Winter is upon us and the news media and many school officials have been ready for bear. Ready for bear meaning, ready for the worst. The worst such as kids turning into frozen pillars of ice-sculptures while waiting for a bus, motorists skating into ditches in droves and the masses simply not being able to function in any way but being hunkered down at home.
On numerous occasions and in many parts of the country this year the media has overblown what was about to happen with the cold and snowy weather coming at us. They’ve indicated that communities, regions for that matter, were going to be in for unbelievable hardships and indicated that the people in these areas, were in for almost unbelievable times of survival.
The news media which is pretty much show-biz nowadays shocked and amazed everyone in these areas telling people to go to stores to shore up on essentials like bread and milk because it might be a long wait before normal folks would be able to forage out and about. This happened many times this year and in most cases they were simply ridiculous assertions.
Winter can suck. And surprise—winter has extreme cold and snow in many parts of America and has, forever. This winter has not broken many extreme records other than the record of the media causing fear and anxiety to the people it serves. With numerous fear reports, fear ensued and in lock step, many schools nationwide closed up more so than in previous years.
I hate to say the old cliché that older people always seem to say, “in my day”, but in my day we knew that winter sometimes has bad snow, cold ass temperatures and in many cases—harsh winters are a little worse and they last a little longer than mild ones. So we kept ourselves a little warmer and drove a bit more carefully. Every year we did this—for generations, and we did just fine.
When the media goes bananas and looks to shock and grasp our attention like a spoiled child; some suffer. Businesses lose money as many people don’t want to venture out when the world may end at any minute and in these volatile economic times every little bit of money matters. Also, a whole slew of people start believing that winter and cold is something to go underground for with plenty of bread, eggs and milk nearby. Kids, who in some parts of the nation have had more off days from school than kids would have in the midst of hurricanes start believing that winter is a scourge.
From winter storms to making sure we don’t judge anyone or anything unless it doesn’t fit the prevailing powers view of life and social fabric. To dealing with the torment of bullying by making a myriad of anti-bullying laws but not teaching coping skills to those being bullied or intelligently educating and helping those who bully.
It all falls into the sisificaton of America. Let others make your mind up for you. Make sure we listen to others views of what is right and wrong and what we should or should not do. Let the prevailing powers that be (and in a few years that prevailing power may be different) do it all for you, or at least tell you how it should be done. “They” know better than the run of the mill man and woman. Thus the sissification of America.
America was made by people who took grand risks. Men and women climbed mountains on the back of wagons, forged deep rivers and risked the unknown which took courage and self-reliance. It paid them huge dividends. Peace, tranquility and success depends on not being sissified no matter how nice it may feel in the short run. It will eventually bite men, women and America in the backside.
Steve's a three-time survivor of violence in his youth, a former police supervisor and a graduate of The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) and was also an award winning part-time college Criminal Justice instructor.
For several years, Steve did written and radio political and current event commentary and was the former host of the long running 'The Kovacs Perspective' Internet radio and TV talk show.
Steve presently owns a small businesses in Ohio--The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense.
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