lions and bats

Today the New York Times reports the NCAA’s fine and sanctions for the Penn State Football organization. $60 million over four years and a ban from bowl appearances for the next four years. Chatter around the news in editorials about the Batman film and the Aurora Colorado massacre. Gloomy stuff. It feels like America is staggering, exhausted, and lost. What I feel is sadness and wonder. I wonder how young people feel about all of this? I cannot find a place to read the voices of the young. I hope they write soon. I need to hear what they think. In the meantime, most of what I read is written by older folks like me. The Kansas City Star is like that; a sort of retirement home daily. I believe in the power of young minds. Unfortunately they’re not in the written news mix.

I haven’t written anything at the Star’s MidWest Voices site since July 4^th. I’ve been tempted a few times. But my temptation fades when I read the pieces there. Yael Abouhalka writes with a patronizing style. He writes about trite subjects with the frequent phrase “too bad”. He’s better suited as a beat journalist because his strength is writing about local city hall politics where numbers imbue the message. Yael’s good with numbers not insight. Barb and Lewis are predictable. It’s really good to be away from the mix there.

It’s a very hot day in Kansas City. I’m not going to blame the heat for this sluggish sense within me. The lion and bat stories have me contemplating our American sluggishness.