Mass Market Politics

Indian soldiers who served during World War I in France. ca. 1915. (Library of Congress)

I have a hard time communicating with my family. They like to talk, they talk a lot, when they are together they talk constantly. But it's not deliberate, considered, speech. They banter. What they say is not nearly as important as how it is said. Their comments fly back and forth. I suppose they are meaningful to them but to me it's just so much noise. I gave up trying to understand their conversations some time ago. I got tired of asking them to repeat themselves and getting responses that implied I was old and hard of hearing. I had my hearing checked, it's just fine. Doc told me it's a common affliction among older men. There's nothing wrong with the ears, it's the sound processing part of the brain that's not keeping up. I suspect it's because it doesn't get as much use as it used to because I quit listening to people talk because I never heard anything worth hearing. It's all just noise. I've got better things to think about. Yes, I'm a grumpy old fart.
    I've been making an effort the last few years to pay attention to politics, but I have decided it's a lost cause. There's too much money promoting unknown agendas. Media coverage follows whoever is making the biggest stink, regardless of how important it is. Actual, real important things are buried, never to be heard about, much less discussed. It's like my family's bantering, played on a grand scale. It's okay, it gives people something to do, and that more than anything is what we all need.
    The only organizations I trust are the NRA and the ACLU (the National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union). The NRA seems to be doing fine without me, and the ACLU is such a weak sister I'm not sure anything I could do would make any difference. I trust these two because one, they have a very narrow focus, and two, they have been around for a long time and they have stuck to their guns, so to speak.

Regarding the photo: I did a search on the title and this picture was the coolest one that popped up.