Popular Consensus

I was watching Oprah yesterday (it's my dirty little secret that now everyone will know.) Her guest was Robin Givens. Now, I don't care about Robin Givens or Mike Tyson, but I remember when she became the most hated woman in America because she had the audacity to say that Mike Tyson was not well.

Fast forward 10 years. Two rapes, an ear bite, and lots of violent episodes later, the good ol' US is saying "Hey, you know, there might be something wrong with Mike Tyson." Robin had every right to get on that show and give this country the big finger, shouting "HA! I told you so!" She did not. I would have.

After the show there was another needless update on the Terri Shiavo case. I got to thinking about her poor husband, Mike Shiavo, and how he has taken Robin Given's place as the most hated person in America. At least, he's hated by the righteous religious and those mindless drones who think what the media tell them to think. Why would he continue this battle?

For the last fifteen years he has been embroiled in a bitter battle by two people who have come to hate him. He's poured God only knows how much money into this thing, been vilified by the media, I'm sure he's getting tons of hate mail, and has had his own government oppose him. Why? Why doesn't he just wash his hands of it, sign over guardianship, go about his life and get on with it?

Then it hit me. Maybe, just maybe, because he's right. His wife said she did not want to live as a vegetable. He has been trying to get her last wish granted for the last 15 years. How can we hate a man who loves his wife that much? There isn't any reason for him to do this, he isn't gaining anything by holding on. It's not his face you see splashed all over the media, it's not him giving interviews and hogging as much air time as he can.

But of' course, the media and our government want us to become involved in this. If we are too busy thinking about Terri, then we won't have time to think about other things.

Like:
Why our president lied to us...a lot.
What is happening to our troops dying in Iraq?
Why Donald Rumsfeld and the top brass won't be held responsible for any prison abuse.
Just how close are the Bin Ladin and Bush families, and how far will either side go to protect their assets?
Why is our welfare system so fucked up?
Why, in the year 200 and freaking 5, do women still get paid less than men?
Why did American troops kill and Italian agent in Iraq who had just rescued an Italian hostage?
Why, after 11,000 years, has Mount Kilimanjaro lost its snow cap in the LAST FIVE?
Why is this Michael Jackson trial so damn important?
How can the FCC get away with all the bullshit they've put Howard Stern through?
Why can terrorists still buy guns, legally, in the US?
Why does abortion get so much attention when its an issue that will never be resolved?
Why can't gays get married (and I want a logical reason, not some religious rhetoric).

Answer these questions and leave the Shiavo's alone. We have bigger issues here, people. Take off the blinders and take a good, long look around. While your at it, look up "Distraction" in the dictionary.