American People Okay With Having No Healthcare, Funding for Education, Reproductive Rights

A recent poll reflected the results of the mid-term elections Tuesday – a good percentage of Americans are not concerned with education, women’s reproductive rights, affordable healthcare, or starting unwinnable wars.

“And gun control?  That’s out the window,” said one American who voted to keep the Republicans in control of Congress.  “I say gimme more guns – you don’t need to be too smart to use ’em!  And why do kids need to learn so much?  All they do is text now anyway!”

“I believe that a bunch of old rich white guys know more about my reproductive system and my rights as a female employee than I do,” said one woman.  “What right do I have to question them?  And not all Republicans are men – there are plenty more like me who choose to be oblivious about ourselves!  And ‘rape’ is one letter away from getting a bad ‘rap’.”

“I say bomb ’em all,” explained one voter.  “And if they immigrate and spread Ebola, there should be no survivors.  We need the kind of protection that the GOP has provided us time and time again, and if that means tax cuts for the wealthy, why not?  The rich have always had our best interests at heart.”

Fox News has reported a sudden increase in viewership after the mid-term elections.

“It’s like Christmas has come early for us,” said host Sean Hannity.  “Even if there still is a war on it.”

In related news, the poll conducted also indicates that a good portion of Americans may now be classified as “morons”…

Impersonally Personal

The twenty-first century has had its milestones, but certainly not when it comes to social interaction.  Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have reduced intelligent conversations to tweets and texts, limiting words and sometimes thoughts.

I keep thinking about how impersonal some famous exchanges would be had they been written in this day and age.

ROMEO: But soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun 😀
JULIET: Okay thanks! 🙂

JERRY: You complete me 😀
DOROTHY: Ok thx! 🙂

“Okay thanks!” is now a universal expression, which sometimes suggests obliviousness to what is actually being said.  A person pours their heart out to someone and the reply is “okay thanks!”. There’s a suggestion that an actual physical meeting would be a good idea, only to be met with “okay thanks!”  The feelings go unresolved and the meeting never happens.

Are social networks slowly reducing conversation to the simplest terms, even discouraging physical interaction?  We see images of people enjoying themselves with other people, but as soon as they are back texting on Facebook, the conversations drop to nearly nothing – the equivalent of “okay thanks!”.

I miss the twentieth century.  I miss social interaction.  I miss people not talking about every damn thing they do, and sending their pointless photos of doing them.  I enjoy phone conversations.  I enjoy actual physical conversations.  I enjoy communication.

If social networks and their ability to reduce interaction are considered “okay”, maybe sometimes we should say “no thanks”.