Watergate

The American public is greatly ignorant and unconcerned with current events. It’s a statement of fact, not of opinion. The vast majority of Americans don’t know who their senators are let alone info on local issues. Watching the local news during the November sweeps month, its easy to understand why no one watches the news. The longest and most in depth story is always “(fill in the blank) team of investigates…” while real news is given its 10 to 20 seconds and dispensed with. It is now a nightly occurrence to break the next Watergate.

The whole phenomena drew a lot of attention in early November when FOX9, a Minneapolis station, began running promos for a full week saying “you won’t believe what are hidden cameras found. University of Minnesota Hockey players were seen breaking team rules and even the law,” while blurry pics were flashed across the screen. When the story aired FOX9 described following the players for 6 weeks and finding them drinking under age. That’s right, college kids drink underage. (gasp) These players were not drunk, nor rude or obnoxious but having a beer.

Since the FOX 9 “investigation” I have been particularly sensitive to this horrible reporting. I noticed that this trash has been on the air on nearly a nightly basis. On Wednesday night a different local station had another shocking revelation. With the never ending Iraq war in full swing the United States Army is trying to recruit Arabic speaking people as translators. As it turns out, some of the people who were getting these letters don’t speak Arabic at all. You know what that means, the Army’s recruitment bulk mailing system occasionally sends miss mails things. No shit!!!! Since I was 18 I have been receiving duplicate mailings of everything the army sent out, one as me and one as a non-existent Matt Broten. (as a side note: I have often feared that if a draft came I may be drafted twice making my planned escape to Canada that much more difficult) This isn’t news. Why is it worth knowing. Everyone gets tons of mislabeled mail every year. But in the quest for the next Watergate this is news.