A Sad Day

So as I was perusing the popular networking site "Facebook," I noticed some friends of mine were members of a group called "Have the President's speech moved so it won't mess with the Lost premier!!!"  Following some basic investigatory work, I discovered people were upset that there is a chance that the President's State of the Union address will be held on Feb. 2, the same day as the Lost premiere apparently.  When I read this, I was rather perturbed.  Have we, as Americans, really become more worried about watching a fictitious television show, rather than what our nation has accomplished in the past year and where it is going in the next?

To you a little background, Lost is an American serial drama television series following the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island.  Imagine Gilligan's Island on steroids.  The State of the Union address is a speech where the President outlines where he(or potentially someday she) feels the country has been in the past year.  they outline the good and the bad of what we has done economically, environmentally, militarily, etc.  They also take the opportunity to outline their plans for the upcoming year.

To think that people would rather get their fix off of a TV show rather than learn about the future of their own country baffles me.  I just don't understand how people can choose to be so ignorant to what is going on around them.  Our nation is going through major historical changes that affect everyone, and whether good or bad, the American people need to be aware of what is going on in their own country, state, and even city or town.  I guess it doesn't surprise me that much though seeing as only 57% of Americans seemed to deem it important to vote in our last national election.  People in other countries are intimidated, threatened, and even killed for voting.  That is if they are even given the opportunity to.  Here is American we would rather watch fiction rather than worry about what is happening in real life.

Now I have no problem with watching tv and following your favorite, but at some point, people need to wise up and start taking responsibility and pride in their country.  We take what we have here for granted far to often and I pray that Americans would begin to take more interest in their country instead of their TVs.  People need to stop being so self absorbed in themselves and their interests and begin looking at the bigger picture.  Missing or moving the premiere of a TV show won't kill anyone.  Get over it.

What do you think?