Wall to Wall Memorials

I was thinking of titling this blog "Where is the Closure?", which would be apropos. Memorials and ceremonials are becoming the fad; actually they have been around since WWII what with the Arizona Memorial being visited every year since I don't know when. But it seems like every day for hours on end some ceremonn is taking place in the most unusual places. Now it is traipsing down to the waters edges and throwing in wreaths and flowers every anniversary of some disaster. Fires, wars, airplane crashes, acts of terrorism; you name it we celebrate it ad naseum. Now it is funerals--24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour coverage by our obsession driven media outlets. I liked and admired Gerald R. Ford and was sad that he passed on but I wouldn't choose to spend hours memorializing him like the media apparently presumed I would like to. The tube shows nothing else but.

What we are dealing with here is called "communal reinforcement". Everyone does their best to outdo everyone else in expressing grief and the media happily joins in pandering to the public, and in effect reinforcing the action of the public, which in turn encourages more to join in. The media does it all the time during political campaigns and during wars. The question then is where will it all end?

Like the use of the word "hero". I spent five years in the army and not once was I, or anyone else with me, called a "hero". I'm not expressing sour grapes for I would feel really uncomfortable if I were in the militry and I heard what a "hero" I was for doing my patriotic duty. All it is, is a recruitment gimmick, which the media is using in their attempts to pander to the Administration and the public.