Fireworks

I was one of what I estimated to have been 100,000 people who attended the 2016 Fireworks Festival held in Busan, South Korea, earlier this month. With all the pops and whistles, bright lights and spectacular displays, fireworks are fun to see. I find it nearly impossible to witness any fireworks display without letting out a string of ohhhhs and ahhhhs. The festival in Busan was no exception. Lots of fun especially on a pleasant night surrounded by many folks of any ages intent on having fun. It was a memorable time.

Without question, fireworks displays are hard to ignore. Yes, they are fun to watch, but on a deeper level serve as a distraction from life's more sobering realities such as going to work, making financial ends meet, maintaining a reasonably healthy lifestyle, and caring for loved ones. Fireworks offer a brief escape from those challenges. Because people know that, it is probably why so many happily go out of their way to watch a display. At the end of the day, however, one cannot completely turn their back on their responsibilities. That may seem like stating the obvious, but the fact is there are those who communicate as if they are a fireworks display. Fluff with little substance. Lots of noise but few facts.

The U.S. presidential campaign this year seems to be a non-stop fireworks display: lots of noise in the form of name calling, bragging and posturing, but little substaniative information sharing or vision designed to make voters a more informed citizenry. One result is that so many folks are turned off by the candidates and claim they have no attention to even vote. This is unfortunate, of course, as the very existence of the US revolves around the degree to which all citizens are engaged in matters of policy and current events. Yet, ironically, top candidates seem to be trying to devote much energy to distracting voters from real issues. Communication-wise, this is poor form. In terms of civics, such behavior is harmful.