Freedom of Influence

We pay a heavy cost for supporting and patronizing degrading media.  The results can be measured in the many different ways.  The effects accumulate in our lives.  They burgeon throughout society beginning with those without devoted fathers, in the distrust created by thoughtless and abusive people, by violence and selfishness, by criminals and the tremendous cost to prevent and detain them and the list goes on. Of course individual people ultimately choose and are responsible for their own behavior.  However; if the media had no influence on the way people think and feel, then millions of dollars would not be spent for 30 seconds of commercial time. Advertising agencies are aware of their ability to influence thoughts and attitudes even in small doses.

We are each influenced to some degree by what we see, hear and feel. When we tune into a lascivious television show, read a degrading book, or read or view such material on the internet we in that instant become a supporter; perhaps unwittingly, of the ideas contained therein. Especially when the opportunity exists to change the channel or leave the theater. In many cases we become part; however small, of a tidal wave of family-destroying and misery-creating power. The opposite is also true. If you have paid money to see a play that becomes explicit or degrading in some way, there is no rule which says that you have to stay and watch, even though you might have paid a lot of money to see it. The support you unknowingly gave something objectionable can be mitigated by leaving. If we are influenced by the media, perhaps we can influence others by making the right choice. They may not walk out, but maybe the seed of more careful examination of what they watch was planted. We all influence one another.

When I was a boy I had a friend whose father was an alcoholic. On occasion I was over at his house playing, sometimes his father would come home and I would have to sneak out of the house to the sound of him yelling. My friend and his brother told me that their father was abusive, especially to their mother. Those boys began to be destructive themselves early on; to swear at teachers and try to get attention in other ways. Also their house was filthy. I could hardly stand to use their bathroom.

In Argentina I met a few old men who were worn down, impoverished and depraved. What was the cause? Alcohol was the cause. Their bodies suffered from related problems, their speech was slurred and their faces were beet red. They wallowed about in misery without any viable social or relief program.

I dated a lovely young woman who had been in a terrible car accident caused by a drunk driver. She had to have multiple surgeries and suffered in other ways. How close does it have to come to you before you decide that the issue is real and important. Drinking alcohol may seem to be acceptable to everyone you know, but is it really? Of course not! You are paying the malefactor pusher of the perpetrators of these acts.

Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol can lead to:
• permanent damage to vital organs
• several different types of cancer
• gastrointestinal irritations, such as nausea, diarrhea, and ulcers
• malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies
• sexual dysfunctions
• high blood pressure
• lowered resistance to disease

http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/alcohol.htm

Of course if you wish to look at society though the view of capital, all of the social ills which are prevalent carry a heavy cost. According to a visiting General, the Air Force alone spends 11 million dollars a year to deal with the effects of tobacco.

What are its long-term effects?
It is now well documented that smoking can cause chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke, as well as cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder. In addition, smoking is known to contribute to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys. Researchers have identified more than 40 chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer in humans and animals. Smokeless tobacco and cigars also have deadly consequences, including lung, larynx, esophageal, and oral cancer. The harmful effects of smoking do not end with the smoker. Women who use tobacco during pregnancy are more likely to have adverse birth outcomes, including babies with low birth weight, which is linked with an increased risk of infant death and with a variety of infant health disorders. The health of nonsmokers is adversely affected by environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Each year, exposure to ETS causes an estimated 3,000 non-smoking Americans to die of lung cancer and causes up to 300,000 children to suffer from lower respiratory-tract infections. Evidence also indicates that exposure to ETS increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/Tobacco

Why do people wink at these problems and dismiss them. When I was in the Air Force I was advised to have a serious conversation with tobacco users about quitting. How do you reach someone whose body tells them that their whole life depends on continuing to use the substance. I can talk until I am blue in the face and only influence a tiny minority. Why persist in supporting these industries when it only makes the sellers more desirous to sell these social poisons. Are they not aware that 80% of adults who drink alchohol start before they are 18 years old. Of course they know the problems, they just don't care enough to risk their empire. Stop buying booze and cigarettes! I am tired of paying for your selfish habit with my taxes and insurance costs, not to mention the suffering and deaths!

This fight needs to be waged from the start of the chain all the way down to the unacceptable results. The consequences are and will continue to be dire if no-one tries to change this injurious status quo. Start by not supporting industries that kill (no hyperbole can reasonably be claimed in the use of that word).

A Glimpse at the Current Tone

Have you ever considered that the changes in popular culture extend beyond the (much relied upon for sales) generation gap; and that perhaps these influx of sounds and images miss the mark trying to out-do what others have done. The future of misguided communication is creeping up on us. We are surrounded by harsh and strident voices which proclaim a new era of improved communication by expressing a din of self-importance. Civility is often forgotten. And the need to express a view openly trumps any sense of decency and decorum. Is the point-of-view really about positive change and influence? It seems that most creative and political media are more often driven by self-aggrandizement or making money than by a desire to improve our discourse and elevate or inspire.

The harsher the tones and colors in discourse, the more noticeable they tend to become. It is sometimes hard to look away from ugliness which pretends to be important. But; however difficult it may be, it is the responsibility of all of us to draw attention away from the gutter-talk by paying less attention to it. And to elevate the sublime by sponsoring and patronizing it.

There must be standards and unwritten rules. Why not live by this rule: if what I am doing offends a lot of people, I should try to understand why. It is justified to be repulsed if someone is malicious or careless; a fact which is overlooked by the thoughtless. No visual art, music, public discourse or comedy; if they can legitimately be so-named, can justify the use of profanity, vulgarity, pornography, name-calling or any other indecent and corrosive social expression. These have become so pervasive and accepted that it only shows the gullibility of the user (and ultimately of the society) and the voracious greed and self-importance that preys upon the enslaved mind.

The individual right to express a view is important, but an individual right to not have to view or listen to unsavory content is also important. Who decides? Of course the majority decides. And if we continue to decide incorrectly or not speak up then the ill-effects of our decision will become more and more evident. The social and personal costs we are currently paying will have to increase. The opposite is also true. If we (those who understand that the difference between right and wrong extends beyond the obvious) will not stand for pervasive lasciviousness and perversion or belittling and demeaning discourse, then we can turn the climate around. We can change the tide by choosing not to patronize degrading media in any form, and by voicing our opposition to it. By actively searching for praiseworthy sources of information, education and entertainment to participate in; our efforts (our time or money) will certainly convert into a powerful affirmation of good. Not only for ourselves, but ultimately we all have an impact on the world. If you do nothing, then your impact may not be as negative as an advocate of indecency and incivility, but it will be unaffirmative as well as absent and thereby (along with others like you) effectually annulling.