Word up

[gwyn]

One of the things about working for a news and opinion magazine is that you have to spend a lot of time paying attention to current events. I've had CNN on for the past four days nonstop. It is literally making me sick; I've found it hard to eat, I'm so upset. One person Wolf Blitzer talked to today just devastated me -- trapped in a hospital, not knowing if anyone even knows they're there, saying she just wanted her family to know she is all right... for now. Because maybe in a few days, she won't be. They are almost out of water. No food. She is alive, for now.

We spend a lot of time behind the scenes, trying to find people who can write stories on short notice, who aren't already writing for another news organization. Toss around ideas, topics for discussion. It's gruesome and hard, and you get to be jokey about stuff that's not funny because otherwise you will go mad from the frustration. We have to be relatively impartial. Do you know how hard it is to have a balanced outlook when you want to kill the people in power in this country? To have to listen to their bald-faced lies, and then write calmly about it (or edit calmly, in my case)? I hear this woman on my TV and am reading and trying to be fair... and I can't.

But finally, good ol' Wolf said it. I never watch CNN if I can help it, so I lost touch with Wolf in the last Gulf War, but I loved him for this today. They're making all this noise about how hard it is to get Congress back to Capitol Hill because they're scattered all over the country and the world. And he pointed out that when it came to vote on whether to force Terri Schiavo to have a feeding tube, they all ran back to the Hill by that Sunday night. Within a matter of two days. Now they've had almost a week, and they may or may not convene by tomorrow, who knows. I love people who poke at the hypocrites.

Is there anything worse than being helpless to help people? It was the worst thing about my sister's illness. Even when she was nearing death's door, she was so upset over being helpless herself to do anything more than send money for the tsunami victims. It's easy to give money. But it still leaves you feeling utterly helpless and worthless.

Comments

[cranberryink.livejournal.com]

Wow. Go Wolf. I'm kind of stunned that he said that, but it's a good kind of stunned.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah. the guys on CNN are being my heroes these days. Some of them are saying very loudly how unacceptable this situation is.

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

I was eating up that interview with a SPOON.

The poor bastard, though. It's not his fault Bush raped him up the ass FEMA of all resources.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Did you also see Anderson Cooper blow a gasket with that congreswoman? Holy crap. I'm glad they are getting pissed -- there may be a lot of George supporters who want to believe the government is doing the right thing, but my dad, a truck driver in WWII who had to drive under artillery fire and bring supplies into unreachable places, was just outraged. He said they mobilized faster in the war with far less, and he's beyond disgusted.

[varina8.livejournal.com]

Go Wolf!

(I understand about inappropriate newsroom humor. Sometimes it's the only thing that gets you through the day.)

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's hard -- I feel very sensitive to suffering and death right now, but at this point we're all loopy and tired and so unbelievably angry. Jesus H, they did a better job in the third world tsunami countries.

[varina8.livejournal.com]

I don't envy you. However, I am rejoicing to see the mainstream media get some bite back. They've been so leery to scream bullshit on this Administration when it's so desperately needed.

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

I am having the same reaction to watching the news. I was watching MSNBC this afternoon and I was so enraged and in tears at what I am seeing. I want heads to roll. I want bodies to roll for letting this happen. I want our 'leaders' to be chained to a lamppost on those southern streets.

I want a revolution.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

It's just really hard. Helplessness is just ... it's not as bad as being the one it's happening to, but it carries with it a lot of guilt. It's hard to reconcile.

The thing I hate the most is that none of these supposed leaders have the slightest bit of shame.

[jebbypal]

*hugs* I can't imagine having a job where I actually have to keep up with this stuff. Although I was rather impressed by the stories 48 hrs and dateline did last night. First real journalism I've seen in a LONG time. (though at times, I wondered why the journalists hadn't brought tons of food and water w/ them...but oh well).

Hang in there and remember that by working in the industry you do, you are helping out any future victims of these types of disasters. Hopefully the government will be held truly accountable come elections.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Normally I'm so news avoidant it's not funny. There are frequently times when they tell us about some article, and I have no idea who the person is until I copyedit it. But this time, I have to be on top of the changes so that we can get stories proposed and handled faster -- need to know all the facts. And if there was ever a time when I wanted to stick my head in the sand, it's now.

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine having to watch that much news. Simply reading reports and links on the internet was enough to to set me hysterically crying earlier. And then I took a shower, and tried not to think about how much potable water I just used while people are literally dying of thirst at the convention center.

I could have driven to NOLA by now. I don't understand why it is taking so long for help to arrive.

And I sympathize with the wanting to kill people in power. My flist is saying smart, perceptive things about Katrina, and has been for days. Why is my flist smarter than my entire government? Why do I fell like I am better informed about Katrina than our "elected" representatives?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I know! I feel like for Chrissakes, I could have been there from Seattle by now! I've driven across country in less time than this has taken them -- you just don't stop and you sleep in small bursts. They don't even have to do that!

What sickens me is that it was faster for people to get help in third world countries during the tsunami. They were small efforts, but they were faster than our own government.

[merricatk.livejournal.com]

Is there anything worse than being helpless to help people? It was the worst thing about my sister's illness. Even when she was nearing death's door, she was so upset over being helpless herself to do anything more than send money for the tsunami victims. It's easy to give money. But it still leaves you feeling utterly helpless and worthless.

Pat was very much like that; it made her feel so awful that she couldn't help me anymore, couldn't drive me places. She was in charge of so much & one by one those things fell away.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I want to do more than give money, and that's the worst thing. I want to pack up the furniture and food I have here (I've been refurnishing my living room, and I have to get rid of this stuff), and strap it all to a truck, and drive down there and give it to the first family I find whose stuff was destroyed. Bring truckloads of bottled water. DO something.

[klia.livejournal.com]

What's happening there infuriates me. I'm literally shaking with rage. Glaciers move faster, for fuck's sake.

I just... there are no words.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I could have driven there by now. I could have loaded the Beetle with bottled water, and driven there.