I see no changes

Hey, did you know that Michael Jackson reportedly was not the biological father of his children? Oh... you knew that already.

Let's see here...what else in in the news? Well... did you hear that Farrah Faucet died at age 62 after a three year battle with anal cancer? Or that Michael Jackson's father was not mentioned in his will? Right, you already knew that as well.

Hmm, did you know that over two and a half million men, women, and children in Darfur have been ripped out of their homes and forced to flee their land in search of food and shelter? Or that for over six years rebel groups in Sudan have attacked villages raping women, killing men, and converting children into their ranks with no real opposition from national or international agencies?

Or how about that 25,000 children die each day due to poverty? Or that around 1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water? Or that every year up to 800,000 humans are trafficked across international borders to be forced into labor or sexual exploitation? Hmmm... I see... didn't know about those facts? Well, you are not alone. Actually it is quite contrary. It seems that many people in developed nations know very little (or chose to ignore) about these facts even though they are readily available. HOWEVER, when asked about celebrities, movies, or television I can guarantee that most people WILL know the facts, the figures, and the trivia.

The recent death of pop icon Micheal Jackson has really opened my eyes to the disturbing trend in our society to fixate on celebrities, reality tv shows, clothing styles and other superficial matters while remaining rather unaware about REAL world issues that actually impact large quantities of people on a daily basis. The other day I wanted to watch the news to get an update on the situation in Honduras because I was concerned about a good friend of mine and the well being of her and her family. As I flipped through the 150 plus channels the only news channel that was broadcasting ANYTHING about the escalating situation in Honduras was a Mexican News station. Fox, CNN, NBC, and all the other stations were too preoccupied with the four day prior death of Michael to air a short segment about an impending national crisis. THAT IS INSANE TO ME AND MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE!!!

Perhaps it is I that is not in touch with the world and what people value. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps I need to reassess my own values. But it seems like such a waste of time to brew over such trivial matters as what Michael Jackson left in his will and to whom and the speculated reasoning behind his decisions. Come on now...how is THAT information going to help or impact anyone outside of the Jackson family? HOW!? Well, the answer is simple...IT IS NOT! Now I think I better understand why there are not more positive changes in our world. Why there are not more people calling for change and demanding action. Because there are so many people sedated by the trivial bullshit that is placed in front of us. Because the masses tune in and obsess over ONE death...24 hours a day...seven days a week. Look I guess what I am trying to say is, if 1/16 of the people that pay attention to the diluted garbage media that is placed before our over-eager eyes actually focused 1/4 of their attention to LARGER WORLD ISSUES then perhaps we could actually make changes!