When Networks Attack!

Here is the problem with this country in a nutshell. You know those commercials on TV that show the guy with his Cell Phone network walking around (Verizon, I believe)? You know, everywhere he goes he allegedly has about ten million people following him because he's connected to them all through this mythical network. While that seems like a fantasy, in some cases it can be very real, and that's the problem.

Miss California apparently discovered that the hard way. She was asked a question about Gay Marriage. She responded in the way that she believed. Everyone in her "network" immediately jumped up and said, "You Go Girl!" Everyone in the other "network" immediately shunned and vilified her. The two "networks" then started attacking each other. Words were exchanged. Then fists. Then it was a carnal blood bath of Biblical proportions like a giant media fueled dog fight. At the center of it all, one young woman expressing her opinion like she's done a million times before, who probably had no concept that her network was standing behind her, rabid, and itching for a fight. Nor that the other side was hiding in the shadows waiting for the exact same thing.

Its easy to see how most people in this country are a little gun shy about expressing their real opinions when large networks roam around ready to take the fight to them at any second. Every turn of phrase, every opinion expressed, even well conceived arguments for or against any subject out there is likely to set one or the other network off causing mass catastrophe over the simplest of words.

What started as a spot on parody about the rabid nature of Americans on South Park has unfortunately become a reality. Discourse is now a blood sport.

To be fair, a pageant contestant isn't exactly hiding herself from world opinion. She shouldn't be naive enough to assume that every word she says and every gesture she makes won't be immediately analyzed by the people that seem to care about this stuff. But having a rabid argument over pumps or high heels is a bit different than starting world war three because of a beauty queen's opinion on gay marriage.

Seriously, President Obama needs to have a giant Bong-In for the entire country and just tell us all to Mellow Out Already! That would be a great way to spend our stimulus money! (Oh... and it wouldn't hurt the California economy either ;)