At a local gym where I work out during the week I bring old copies of my Wall Street Journal front section and give them to a Republican friend.  He loves to read the opinion section to affirm his right wing beliefs.  I also bring in the center sections, Personal Journal and Mansion for a women trainer to read.  She is not interested in local or world news.  One of the club members brings the Wall Street Journal to the club and reads it while riding a stationary bicycle.  He does this every day.  After he is done with his workout and before he leaves, he leaves his WSJ paper on top of the cubicles, where people put their gym bags and possessions while working out.    Other club members pick up parts of the paper and read them while on treadmills and bicycles.  Just a few days ago I passed this fellow and asked him if he was still leaving his Wall Street Journal for members to read.  He said that he canceled his subscription.  I asked why and he said he was getting tired of all the negative news.  That’s interesting because just a few days prior I really got the same feeling after looking over that day’s paper.  Just a few days later, October 8, 2015, I talked to my next door neighbor and he too has dropped out from following the news.  He used to listen to Rush Limbaugh, a right wing nut talk show person while driving.  I call Rush the Vomit Comet because he allegedly spews out shill messages for the oligarchy.  My neighbor now listens to National Public Radio.  He then went on to say that his friends have also turned off the news saying that they all feel that its all negative.  He is still a Republican but is utterly discussed with his party.  He wants to see cooperation and not confrontation.

This country really needs an informed citizenry to continue to function as a Democracy.  Idealistically, each of us own this country.  In reality the rich and powerful are always trying to take the handles of power away from the citizens.  This might be one reason the oligarchy wish to diminish public education.  We need to stay engaged with what is going on in our country and around the world so we do not slide into becoming vassals.  Please do not become uneducated about current affairs.