Counter-Media: The Counter-culture of "Truth"

Whenever I look at the reports from various media sources in our country, I notice there’s a high concentration of depravity and fear, which is nothing new. But, what we as the viewing public are being targeted for is to fear not only the weather and the government, but each other. There seems to be a growing percentage of the population who delves too deeply into this fear, creating seeds of paranoia to be scattered throughout the nation. I think the calculated origin of these issues is reinforced by idle ignorance.

It’s a common practice in the United States to love what is most convenient: i.e. fast food, high speed internet, fast cars, convenience stores with low prices, less working hours for more money, etc. This omnipresent attitude has lead to many things, some of which are very beneficial, and some that are very damaging. The benefits range from better access to greater amounts of information to avenues for a possible global community. The less beneficial consequences, though, range from obesity due to apathy and negligence to impatience. The latter comes from an unhealthy love for convenience. 

In our country, the United States, the counter-culture heroes are comprised of violent, lawless and selfish people. Yet, in the same breath, those who love these heroes are comfortable watching their heroes in movies, serial TV and video games. Their stories appear to be a grand escape from the harsh ‘reality’ of life. and it seems to allow the luxury of vicarious living. 

To carry the benefits of our amazing civilization to a societal normalcy, we need to instill beliefs of service and community in our youth. The practice of service will allow interpersonal development and personal satisfaction through action and selflessness. The belief of community will develop in children a mindset of personal responsibility and acceptance of others. These attributes already exist in our society, it’s time they stopped being a mockery and became the social standard. We can achieve this surely through instilling them in our youth. 

Think of watching or reading the news and only hearing of communal development, accelerated technological advancement and the creation and preservation of life instead of its decline; wouldn’t it be wonderful? We can get to this point as a nation if our youth actively engage themselves and each other in life instead of death, patience instead of impatience, acceptance instead of judgment. This would cause the terrors of fears of life to soften and become more an obstacle than a dam.