Praise For The Washington Post

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The Washington Post has done it again; taken one more  big bold step to ensure the integrity of the United States!  Reminds me of Watergate; please let it be, let it be!

Their new tag line says it all --

“Democracy dies in darkness” 

I was at a dinner meeting last week with a group that prides itself on “civil discourse.” It certainly was that; discourse and civil!

The most heartwarming, inspiring quality was that there were people there of many persuasions; politically and otherwise. 

Surprise, surprise – there was also a good bit of laughter along with the open mindedness to the issues discussed. These went from politics to religion to values such as integrity, concerns about our present polarized society and more.

I loved that gathering so much I wish I could have gone back the next day and the day after that.

Eventually we got around to discussing the media and its role, or lack thereof, in our current chaos under the Trump administration. Or, is it Trump himself?

Who knows? To the latter question, I try to not give much heed, finding it more to my liking in the service of my emotional health and well-being to steer clear of Trump, the man, and his everyday doings.

One of the most impactful comments I took away with me from that gathering was that of one gentleman, on the subject of the media, stressed how very much we citizens need the media! 

As he continued on, making his opinion stand, he pointed out that it is the newspapers who have the resources to speak truth to power with POWER, in terms of money, talent, investigative skills, readership following etc. Most of the latter; readership following, for such as the Washington Post and New York Times, is built on  long-term reader-publication relationships. 

Relationships are the BIG, Power word here! Relationships is a big piece of what we are needing and even having destroyed by Trump and Team!

But the media -- these are the folks to do the leg work as well as the writing, presenting etc. to keep citizens informed, the man pointed out. 

Point well taken!

Our consensus, thus, was that if we were going to be holding any feet to the fire throughout this present nationwide ordeal we are now experiencing in society and politics, it is the newspaper publications we must be pushing for best actions and standards.

We need the media!

Let us not abandon the media, especially when we most need them. 

"United we stand, divided we fall!"

Now, without the promptings of our fine civil discourse gathering group, look what the Washington Post has decided on their own –

“Democracy dies in darkness”

Personally, I thank The Washington Post for helping me survive Watergate and a few other related ordeals; Vice President Spiro Agnew and a guy you may never have heard of, Joel Klein who was corruption bedfellows with Agnew. Joel played an important role in my learning about the Dark Side. I’ll get t0 him later!

For now, I am saying --
“Right on, Washington Post!  Right on, folks who engage in bipartisan civil discourse. Right on, to those who are about “leaning in,” not dividing! 

And doing our damnest to not let the Dark Side run our country!”