Slightly Tarnished Shining City on the Hill

Well, I'm gonna put in my two cent's worth; Judging by the response to certain stories covered by the Odessa American newspaper, it seems that not a lot of people really care much about what happens in the political sense; however there seems to be great interest in stories that cover things like who left their children unattended, what the local restaurants are serving, and who shot or stabbed who. While these types of stories are important, it would appear to me that the political goings on would be uppermost in the minds of most citizens of a community. I wonder how things would be had there been no "Reality TV" shows? Reality shows are not what life is about, even though they seem to be the most important aspects of some people's lives! Citizens need to become aware and educate themselves about the truly important issues that impact they and their community.
Life is not a "Soap Opera" or a "Reality" show; life is the everyday events that occur in all our lives, some may be dramatic, but most are mundane and commonplace. It appears to me that the average American citizen has been "dumbed down" to the point of "going off the tracks" where Sports shows, reality tv, and shows of similar ilk are more important than what is REALLY real. Our children are "glued" to a tv set or a game-boy for hours on end; some of the parents are equally guilty of the same. I submit it's time for people to get off their fannys, get some fresh air; ask questions about what politicians are doing, interact with other people, and get involved!
I don't come to these conclusions without observation: I recall what America was during the 50's before the "if it feels good, do it" generation came along. America is heading in the same direction as the Roman Empire before she became an empire. We are not quite there yet, but we must act quickly if we are to save our country from a fate worse than that of the Roman Empire! America must become moral and good again, we must become the "Shining City upon the Hill" once more, or we will surely fail!
~Lordhawke