Entitlement, Irony, and other meaningless words.

As I watched, with rapt attention, the press conference of Tiger Woods today I was struck by his message and the depth of it. I freely admit I am a fan of Mr. Woods. I also was greatly disappointed by the revelation(s) of his infidelity. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that the message was heartfelt and honest. I truly sensed that he stood before the assembled group of his friends and peers, not as the invincible superstar we have known him to be, but as the flawed and remorseful man that he is today. He spoke of temptations, hope, weakness, and entitlement. It was a statement to fit the crime, perhaps more should have been around to witness it.

"The Golf Writers Association of America voted overwhelmingly to boycott the conference." The irony is delicious. In a speech delivered by their sports' greatest star, perhaps THE greatest, the word "entitled" was mentioned. Perhaps the GWAA should research it. The protestation of a speech delivered by their meal ticket because of his unwillingness to meet their collective needs is the epitome of entitlement and is, quite simply, pathetic. It is galling to me, even in this TMZ fueled media world, that any legitimate "news" agency would refuse an opportunity on any such grounds. Media integrity aside, what happened to human decency?

For a span exceeding 13 minutes, a man addressed a nation of rabid viewers, confessed his sins and apologized for them. I will not debate the depth of the evils and ills to which Tiger has fallen, but I will commend him for taking this step. I would doubt that many of us would readily air our collected dirty laundry to even our closest friends. That takes courage and is as difficult as mending a broken heart should be. In a room filled with friends and family, Tiger laid bare his life. I'm not certain I could, or would do the same.

The president of the G.W.A.A., Vartan Kupelian, said, “To limit the ability of journalists to attend, listen, see and question Woods goes against the grain of everything we believe.” In case you are unaware, 3 seats originally (6 seats later) were offered to the GWAA, specifically so they could "attend, LISTEN, and see" the individual which has provided them livelihood. The only caveat, would be that questions would neither be posed, nor answered, by ANYONE. Though these conditions were fine with Tigers' MOTHER and friends, it appears it was just too much of a strain for what I am certain is Mr. Kupelian's highly developed sense of morality. I suppose we must all believe in something, even if it is hypocrisy. Interestingly, The Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg News Service, were able to overcome any such convictions though, admittedly, these agencies do not compare to the power and prestige of the GWAA.

He was speaking of news anchors, when Anderson Cooper said, "If you're not careful, you can become used to being treated as though you're special and begin to expect it." Today I witnessed one man attempting to cope with that realization and recover from it, thankfully someone was there to report it.

"Socialism Viewed Positively by 36% of Americans"

Admittedly, I approached the attached article with a mixture of fear and anger. Setting aside these feelings and, valiantly I may add, resisting the urge to break something, I read. It was not until approximately 1/2 complete,

that the actual story was revealed:

"Exactly how Americans define "socialism" or what exactly they think of when they hear the word is not known"

It occurs to me, that this statement encapsulates much of what I believe to be a the failings and ills of society today. 

Gone are the days, if they once existed, of opinions rooted in fact and study. Regardless of your thought of socialism, should not an individual have, at the very least, a general understanding of an issue prior to lending their thoughts a voice? I cannot help but feel, that this seemingly minor issue, lies curled at the base of the majority of the problems we face as Americans today. The consistent failure, day in and out, to truly define that which you stand for and against has become an anchor on this great nation. 

Daily, people expound upon that which they half-understand, vote without research or fact, blindly trust that all will be "okay", and, in the end, assign blame where they see fit. The responsibility  for the mess we currently enjoy lies within us all. Whether because we have failed to properly educate ourselves in each decision, to prepare our children, or merely to speak out when the time is ripe, the fault is surely ours. With every silenced tongue and lazy opinion, democracy dies. 

Socialism refers to the various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on the amount of labor expended