Topic category:  Other/General

There is a lot of railing against the current administration going on, primarily from the direction of Conservative talk radio and other right-wing pundits. You can hear it daily with the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. All day long you can hear the frenzied alarms and the pleas for action. Glenn Beck, in particular, has a trademark phrase, saying that people should “stand up” and take on the perceived attack on our nation from our government. It all sounds very passionate, but what I can guarantee you is this: absolutely no one will do anything about it.

These calls to action from the high-school educated radio talkers are the stuff of so-so rhetoric. The problem is that there is no one in this country who will do anything about their outrage. Anyone can utter as many “stand up and fight” or “take our country back” slogans as he wants, but all anyone will do is get pissed off. After all, it makes for great ratings. That’s why Conservative talk radio, and Conservative media as a whole, did their best to get Barack Obama elected. How? All they did was talk about Obama, preaching to their audience choir everyday, assuring the victory for Obama.

Personally, I don’t care either way. There’s nothing that can be done, especially when one reaches the realization that the electoral process is a joke and doesn’t exist anymore, if it ever did. Just like the two party system, there is nothing even remotely real in it anymore.

But that’s not the point. The point is that there is no one who will dare take any action other than pathetic Tea Parties that are no more than Tupperware Parties for the infuriated. I mean, Im' not suggesting anything drastic or revolutionary. I don't care enough. But if you're going to incite people, there must be some kind of concrete suggestion for relief. But no. Everyone loves being offended or beside themselves because they don’t actually have to do anything about it.

Even if there were actions to be taken, what would they be? Please don’t tell me, “The voting booth.” That’s a joke with no punch line. People won’t even get out to do that. Folks like being angry because it gives them a cause. Once the cause is resolved, there’s nothing left. Then life has no meaning.

And there is no excitement in satisfaction.

So what is the answer? There isn’t one, and nobody wants one. Righteous indignation looks good with any color.

Andrew T. Durham

Biography - Andrew T. Durham

Andrew T.Durham is a graduate of State University at Albany, with a degree in Psychology/Philosophy. In the late 80's to mid 90's he was instrumental in creating ground-breaking outreach/prevention programs, as well as being a highly successful public speaker. A former acupuncturist and clinician (primarily to inner city adolescents), he has also been a consultant to the Massachusetts State Department of Public Health and several non-profit organizations. He is an accomplished musician - proficient in 7 instruments - ,actor and author of 10 plays, 5 of which have been produced. He is currently a consultant for small non-profit agencies and lives in Rochester, NY