Commenters had a field day on an article I wrote for ALcom. Most of it was fine, rhetorical debate and discourse. Some of it was uncivil discourse, but I can take it . I’m a big boy.
And Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old environmental activist sure seems like she can handle it as well. And she probably didn’t need me rushing in to defend her. But I couldn’t help myself. Here’s an excerpt and link.
Now as the ‘host’ of my own website focused on music and raising awareness for the fatal brain disease I have, Lewy body dementia, I don’t usually jump into the treacherous waters of politics.
But, as a journalist with 30 years experience covering health care, politics, crime and mental health, I feel compelled to say something. Especially using my status as a dementia patient, on behalf of those with mental illnesses or disorders or diseases, for that matter.
GO here for full story
To be clear I wasn’t motivated to write this because of the topic, climate change. I’m no expert on that topic. Although I tend to believe the much larger consensus of scientists who say there is human-caused climate effect, and it’s an issue we should deal with.
But I do know this — and it’s where I would usually start as a reporter : Follow the money.
I mean follow the money on both sides because there are millions and billions of dollars being spent to shape messages, create reports to support whichever side you want. I’m talking about oil companies, car companies, utilities, environmental groups. Look at who and how much is being spent to influence Congress — one study put the figure spent on climate change connected lobbying at $2 billion from 2000 to 2016.
And it is lopsided.
According to a study led by Robert J. Brulle of Drexel University, the sector that spent the most on climate change lobbying was the electrical utilities sector, at $554 million. The fossil fuel sector spent $370 million and the transportation sector spent $252 million during this time.
Environmental group made up about 3 percent and the renewable energy sector made up about 3 percent.
It reminds me of the health care debate where there is a lot of money spent targeting you, me, the whole country. As journalists we are supposed to get to the truth.
In countless cases journalists have shined the light in the dark corners to expose corruption. But in many instances we have failed, there are outlandish schemes to siphon taxpayer money going on as we speak. It’s not a Republican thing or a Demcrat thing. I’ve come to believe — and trying to not to get too cynical here –it’s a human thing. A greed thing. But I shudder to think about what would happen without a free and unencumbered press.
OK off the soap box.
Now it’s time to get funky. Perhaps appropriately. I’m going to try to review four funk/soul albums I have. I actually have more, but I’m not going to round up all of the funk here. Some of it — one I can remember off the top of my head — is the Average White Band, which I have already reviewed long ago in the ‘A’s.’
That was two years aog and I’m trying now to finish the ‘M’s. And who knew so many artists last name or band names start with ‘M.’ And I had Muscle Shores Horns all queued up and ready to listen to and write when i realized I had several funk albums that I had found and bought bargain bin stuff after their letters had passed. So I will review them together under the “M’ for Muscle Shoals Horns, umbrella. I have Earth Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang and Graham Central Station. (My Sly and Family Stone I’m keeping for the ‘S’s.)
Saturday, as we continue to zoom past the 2-year-mark of this blog I am going to check back in with the most popular posts on my site. Probably I’ll do two list with the Top 12 music posts, the top 12 non-musical posts, which would include everything from/Lewy body dementia/ health, basketball and ponderings on the meaning of life.
So I’m signing off for now, to ponder. And listen to ‘That’s the Way of the World’ by EWF..