widened and two right and left lanes would be added.  A traffic separator, drainage systems and driveway connections would be added to both intersections if the approval were to take place.

After the video was shown, the structured part of the meeting ended.  There were easel boards with proposed diagrams of each alternative placed along the walls of the room.  This part of the meeting was open to questions.  Everyone was able to view the Google Map photos with the current and proposed alternatives.  That was a great aspect of the meeting because you can actually, visually see the difference in a tangible manner.  There was also a camera set up on a tripod in the middle of the room for questions that could not be answered by a county official.  Overall, the public meeting was a success.  And to my surprise, many people clapped when the moderator talked about the alternative to withhold construction. One repercussion of this entire project is that construction may impact trees in surrounding areas.

The Yellow Tabs

During the visit to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, we viewed something extreme.  But I'm not going to talk about that -- I'm sure everyone else is, anyway.  The class went on a tour with Chief Medical Examiner, Vernard Adams.  He took us through the clerical files and answered some of our questions about the deaths and statistics that come through his office every year.  The different causes of death were organized by color of tabs on the files.  In 2009, there were 1,995 investigations conducted on bodies.  Of those 1,995 bodies, 600 were non-traffic accidents, 200 were traffic accidents, 68 were homicides, 900 were natural causes and 200 were suicides. Two hundred were suicides.  Two hundred yellow tabs.  Two hundred people in Hillsborough County were so unhappy with their lives that they decided to end it themselves.

Suicide rates have risen in the United States since 1995 and are continuing to rise.  In Florida, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 years olds. It is also the second leading cause of death for 25-34 year olds.  My uncle happens to fall into this category.  At the age of 32, my father’s brother decided to take his own life.  I was only three at the time and it still affects me to this very day.  I was shocked to know there are about 200 people who took their own lives in Hillsborough County last year.  Suicides are something many people don’t talk about.  I always thought it was extremely rare until the trip yesterday. 

I was so surprised to see the amount of yellow tabs that accumulated over the years.  It really is sad to see how many people would actually go through with the act itself.  Let alone how selfish of an act it is.  My uncle put a gun to his head and didn’t think of his three-year-old niece who loves him.  He didn’t think of his brothers, his mother and the rest of his family and friends who love him.  He was so unhappy with his life that he had to make ours miserable as well.  So, he pulled the trigger.  And that was that.  We’ve gone through years of heartache and pure dismay because of one split second.  This is something I never speak about because it is so hurtful still 18 years later.  Then I realized how many people in Hillsborough County alone go through what I go through year after year.  It’s good to not feel so alone.