16th
We’ve become a nation of voyeurs who feed off the offal of ruined lives. Our feeding troughs are the talk shows, books, and magazines that tell shocking story after shocking story about how people have consumed themselves and others. We become consumers ourselves by feeding off the misery these people have wrought, and having eaten, we wipe our mouths and move on.
We have not become better people because none of the shocking stories are weighed against any standard of righteousness. Indeed, we are told there is none. We have not become wiser people because we have not learned to understand cause and effect in the choices these people made. Indeed, we are told that people are victims, helpless in the face of whatever cruel things life brings their way. They must always react, never act.
