What in the World!

It seems as if almost daily I ask myself, "What's this world coming to?" Recently, for example, I saw where the prestigious Westminister Kennel Dog Show, which goes back over140 years, for the first time allowed cats to enter into the competition. That's right. Dog lovers everywhere got to see a bengal cat flaunt its booty in the "meet the breed" category. What's next? An all-dog version of the musical "Cats"? While there is a big part of me that would actually be interested in seeing that, there is another part of me that hopes such a scenario never happens. Somethings need to be left alone. Something's are meant to remain as they are.

One example of that is a free press. The day we begin tampering with that is the day our form of government makes its first step on a slippery slope. My concern is that first step is now happening. The Trump administration has launched an all-out offensive against the press, specifically, press outlets that they deem to be critical of their actions or policies. Not good. Not good at all. Such outlets as The New York Times and CNN are being banned from press briefings by the White House. Hardly a day passes when Trump himself when he does not lambast the media with a fury that should be directed toward such targets as terrorism, poverty or a declining infrastructure.

No doubt the press makes for any easy target. It is imperfect at times. Who among us is otherwise? What entity within our society does not fall short from hitting the bulls-eye? At the same time, the mainstream media is a powerful force for good and should not be kicked to the curb. It represents communication at its most vital. The press needs to fight back. So, too, do all of us who believe in access to unfiltered information. Without restriction, we remain a free society. With it, then we don't. This is not going to be an easy battle. Yet is is one that is necessary. None of us should turn our cheek on this one.