At first, I wondered if my car’s Sirius XM radio was broken. It seemed like the exact same worn-out story was being broadcast on every news station I tried.
CNN: “Americans are waking up to a country under a national emergency. In many neighborhoods, grocery shelves will be empty. International travel is now heavily restricted…”
I flip the station.
FOX: “…Some church services may be canceled or live streamed this weekend. Broadway shows have halted, too. And in many states, mass gatherings are outright banned…
I try a different station.
MSNBC: “…All but one state has reported positive tests, with more than 2,200 cases across America. At least 49 people have died: 37 in Washington state, which now reports at least 568 cases…”
How about ESPN, for heavens sake?
“…NASCAR has postponed its next two race weekends amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the series announced Friday…”
So I finally give up, and switch to a classic music station.
I hear the voice of Barry McGuire:
“… and you tell me, over and over and over again, my friend — you don’t believe we’ve on the eve of destruction…”
In disgust, I turn off the radio.
Silence fills the inside of my car. Except, of course, for the annoying rattle of my car engine, about the fall apart. Where is the honest news — when I need it most? To hide that annoying rattle?
Where are all the murder stories? The politicians accused of sexual harassment? The caravans of dangerous immigrant mothers and children hammering at the nation’s gates? Apparently, there’s nothing else going on in the world, worth reporting… so the media, like a demented bulldog, has latched on to a virus related to the common cold, and blown it up into a “pandemic.”
Over and over and over again, my friend…
They’ve totally ruined my Sirius XM… for which I am paying $16.99 a month. 140 stations, all talking about the same damned thing. Telling me, over and over and over again that we’re on the eve of ‘social distancing.’
‘Social media’ was bad enough. Now we have ‘social distancing.’ Which, if I know anything about how the world works, will make ‘social media’ even worse.
I send a text message.
“Hey, Fred, any chance I can borrow your belt sander this weekend?”
A few minutes later, I get a response.
“I’m really sorry, Louis, but I’m not allowing anyone to touch my tools until this pandemic is over. Besides, we’re not answering the door. But I’ve attached a selfie of me holding the belt sander, in case that would be useful…”
We can all see where this is headed.
We can hear the thunder in the distance.
But we can’t hear any honest news.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all.