The topic of today’s article is the “Power of the Press.” For our purposes, I am referring to the whole media circus that has gripped America, and pushed us toward one of two camps.

The old-time writers and broadcasters were content to just tell you what was going on — not what to make of it. When you read their op-ed pieces, you knew it was an opinion. Now, everything is opinion stated as fact. When I was getting ready to leave college and teach, I remember a professor saying, “If you can get a child to think for himself, three-quarters of your job is done.” In other words, teach them how to think, not what to think.

The press has become far too powerful and opinionated. It’s a power trip for those in the business that they wield so much influence over millions of people. They/we are not elected officials and all we should be doing is offering an opinion or advice — not directing the flow of policy. This poem is called:

Power Trip

“How deep can you go,“ he asked me, “before you get caught in the tide?”

“I can go down as far as I want,” I said, with a touch of pride.

“Do you not fear the pull of the dark?”, he said with a growing alarm.

I spat my reply to the far-reaching winds, “There is nothing can do me harm.”

“I can seek out the depth of your soul”, I said, “then strip you of all you possess.

My power transcends that of mere mortal man, for I am the word of the press.”

My vanity plunged me on through the night, till stumbling forward, I fell.

Instead of a place of the common good, what I found was a stairway to hell.

There is none so blind as he who believes that the truth is but his alone.

Precious little ‘tween Heaven and Earth will be found to be written in stone.

We do not have the power of God, though some may assume it so.

A writer can never be prey to the word, ‘tis a pitfall that many know.

I made it back from that fiendish place, to the spot where I first began.

Now I know the power that I possess is no different than any man.

I write what I write, you read what you read, and I pray that the two shall meet.

If I have one truth you remember, then my passage will be complete. - JDF

Joke: Two men in their eighties were driving along and heard an Ex-Lax commercial. It ended with, “It will make you feel young again.” They decide to get some and see how it works.

They eat two chocolate squares each and keep driving but nothing much changed so they took four more apiece. Fifteen minutes later, Bill asked Dan if he felt any younger yet. Dan answered, “Nope — but, all of a sudden I feel like I’ve done a childish thing!”

One and two liners:

Some days I feel like I’m on life support and somebody’s standing on the oxygen line.

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want, but you only get to spend it once.

Old age: when everything you do to get your spirits up — requires a rub-down.

The best vitamin to help you make and keep friends is B1.

Some people don’t mean to exaggerate — they just think big.

Historical tidbits:

Good old Harry Truman once said, “My choices in life were to become a piano player in a whore house or a politician, and to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.”

There are now wild wolverines in Oregon, Colorado, Montana, Washington and California, but despite the nickname of the University of Michigan, that state has none. (Sorry, Cheeks!)

In September of 1955, actor James Dean filmed a PSA for the National Highway Safety Committee in which he said, “Take it easy, driving. The life you save might be mine.” Two weeks later he was killed while speeding with his Porsche.

That’s a wrap! - JDF