This is What’s Wrong with America

I logged onto CNN today to read about the historic gay marriage vote in Vermont and these were there top news stories. Among them?

– A dead white girl (sad, but our national obsession with cute, dead white girls is a little disturbing)
– A dead fetus
– Four dead people in Alabama
– A missing honor student
– A dead dog
– A rescued rabbit
– Bristol Palin’s birth control, or lack thereof, as told by her Baby Daddy

How many people died in Darfur today? How many civilians died in Iraq and Afghanistan today? I don’t know, because CNN didn’t tell me. But I sure as hell know how many cute white girls were found in suitcases today (answer: one).

Ok, I admit that part of my problem is that I am reading CNN.com. But, seriously? Missing honor students and nearly drowned rabbits are more important than the fourth state (following Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa.. California you had to be dropped from the list) to finally do the right thing?

There are so many important things going on in the world right now and we’re still talking about Bristol Palin’s sex life.

I remember watching the news in Scotland with my friend James and being absolutely astounded at a) journalists who actually asked tough questions and 2) an hour of news that wasn’t 47 minutes of fluff.

At a time like this, we need a fourth estate that will challenge politicians, force us to face some uncomfortable truths and just generally shake things up. And, instead, we get sensationalism and videos about missing dogs. I say, leave the puff pieces to People Magazine and US Weekly. I’ll happily consume them while waiting for groceries and while hanging out at the beach.

Now get back to reporting on the veto override in Vermont, dammit.