David;

I sincerely hope for peace in Iraq and that the killing will cease! There are many questions that are not addressed by the media. The media reports sensationalism and rarely addresses or reports issues leading to the cause of a problem or its resolution.

A few concepts gained from the media about Iraq lead to questions.

1. Terrorists. We are led to believe that the Sunni’s want to kill the Shai. All terrorists are Sunni.
A. It seems that most terrorists are not from Iraq.

2. Joblessness.
A. This is not reported in any detail. High unemployment can lead to serious issues in any society.

3. Infrastructure.
A. What is the status of Iraq as a whole?

4. Economy.
A. ?

To change the subject, the media just discovered recently that there are poor people in the southern United States. The media of today has not brought our nation to the reality that we have social problems which have not been addressed. More important is the big stories that advertisers are willing to pay for.

The media of 50 years ago reported events that helped to change our countries social structure. An awareness of what was going on in the United States helped to obtain acceptance of the Civil Rights Act and other associated events.

Vietnam was whitewashed for years until the final years of that war. Today we know little or nothing of the plight of many Americans. Come to the Central Valley of California to see another world, a world of high unemployment and poverty. Come to Chinatown in San Francisco to see what poor is. If the media makes everything look great then there must not be any problems. Ignorance is bliss. Do not upset corporate America.

Additionally, we are so caught up in trying to pay our bills and survive we prefer to be entertained rather than be socially aware. Social awareness is the first step in improving our society. We can help other people but we cannot help ourselves.

We may disagree on some points but I believe we think in a similar manner on the majority of issues. I am liberal on some issues and conservative on others. It has to do with my value system, and reinforcement by my experiences.

Tom